After the staggering critical and commercial success of Warner Bros’ Christopher Nolan-directed Batman films, “Batman Begins,” and “The Dark Knight,” rumors have been relentlessly circulating about work on a third film, though little legitimate information has surfaced.  But Quint over at AICN may have just uncovered the biggest bomb in the saga so far.

While sitting on a panel for “The Book of Eli” at San Diego Comic-Con, Gary Oldman (Commissioner Gordon) was asked about when the next Batman movie would start shooting.  So far, all in involved with the films have been notoriously tight-lipped, but Oldman was uncharacteristically open saying that he believes production would be getting underway next year, adding, “But you didn’t hear it from me.”

Until now it has been uncertain if there would even be a third film, although considering “The Dark Knight’s” record-breaking success it’s hard to believe a major studio like Warners would pass on a cash cow like Batman.

But when pressed about his comments in a follow-up interview with AICN, Oldman back-peddaled a tad on his comments saying, “well, I’m sure they want to do another one… it might 2 or 3 years…”

Whatever the time frame, it appears that “Batman 3″ is a go, and that the studio may be further along in the pre-production process than anticipated.