Maggie Gyllenhaal joins The Dark Knight

We loved Batman Begins. We awarded it our five star seal of approval and carried Chris Nolan on our shoulders through the streets of London.

Okay, maybe not that last bit (we’re waiting for that call, Chris), but if forced at gunpoint to find something to dislike, it was Katie Holmes’ less-than-stellar performance as Assistant DA and Bat-love interest Rachel Dawes.

But as Nolan busies himself with the final preparations to shoot his sequel, The Dark Knight, we can add yet another reason to look forward to the movie: Maggie Gyllenhaal has officially been cast as Dawes.

Mrs Tom Cruise apparently had scheduling problems (what, Tom wouldn’t let you out of the house?) and so we’re going to be treated with a thesp who really matches up to the likes of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger and recent cast arrival Aaron Eckhart.

"I'm extremely excited to work with an actress of Maggie's calibre, and she's a great addition to the cast as we continue our story," Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter.

Now all we have to complain about is having to wait until next year for The Dark Knight…