Super Hunk

Could Brad Pitt be the next Batman... or the next Chuck Barris? Director Darren Aronofsky (''Pi,'' the upcoming ''Requiem for a Dream''), who recently met with the actor in L.A., is in talks with Warner Bros. about taking over the ''Batman'' franchise, but he's also put in a bid to direct the studio's ''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,'' now that David Fincher (''Fight Club'') has dropped out.

''I'd want to bring an independent guerrilla flavor to 'Batman,''' says Aronofsky; as for ''Confessions,'' which is based on Barris' fantasy autobiography and adapted by Charlie Kaufman (''Being John Malkovich''), ''It's one of the few scripts I could go out tomorrow and shoot -- it's that smart,'' says Aronofsky.

Bryan Singer (''X-Men'') is also rumored to be up for the gig, and Aronofsky's betting on the competition: ''I don't think I'm it.'' Meanwhile, he's distracting himself by scripting a science fiction film, which he also plans to direct. ''I'm just aggressively pushing everything forward,'' he says. ''The first thing that comes together, I'll do.''