Are You Joking? No Heath Ledger Reference In New Batman Flick?

seems to have crept up on us, with its release on July 20th. We’re probably over-thinking the movie because we’re so excited about seeing Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, and Tom Hardy in action, but we have set ourselves wondering.

What are we wondering about? Well, what our beloved Heath Ledger would make of this new Christopher Nolan movie if he was here to see it. And also, whether the character of the Joker will even be addressed in the forthcoming flick. Well, according to IGN, there will be NO mention of Heath’s former character. What? Why? Nolan says this:

That is something I felt very strongly about in terms of my relationship with Heath [Ledger] and the experience I went through with him on The Dark Knight. I didn’t want to in any way try and account for a real-life tragedy. That seemed inappropriate to me. We just have a new set of characters and a continuation of Bruce Wayne’s story. Not involving the Joker.

Is this the right decision for the new Batman flick? It would seem a bit distasteful, perhaps, to replace Heath’s role with a different actor, or try and CGI him in, but wouldn’t referencing the Joker somehow act as as memorial for Heath?

Got any ideas about how Ledger could be, in some way, incorporated? Maybe the makers could soundbite him chuckling from his Arkham Asylum cell as the camera pans past the door… Or does the idea of not referencing the Joker work because that way we’re left thinking that he’s lurking somewhere in the Nolan universe, ready to strike again? What do you think?