If they’re talking about a new Batman movie, you can bet that everyone’s talking about the new villain and that it’s Catwoman’s turn… and also Megan Fox’s. She’s the new “hot” girl, thanks to all those wonderful photos of her on the internet, plus appearances on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live and also in the Transformers movies and the upcoming Jennifer’s Body.

She’s already shot Jonah Hex (the movie, I don’t think she actually shot the character), and she’s supposed to play Fathom should that actually come to pass. She was once rumored to play She-Hulk, so why not Catwoman? Plus, Salma Hayek is about 10 years too old for Catwoman now.

According to the Sun tabloid in England, it’s already a done deal. Getting news from the Murdoch organization, though, is about as reliable as stock tips from the blue-haired lady your mom plays canasta with at the Country Club.  People.com is reporting that Megan has not been cast as Catwoman, that’s it’s all just rumor. Warner Bros. claims there’s no script, so there’s nothing to even cast yet. And the gang at Heckler Spray just makes fun of the whole thing and who can blame them? Best of all, Amog has 32 great reasons why Fox would be the perfect Catwoman. I can’t argue with any of them.

Fox’s “in-or-out” potential for Catwoman is similar to when Wonder Woman first looked like it might get off the ground and Sandra Bullock was just coming off big hits like Speed. And if this was the 1980s all over again, everyone would be debating Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, and Lena Olin for the role. So whether it’s Megan Fox or someone else, when the time comes to make the next Batman movie, Warner Bros. will look around and see who the hotties are, what their latest movies have done, figure out if they can put fanboys into the seats, and if they can diet and exercise and enhance themselves enough to squeeze into the catsuit.

Because it’s not about the acting. Nobody who’s played Catwoman before is going to give Meryl Streep or Jodie Foster serious competition. It’s all about the body in the suit and how it snugs around an acceptable form. Just like it was for Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Halle Berry in their purry performances.

So here’s the latest on Megan - either she’s Catwoman or she’s not. And if she’s not, it’ll be someone else in the catsuit who not only fills it out just as well, but will also be the subject of endless internet debates. My vote, if anyone’s keeping track, is still for Kate Beckinsale, and not just because she likes Diet Coke.

And yes, this whole post was just an excuse for me to post a picture of Megan Fox.

[Photograph: Megan Fox]