Riddle me this, riddle me that ... who's afraid of a big, black bat? While Jim Carrey is no closer to finding an answer to the puzzle he put forth in "Batman Forever," we do know one person who isn't afraid of the Caped Crusader: critically acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan.

The "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" director has finally confirmed that he'll be back in the director's chair for a currently untitled "Batman" film, tentatively scheduled for a July 20, 2012 release date. In an interview with Empire Online, Nolan revealed that he's currently working on the screenplay to "Batman 3" alongside his brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan Nolan.

"It's becoming inevitable, I'll put it that way," the "Inception" helmer said of crafting a third "Batman" tale. "I feel myself falling into it, I guess. And getting it all figured out and I'm pretty excited about what we're doing so. ... If I haven't announced it, I think that people probably all know at this point that I'm doing it."

Pressed on whether or not it's safe to assume that Nolan will direct the feature himself, he replied: "I think you can at this point, yes."

Nolan's continued involvement with the series, at least from a producer standpoint, was all but guaranteed, with his return as director considerably less certain. Now, not only is Nolan making a Gotham City comeback, fans can also count on a production start date as Michael Caine, who plays Alfred in the series, told Coming Soon that shooting will "probably start in May next year."

Once again, it's a good time to be a fan of the Batman.

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