you can pick another actor and suspend disbelief if it's supposed to be the same guy 20 years later...but you can't do that if it's supposed to be the same guy the very next day. having said that, i think ledger's joker is so timeless, that it would be very difficult to pull off. it's not merely that he won't look like him...it's that it will be a different interpretation of a character we were already familiar with...but a character that was ABSOLUTELY NAILED by ledger. in such a way that it's difficult to imagine any esteemed, respected actor even wanting to step into that role now. i want nolan to make a 3rd. logic (namely, how much money is in it) tells me he will. but from i'm not sure he will be able to make a 3rd movie that he'll be satisfied with....because the chance to tell the story he wanted to tell was ripped away. can you imagine the anticipation of this 3rd movie if ledger were still around to play the joker again?? can you imagine the buzz?? the excitement even over the trailers? it would be among the most anticipated movies ever made.
I don't think they can successfully pull off having someone else play an older Joker. Let everyone take as long a break as needed, come up with something original for the 3rd movie and do the series proud. They don't need the Joker again and shouldn't force the issue. I agree that if Ledger were alive, the anticipation over the 3rd movie would be off the charts.
I think they actually do need Joker.....Nolan didn't come in to this thinking he was just going to make a sequence of movies with a new bad guy in each flick....not the traditional formula we've gotten from other "superhero" movies. Joker v. Batman IS the story here. Joker's lines right at the end of the The Dark Knight tell you EXACTLY what the story is. It's the payoff...and the leadup to the next film...telling one story in 3 parts....not just making another Batman movie with a "who's the villain in this one?" approach. Batman Begins creates the environment to make a character like The Joker believable...and he's even introduced in the final minutes of the movie....and then Dark Knight introduces you to this character, purposely not giving you real details as to who he is personally (name, background, etc) because he represents something bigger than that....he's the personification of the exact opposite of everything Batman is....and a personification of everything Batman is so obsessed with fighting. And that's why he frustrates the hell out of Batman. Many of the other traditional Batman villains don't lend well to the tone that Nolan's created here. I can't imagine Penguin or Riddler or even Catwoman, and still telling this story he's sought out to tell....remember, where this left off, Batman wasn't a hero at all...he was a scapegoat. He took the sins of Havey on himself. The resolution of that IS the story of Batman 3....and the story is the chaos embodied in Joker vs. the hope of something else embodied in Batman. At least, I think that's what Nolan's interested in. And if Nolan doesn't direct this next one (and there sure seems to be a lot of chatter that he won't), my interest in this will be GREATLY diminished. I'm not interested in just seeing another Batman movie (though I likely would anyway)....I'm interested in seeing THIS VISION of the Batman story (which i think is the real heart of the Batman story, to begin with) played out. Anything short of that....just making another Batman movie to make another Batman movie...with a new villain fit in along the way....will be a disappointment after The Dark Knight. That's unfortunate, I think.
The Dark Knight was such a masterpiece to me that I honestly don't want to see another from Nolan. Nothing can live up to it. We would just be disappointed with the third movie. I agree with the article that there should be a lot of time in between The Dark Knight and Batman 3 if they do another. Continuing the Joker story so soon with another actor would just be stupid.
I've thought about this, too...but if he could make one that matches even Batman Begins to close this series up, it would be great. Like the original Star Wars trilogy, it might be that there's no way the second part of the story could be topped. It's got the compelling, nitty-gritty stuff...the meat of the story....but if he could close it out with a movie as great as Batman Begins, I'd be ALL for that.
Call me crazy but I think Dicaprio or Depp would make pretty good Jokers. Both are very versatile actors.
Without Ledger to play the Joker, maybe anything offered up after Dark Knight will be a disappointment. The original intent may have been to bring the Joker back, but a new playbook is called for now. I'm fine if there is no Batman 3, but if they do one, it would be a mistake (IMO) to reach backwards without Ledger.
That would be fine if they had been the Joker from the start.... but what we saw was Ledger's Joker. he came up with those mannerisms...that voice...the walk...all of it. so what you'd have is dicaprio or depp being asked to impersonate Ledger...neither of whom would be interested in doing so. so you'd be left to hire someone else...someone with far less name-recognition...to just come in and do an impersonation of Ledger's take on the Joker. that won't work...and i can almost guarantee you, Nolan won't do that.
people forget that batman begins was amazing, might even be better than the dark knight. Also, the Dark Knight was the second best superhero movie of last summer- Ironman was better. Its funny how people are saying that if Ledger was alive, Batman 3 hype would be crazy, but THe Dark Knight got as big as it did because of his death, rather than in spite of it.
i agree entirely with this. i'd be fine too without a batman 3...i just think it sucks we don't get how that story plays out....it would be like empire strikes back ending without attempting a resolution of all the problems that exist at the end of that movie. of course, i dont' want batman 3 to employ ewoks.
completely disagree. ledger won best supporting actor not merely out of charity...he was fantastic. that was among the most memorable roles i've ever seen. reminded me most of jack nicholson in the shining. ironman was very good...but in no way was ironman better than Dark Knight unless you're 15 and just like to watch stuff blow up!
lol... I'm not 15, favreau put up a very good introductory story together for ironman. At the very least, I'll say it was as good as the dark knight. And I guess well just have to agree to disagree on the oscar because I think his death played a huge part in him getting the award. I think you will have to agree with me that the hype hit all time highs after he died and people found out about the movie. Many people who never saw batman begins went to see the dark knight. and just to clarify, I love all three of those movies, have seen them many times, and own all of them.
They can't put a new Joker in Batman films for a long time -- there is no way it would work after Ledger's performance. Johnny Depp or Robert Downey Jr. with a new take on Riddler would work.
sure there was hype...but you don't continue to put up the numbers Dark Knight did all summer long without delivering on it. Ledger absolutely delivered, and then some. again...among the most memorable performances in my lifetime. easily the best "superhero" movie of all time. i don't believe there's a close second at all. i mean...even the nomination itself..take away the win....a nomination for best supporting actor as a villain in a "superhero" film??? the whole genre went to another level with this one.
i was thinking maybe Riddler as a bit of a copycat of the Joker. at least acknowledging him as influential...something like that....i think you MIGHT be able to play that in a way that preserves the arc of the story over 3 films. but i don't know, honestly. i have heard bale say he's not interested in coming back if there's no nolan. and i'm not sure how jazzed nolan is going to be about any of this.
They hype was pretty damn high before he died and he passed away like 6 months before the movie was released so there was still quite a bit of time before the marketing for the movie ratcheted up. There was a lot of talk about an Oscar while he was alive from people who got to see the dailies and from people on set.
very true...when he gave the background on how he came up with the way to play the character, you had an idea you'd be seeing something special. and he was alive to be interviewed a few times before he died...i believe he was on the cover of Rolling Stone in full Joker garb before he died.
The Dark Knight is the greatest movie ever made... Far more important than the birth of Jesus Christ..
One of the producers has said that it's possible to bring the Joker back and that we have to separate the actors from the role. I understand how strange it would be to recast that role of all roles because what would you do? Try to imitate Ledger or bring your own interpretation to the role? It seems like Heath was cast before the script was finished and a lot of his ideas about the character molded the script. So that's the reason it becomes harder to recast it. I think if Nolan had the Joker as being the antagonist in the third, then he's got to keep it that way and roll the dice with another actor. Way back before they were even shooting TDK, one of the writers, David Goyer had said that they had planned out the next 2 films and the rough outline would be Joker is the villain of the 2nd, gets caught, then goes on trial during the third film, and throws acid on Harvey during the trial turning him into Two-Face.
