Johnny Depp is at the center of two intriguing movie rumors these days.

First, he's supposedly being considered as the next Batman villain. Reports have connected him to The Riddler in the eventual follow-up to The Dark Knight.

Now, Entertainment Weekly is leaking word that Depp may portray the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's upcoming take on the fairy tale, Alice in Wonderland.

A 3-D movie of that classic slated for release in 2010. It will star Mia Wasikowska in the title role.

The source said the film will be live action until Alice jumps down the rabbit hole and meets the odd tea party host. The question is whether Depp himself will don a Hatter outfit, or lend his voice to the computer-generated version.

There's been no comment yet from Disney or Depp on the rumor. But allow us to say: sounds awesome!