Roven: Joker could return

[Andreas Tanis]

Let's say the Joker does return in Batman 3, what actor would you want to take up the mantle?

[F1uke]

Truthfully?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2oZWpqtNi4&feature=related

To me, that is Joker material

[DonC]

Who's Roven and why should I care what he/she says?

[The Xenos]

I really hope they do recast Joker, even if he's a more minor role or in the background. Ledger gae us such a great character in his Joker, I'd hate to see someone not pick up that torch. As for WHO... I don't know. I leave that to Nolan and his casting department. Really, who thought Ledger right away? Though of previous suggestions, I thought Adrian Brody had a good look and possible chops for the role.

[Weapon Z]

Truthfully?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2oZWpqtNi4&feature=related

To me, that is Joker material

That was creepy...

[Spiffy]

The truth is that there are SO many good Batman villains why would they NEED to retread ground?

[Retro315]

Considering the Joker's propensity for "reinventing himself" David Bowie style, it's not totally out of the question to see another actor as Joker. I was pulling for Paul Bettany early on, and I still think he could pull it off, possibly as homage to what Heath Ledger did, possibly with a little bit of his own twist combined with a little bit of Killing Joke Joker or Long Halloween Joker or something.

But I'm still pulling for a full-on Two-Face revival that compromises Batman and Gordon's relationship and pulls the next them into duality and double lives and secret kept between friends.

With Riddler and Catwoman in supporting roles.

[vcassel]

joseph gordon-levitt. i can't imagine anyone else filling heath ledger's shoes. he's proven himself to be a very talented actor, he looks more like heath than anyone else i can think of: http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/080408/Joseph-Gordon-Levitt_l.jpg, and he's currently working with christopher nolan on his new movie.

[Andreas Tanis]

Looks aren't really that important here, and I don't want JGL in the role just because he looks like Ledger. We need someone just as talented as Ledger...someone like Depp, not someone who looks like Ledger when he hit puberty.

[JumpingJupiter]

John Malkovich. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XSKPBef37c)

Maybe Nick Nolte. (http://www.strimoo.com/video/15828887/The-Best-of-Nick-Nolte-part-one-Vimeo.html)

[comicsmetal]

Who's Roven and why should I care what he/she says?

He is one of the producers of the new Batman films.:evilsmile: So you should care because he makes the films.

[comicsmetal]

Let's say the Joker does return in Batman 3, what actor would you want to take up the mantle?

That is a tought one,even thought Heath was a good joker.It is hard for an actor to take a role of someone that was deceased when they played that character.

I think Nolan might look to not include the joker.

[xorn87]

Batman 3 should have a Joker cameo by Joseph Gordon Levitt. Leave it to new villains to torment Batman. Mad Hatter : Johnny Depp Riddler: Adrian Brody Killer Croc: Michael Clarke Duncan pick your poison.

[Sean Walsh]

If the Joker returns, it should be clearly stated that it's not the same guy as Heath's Joker.

Maybe gloss over the fate of Heath's Joker since Heath is dead and focus more on the new character donning the makeup.

[Will44]

joseph gordon-levitt. i can't imagine anyone else filling heath ledger's shoes. he's proven himself to be a very talented actor, he looks more like heath than anyone else i can think of: http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/080408/Joseph-Gordon-Levitt_l.jpg, and he's currently working with christopher nolan on his new movie.

This would be my pick also! I agree that he looks a lot like Heath at this point, which is weird because they were in a movie together years ago (10 Things I Hate About You).

[gocryemokid]

Sure there's hundreds of villians you could choose but Joker is THE villian. He's perfect to bring back too because he's the epitome of crazy and he could look totally different and if someone said something he'd just say a crazy line like oh don't ya like my new face ? Followed of course by meniacal laughter, Joker-style.

Also if katie holmes can become maggie gyllenhal (not even trying to spell that..) Without a problem I'm sure there'd be less of a problem if someone as crazy as the joker shows up looking different. Besides, if the Joker really was back on the scene, there'd be a hell of a lot more to worry about.

[zur en arrh]

But I'm still pulling for a full-on Two-Face revival that compromises Batman and Gordon's relationship and pulls the next them into duality and double lives and secret kept between friends.

With Riddler and Catwoman in supporting roles.

That definitely won't happen, Dent is indisputably dead.

As far as The Joker being in Batman 3, no thanks. Recasts suck no matter who it is, let alone Ledger's Joker. Just choose other villains, Batman has more than enough. I don't think there is much chance of it happening anyway, as I can't see Nolan being too keen on the idea.

[AJM]

I don't see the problem with recasting at all. Ledger was amazing and was rightly rewarded with a posthumous Oscar, but the character is bigger than the actor. If the Joker is necessary to a good sequel, then they shouldn't let Ledger's tragic death inform their decision. The real problem lies with finding an actor who can not only equal an Oscar-winning performance but also has the guts to try it - i think that's the real obstacle, and it would have to be a very bold man who tried to fill those shoes. But it's not impossible.

