The Dark Knight Rises: Whatever Happened To The Joker?

For those who have seen or have yet to see The Dark Knight Rises, it's a given by the synopsis alone that the film takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight. The Joker, played and immortalized by the late Heath Ledger, was understandably missing because of the Australian actor's passing and director Christopher Nolan choosing not to incorporate the character to honor Ledger's memory. However, the novelization of TDKR briefly mentions the criminal mastermind, and a fan has taken the liberty of creating a storyboard sequence where we find out one interpretation of what exactly happened to the so called Clown Prince of Crime.

Christopher Nolan DENIES Joker cameo rumor in "The Dark Knight Rises".

Well, that didn't take long to debunk, so anyone holding their breath for the return of a certain Clown Prince of Crime, you'd better stop now.

Just a day or so ago, rumors were spilling in the web that The Joker would return in a cameo sequence somewhere in "The Dark Knight Rises", Christopher Nolan's next and FINAL Batman movie due in July 2012. The rumor stated that Nolan and his crew would incorporate unused footage of Batman's archenemesis, portrayed by the late Heath Ledger, and combine it with CG sequences to make a short scene where the clown would show up again, albeit in a smaller and brief capacity.

Well, as it turns out, that rumor is FALSE. According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter which was also posted in Newsarama, Chris Nolan and his wife have denied the rumor, stating that Ledger's performance will remain in "The Dark Knight", and the script for Rises hasn't even been finished yet. So there you go, and I feel it is better this way. Even with a cameo incorporated to the next film, it will remain nothing more than a cameo, and it won't do justice to the act Heath gave to the world as The Joker the first time around.

The Dark Knight Rises launches itself into theaters on July 20, 2012.

*Originally posted by Timzster in The Crusader's Realm