Exactly how many comic book movie franchises could Cillian Murphy end up starring in? Maybe three, maybe none.

Recently, there have been rumblings that The Crow remake has reached the casting stage, an offer having been made to a major actor. In its coverage, MTV listed five stars whom it felt would be interesting in the lead role, with Murphy included on the short-list. Obviously, that’s nothing even remotely official, but we can’t help agreeing that he’d be great for the part, his wiry physique and sad visage eerily-reminiscent of Brandon Lee in his final role.

It’s also apparent that Murphy is open to appearing in comic book-based movies, having starred as the Scarecrow in both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Murphy, who will be appearing in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming sci-fi thriller Inception, recently said he has no idea if Dr. Stephen Crane/Scarecrow might get a second encore; however, he sounded game for donning the burlap sack mask and spraying fear-inducing gas once more.

"It’s not for me to start campaigning for the Scarecrow to come back but if Chris wants me back in that role, yeah, absolutely, I would love to do it," Murphy told Comic Book Movie in a recent interview regarding Inception. The article points out that the actor and director have a pretty tight working relationship; apparently, Nolan allowed Murphy to read through his Inception screenplay and choose which character he wanted to play. (For those wondering, the role is a man named Fischer, who in the trailer appears interested in subjecting himself to the "subconscious security" services provided by Leonardo DiCaprio.)

"There is never confusion on a Chris Nolan set," Murphy went on to say. "Just to be around him...he has complete confidence in his abilities without ever appearing arrogant. He’s just at ease, and he gives actors great confidence. To feel a director like Chris has faith in you is very liberating."

And Nolan, as we all know, is masterminding the upcoming Superman reboot. Given that he clearly likes working with Murphy, and vice-versa, an obvious question is: Might the latter be cast in the Man of Steel’s next incarnation, and if so, what would be the ideal role for the Irish stage and screen actor? While he seems a little too dark and mysterious to play Superman himself (and probably lacks the physicality), and isn't exactly the right shape for Lex Luthor, shave his head and Murphy might make a good Brainiac, Superman’s extraterrestrial humanoid enemy who’s obsessed with information.

Personally, I think Murphy would also make a terrific Toyman, the psychologically-damaged genius with a penchant for homicidal toys. And of course, depending what direction Nolan’s Superman film takes, there’s always the villain whose two-word name gives die-hard Man of Steel fans the trembles: General Zod. Looking at the character’s recent comic book appearances (he was actually introduced only a few years ago, despite being the main antagonist in the film Superman II), there’s actually some resemblance between Zod and Murphy; that is, when the latter has facial hair.

But that’s just our two cents. Like we said earlier, for all we know Scarecrow won’t be receiving another beating in the third Bat-film, producer Edward Pressman has someone else in mind for The Crow, and Nolan is envisioning a clean slate for his Superman universe. Or maybe Murphy will find his way into all three. The lack of any certainty is what makes speculation so much fun.