[Lew Moxon]

Even if Ledger was alive and well, I wouldn't have expected more than a glorified Joker cameo in Batman III. And with him dead, it's probably best to leave off screen. This isn't to say the Joker shouldn't be mentioned, just that BIII shouldn't be a Joker centric film.

[Andreas Tanis]

I think it should be, and with the way TDK ended, it seemed pretty obvious that Nolan was going to want the third movie to feature the Joker doing something important rather than a simple cameo. I say give someone with talent the role and let them create something. We can't say how good or bad the idea will actually be until they decide to cast someone and we see how the final product is.

[Christopher Cross Is God]

I'd say Jake Gyllenhaal, and it would be better if it's a minimal role, like showing him while he's in Arkham.

[Mateus_ds]

I want Mark Hamill and thats final.

[Andreas Tanis]

I want Johnny Depp in the role. He's the best possible choice at this point.

[GRANT!]

It would be cool if they had a bunch of Jokers running around. Not necessarily as main characters but definitely see them litter the streets like cockroaches. If Batman inspired a bunch of nuts to dress up like him surely the Joker would do the same.

If you had to have one replacement Joker I'd probably just go with Noah Taylor. He's a good actor and has a creepy look. He also played young Hitler.

[Andreas Tanis]

I think having a bunch of nuts running around as the Joker takes away the effectiveness of just one man dressing like that.

[Murrocko]

I feel like Two-Face should return. Hate the fact that Batman's killed in both these Nolan films. I know it says Harvey's neck snapped in the script, but the film left it ambiguous in my eyes. Two-Face and Catwoman are my votes for the third film. Joker with a cameo if anything. Maybe do the Terminator Salvation thing and paste Heath's face on an actor and have him laughing in Arkham.

[Andreas Tanis]

If they have Two-Face return, I don't want a Joker return, and vice versa, in order to avoid using two main villains once again. But to be honest, I'm torn between who I want to return, I can't choose. They are my two favorite Batman villains.

[Watery Eyes]

The Joker is bigger than Heath. Not sure if he should be in Batman3, but eventually, he should return.

[Lew Moxon]

The Joker is bigger than Heath. Not sure if he should be in Batman3, but eventually, he should return.

Well, yeah. I don't think anyone here's arguing for a moratorium on the Harlequin of Hate. I just don't think he should be in Batman 3.

[Andreas Tanis]

The ending of TDK left room for a return for the Joker. If Heath was alive there would hardly be any of this "he shouldn't return" stuff, but since he died a very large portion of people would prefer he not return, but as stated above, Heath is not bigger than the Joker. I loved his portrayal, and I idolize the man in general, but I still want a recast.

[shodden]

Recasting the Joker is just a bad idea, either someone tries to imitate what ledger did (and imitations are never as good as the real thing) or they interpret the joker in their own way and completely change him.

I say just leave it, batman begins and the dark knight are both phenominal Nolan should just take a bow and move on to something else

[Sn4tcH]

I wrote an idea for what I thought would be an awesome third Batman. This was right after TDK, and of course this is my opinion, it's probably awful. No Joker though, unless you see him in Arkham as a cameo:

"Okay this is under the assumption that Two-Face is alive at the end of the Dark Knight.

The film opens with a robbery happening. Batman comes in to stop the crooks, but the cops show up. Instead of going after the crooks they chase Batman. A great car chase happens. Eventually Batman is able to get away, but one officer is able to keep on his tail, but decides to stop chasing. It turns out to be Gordon.

Carmine Falcone was the leader of the mobs in Gotham during Batman Begins, up until the Scarecrow gassed him. The last place we saw Carmine Falcone was where? Arkham. Where am I assuming Two-face is at the end of Dark Knight? Arkham. A masked killer shows up to kill Falcone in Arkham, and during the commotion the murderer also sets free some of the inmates, including Harvey Dent.

Suddenly mobsters start falling left and right. Gordon and Batman start collecting clues to find out who's behind the murders, which leads them to suspecting Dent. Gordon wants to catch Dent, Batman wants to redeem him. Little do they know, the killer is not Dent at all, but someone else.Gordon appears on a talk show with the mayor and someone named Dr. Strange. After a short psycho analysis of the Batman, the Mayor declares that Gordon would be leading a new Batman task force to take out the Dark Knight. Gordon is not happy.

While this is happening, Dent makes some public appearances to show what Batman had "done" to him. He tries to convince Gotham they need someone willing t TRULY "take care" of the villains in Gotham. With Batman not having been able to protect Gotham, crime has gotten worse, and with this newly dubbed "Hangman" serial killer running around, the citizens of Gotham take Dents side.

