Gary Oldman is Batman’s Jim Gordon

Gary Oldman, best known for playing villains, will play the incorruptible Gotham cop Jim Gordon in Batman Begins, the new film starring Christian Bale.

Warner Bros. Pictures made the official announcement that work on the film, under the directorship of Chris Nolan, has started in Iceland.

The film also stars Michael Caine as Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler Alfred, Katie Holmes as childhood friend Rachel, Liam Neeson as Wayne’s mentor, Henri Ducard, Morgan Freeman as Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox and Ken Watanabe as international terrorist Ra’s al Ghul. 28 Days Later star Cillian Murphy has been rumored to be cast as the Scarecrow.

“In ‘Batman Begins,’ Oldman will play Lieutenant James Gordon, a detective on the Gotham police force,” the studio said. David Goyer and Nolan wrote the script and filming will also take place in London and Chicago, WB said. It debuts summer 2005.

Meanwhile, Batman-on-Film has more details on the Dark Knight’s costume: ”A bit more on the cape--and what The Batman can do with it. The Bat will be able to fly in this film--sort of. The cape is made of some sort of advanced material that is super light, yet can become very stiff and tight when an electric current is run through it. The Batman, with a touch of a button, will be able to turn his flowing cape into ‘wings’ and fly--or actually glide in the skies of Gotham!!,” the site said.

Also, ”The Batman will be shown in some very ‘iconic’ poses, with the cape really moving and flowing around him! Can't wait to see it on screen....I have it from a good source that Jonathan Crane will be shown with a ‘Scarecrow mask’ in the film.”