Rumor: Joseph Gordon-Levitt ready to wear Batman's mask?

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Warning: If you're one of the twelve people left who hasn't seen or heard the ending of The Dark Knight Rises, be warned, the following post contains spoilers.

Rumors intensified Tuesday that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who appeared in this year's blockbuster flick The Dark Knight Rises would be the next actor to step into Batman's boots.

The end of the final Christopher Nolan-Christian Bale Batman was ambiguously unambiguous. John Blake, the policeman played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, gets directions to the Batcave after Batman (Bale) hangs up his cape for good.

After the film was released, audiences wondered, Would Gordon-Levitt's Blake continue in the franchise as Robin, Batman's traditional sidekick? Would he go straight to Nightwing, the superhero Dick Grayson (the original Robin) ultimately becomes? Or would he don the cowl, taking on the role of Batman himself for future films, even a Justice League movie?

Late Monday night, HitFix reported that Gordon-Levitt was absolutely going to be appearing in a Justice League movie, and he would be playing Batman. (The Justice League, to the uninitiated, is the DC Comics is similar to, and actually precedes Marvel's Avengers. It involves Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Lantern, teaming up.)

HitFix even suggests the possibility that Gordon-Levitt might even make an appearance in the role sooner: Christopher Nolan is involved in the Superman relaunch Man of Steel, due out this summer, and that film could be the first step toward a Justice League franchise.

On Tuesday, Hollywood.com deflated some of the speculation, reaching out to Gordon-Levitt's representatives, who flatly denied the rumor that JGL would appear in Man of Steel.