This is when Selina Kyle can enter the picture. In the comic, it's pretty much shown that Selina is the illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone. She shows up in Gotham to start looking for some kind of proof that the man who just died is in fact her father. She's already been a cat burglar for a while, so, she breaks into Falcones house one night looking for any type of connection she can find. As she's snooping around, the "Hangman" killer shows up and tries to kill her. Batman intervenes, but the killer gets away. He also attempts to apprehend Selina, but she's able to get away as well.

As the film goes on, it's shown she likes to hang out with the higher up in Gotham, which is how she meets Bruce. At first she helps Bruce get over the death of Rachel, but he quickly falls in love with her, as he senses they have more in common than he knows.

After a few more confrontations with both the "Hangman" killer and Two-face, Batman finally catches up to Harvey, who is about to murder Alberto Falcone, the real "Hangman" killer and the son of Carmine Falcone. Alberto had broken into Arkham to kill his father so he could finally get all of his assets, but then let loose some of the inmates to cover his tracks, not knowing that Harvey was one of them. Alberto planned on using the money to give power back to the mobs of Gotham City, but first he had to establish a new order by killing the leaders of the old families who has began to join forces with the "freaks".

Harvey had been working behind the scenes, trying to find out who was the mastermind behind this plan, and who was pumping money into these new families that were popping up in the old ones places. Batman tries again to convince Harvey to not kill Alberto, and that he can be redeemed. Harvey leaves his redemption to a coin toss. But the coin is whipped out of the air as Selina, in her cat burglar garb, but unmasked, steps in to save Alberto. The coin is shown laying on the ground, good side up. Batman fights Two-face, but eventually knocks him out.

Selina is walking out of the building with Alberto, when she tells him they are siblings, and that she plans on killing him. He attempts to escape, and nearly falls out of a window. Batman is able to shoot a grapple around Albertos legs and catch him, but Selina immediately goes to cut the wire with her claws. She has found out that if she kills Alberto that she will inherit the millions that the Falcone family has. In a final attempt to stop her from killing him, he takes off his mask for a moment to show her that everything can be okay, and she begins to help Batman pull in Alberto. Suddenly a gunshot is heard, and the rope for the grapple snaps. Another shot, hits Selina in the head, killing her and she follows Alberto out the window.

Batman then turns around to fight a now conscious Two-face, beating him nearly to death. Gordon then shows up, giving him a speech, reminding him who he is, and that if he kills Harvey, then he's just fallen into the same hole Harvey did when Rachel died. Batman gets up and hands Harvey to the police. The film ends on a somber note, reminding the viewer that being Batman is a heavy burden, but bringing the story full circle."

Again, I wrote this right after TDK came out, some things should probably be fixed. I was thinking there needs to be some turning point where the citizens see Harvey for the psycho he really is, and everyone realizes that Batman is the hero.

[jerrymcl89]

Recasting the Joker is just a bad idea, either someone tries to imitate what ledger did (and imitations are never as good as the real thing) or they interpret the joker in their own way and completely change him.

I say just leave it, batman begins and the dark knight are both phenominal Nolan should just take a bow and move on to something else

I don't need a third movie, and maybe Nolan doesn't either, but the studio does. So there will be one.

Personally, I'd keep the Joker on the sidelines for the next film. By the time they got around to a fourth, the memories of Ledger's performance would be less fresh, and given that the Joker tends to re-invent himself anyway, I think a new take on him would be fine.

[Avenger08]

Truthfully?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2oZWpqtNi4&feature=related

To me, that is Joker material

okay, very few things have ever actually been simply terrifying to me but that just scared the hell out of me. I had no idea what the heck was going to happen and the video is still bothering me. OMG that was terrifying. When he came forward i thought he was going to lunge and kill the guy. When he was doing the faces, normally i would think the guy was just crazy and weird but omg it was simply terrifying

[Avenger08]

dont recast the joker

Heath was too damn amazing

But they need another amazing movie, with Amazing actors

Im saying:
The Riddler: Johnny Depp
Catwoman: Rachel Weiz
Black Mask: Someone with a really dark, deep, raspy-ish voice

[Vidocq]

I very much would like to see The Joker again in Batman 3, not as the main villain, more like Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. He was in the movie for about 15 minutes but that was enough to leave a lasting impression.

But it will never happen. Raving Fans with bleeding hearts who never gave a sh!t about Ledger or The Joker before his death would go Berseck at Nolan and the WB. Their was even a ridiculous online petition asking the WB to never have another Actor play the Joker ever, to honor Ledger. Batman 3 could be the Citizen Kane 2 and they would still have to deal with a bunch of Morons screaming Booo it sucks, u r disrespecting Heath Ledger by moving on!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111111!!!

