Caution: before reading any further, please note that nothing has been confirmed about the plot of The Dark Knight Rises. And that should any of the speculation turn out to be even halfway true, there’s every chance it could verge into spoiler territory. But the first images snuck from the set of the film have arrived, and they are enough to make Robin exclaim, “Holy hole full of goo, Batman!”

Yes, a pit filled with green ooze (below) isn’t exactly the most exciting picture until you add that to the casting of The Social Network’s Josh Pence as a young Ra’s al Ghul. Then consider the possibility that Pence’s take on Ghul might not be part of a flashback, but actually the regenerated villain come back to haunt Bruce Wayne once more. Of course, everyone assumed he was fairly well exploderised during the big final battle in Batman Begins, but A) Ghul was a tricky sort and B) that’s the point of one of the biggest elements of his character’s background – he has the Lazarus Pits that help him heal from terrible injuries and even cheat old age.

If anyone snaps an unexpected shot of Liam Neeson hanging around the set, that’ll lead to more speculation, but it’s certainly an intriguing prospect should Nolan and co have decided to tie their take on the series up in a way that harkens, back to the first film. While the idea of the Lazarus Pit is a little closer to the fantastical than the current Bat-universe likes to dabble in (it could always be a big green screen element for something else), it’s fun to ponder the ideas. Theories, anyone?

With Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard also in the cast, The Dark Knight Rises hits cinemas later next year.