[Andreas Tanis]

I very much would like to see The Joker again in Batman 3, not as the main villain, more like Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. He was in the movie for about 15 minutes but that was enough to leave a lasting impression.

But it will never happen. Raving Fans with bleeding hearts who never gave a sh!t about Ledger or The Joker before his death would go Berseck at Nolan and the WB. Their was even a ridiculous online petition asking the WB to never have another Actor play the Joker ever, to honor Ledger. Batman 3 could be the Citizen Kane 2 and they would still have to deal with a bunch of Morons screaming Booo it sucks, u r disrespecting Heath Ledger by moving on!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111111!!!


Didn't he have around 30 minutes of screentime in TDK? If he returns, and someone like Johnny Depp or James Franco gets the role, I'd like the Joker to get around the same amount of screentime or more, if possible, without taking away tolo much attention from the other villain and other characters in general.

[Vidocq]

Didn't he have around 30 minutes of screentime in TDK?

I was talking about Hanibal Lecter, In Silence of the Lambs Anthony Hopkins was on screen for like 15 minutes, and that was enough to earn him an Oscar and give the most memorable performance of his already illustrious Career. And I wouldn't like for the Joker to appear as much as he did in TDK, or else you would get TDK 2 instead of Batman 3.

[Global Honored]

It should be obvious...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/302604844_8c53504006.jpg

[Andreas Tanis]

I was talking about Hanibal Lecter, In Silence of the Lambs Anthony Hopkins was on screen for like 15 minutes, and that was enough to earn him an Oscar and give the most memorable performance of his already illustrious Career. And I wouldn't like for the Joker to appear as much as he did in TDK, or else you would get TDK 2 instead of Batman 3.

I know you were talking about Hannibal Lecter but I was asking a general question because I don't know the exact amount of screentime the Joker had in TDK. And all I'm saying is I want him to have enough screentime to where his role can't be rendered pointless, so around the same as in TDK or a little less would do it for me.

[Avenger08]

Johnny Depp or James Franco gets the role

Johnny Depp should be the riddler

And to james franco:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Andreas Tanis]

Yeah, say no to a very versatile actor who'd be able to handle the role with great respect. Yeah, say no to a guy who was next in line to win a Golden Globe last year. Yeah, say no to a guy who has proven himself to be a great actor, yet got shafted when he could've portrayed a great villain. Yeah, let's all say no to that guy.

[AJM]

Yeah, say no to a very versatile actor who'd be able to handle the role with great respect. Yeah, say no to a guy who was next in line to win a Golden Globe last year. Yeah, say no to a guy who has proven himself to be a great actor, yet got shafted when he could've portrayed a great villain. Yeah, let's all say no to that guy.

Are you his agent or something? Because i really don't think that James Franco is anywhere near the level that Ledger was.

Anyway, the Joker isn't coming back, apparently. According to recent reports, he was supposed to but Nolan doesn't want to do it without Ledger, at least according to this BOF story (http://www.batman-on-film.com/BATMAN3_nolan-far-from-B3_6-16-09.html). It seems to imply that they had the third one vaguely worked out but Ledger's death put an end to it, and now they're trying to work something out.

Of course, Nolan may not do a third film, which would be a shame. Would a different director use the Joker? Maybe, but i don't think it would be a good idea at all. I think the farthest they should go would be to do a very brief Arkham cameo in virtual darkness by an unidentified actor and keep a bit of mystery about it. Who knows, they maybe even shot something like that for The Dark Knight and didn't use it for that very reason (i know there's apparently no deleted scenes but they're not likely to reveal something like that if they want to keep it secret, plus there must be loads of alternate takes of various scenes and technology these days can achieve anything).

[Andreas Tanis]

Are you his agent or something? Because i really don't think that James Franco is anywhere near the level that Ledger was.

Anyway, the Joker isn't coming back, apparently. According to recent reports, he was supposed to but Nolan doesn't want to do it without Ledger, at least according to this BOF story (http://www.batman-on-film.com/BATMAN3_nolan-far-from-B3_6-16-09.html). It seems to imply that they had the third one vaguely worked out but Ledger's death put an end to it, and now they're trying to work something out.

Of course, Nolan may not do a third film, which would be a shame. Would a different director use the Joker? Maybe, but i don't think it would be a good idea at all. I think the farthest they should go would be to do a very brief Arkham cameo in virtual darkness by an unidentified actor and keep a bit of mystery about it. Who knows, they maybe even shot something like that for The Dark Knight and didn't use it for that very reason (i know there's apparently no deleted scenes but they're not likely to reveal something like that if they want to keep it secret, plus there must be loads of alternate takes of various scenes and technology these days can achieve anything).

I don't have to be his agent to recognize he has talent. And I think people have to realize there are better actors than Ledger. Ledger is one of my favorite actors, but people are putting him on this untouchable pedastal.