“While Joker will not be seen in Dark Knight Rises, if the character so much as cameoed, a different actor (with or without lines) would play him, assuming it wasn’t a outtake of Heath Ledger for a few soconds. And when the film series has run the mill and someone wants a Joker, someone’s going to be cast. Jack was a great Joker in ’89. Folks said nobody can walk in his footsteps.

Your theory on Two-Face. You forgot to factor in tthat Dent’s condition at the time, and that it was a different angle and height where Batman had Savatore.

Being that Nolan has said he going to tie all the movies together with this third one, I’m thinking Dent may be seen in flash back. Maybe the period right after he took over for the DA who was killed in Batman Begins. This is where Dent truly goes after the mob, the Falcones and Maroni’s. Leading up to the fact that they see Dent as a bigger threat than Batman. The Long Holloween story line deals with the Falcone family and Alberto’s role in it. It’s very similar to the Godfather, and we all know how much Nolan loves to pay homage to films that he enjoyed. So we may get a few flash back sequences of Dent but that’s it.

Crow is a bad example since every time it was about the Crow spirit bonding with the soul of someone tragically killed before their time, returning for revenge.

The POINT of The Crow was that they donned a certain appearance but each soul that bound with The Crow had their own story. Just sayin.

However I have no problem with an actor replacing a role. Anyone is replaceable. However there is no point in trying considering the wealth of rogues gallery you could choose from with Batman.

I’d love to see the Joker again, don’t get me wrong, but I’d also be terribly disappointed if they were to go with another actor and it just wasn’t the same. And it wouldn’t be the same, no matter who they find. Jude Law’s an interesting choice, since you mention it, but he has to look the exact same and I don’t see that happening. And if it can’t look like the same exact guy, then you’ll basically turn the Joker into The Crow, with different people that come along donning his makeup.

I always thought Joseph Gordon-Levitt resembled Heath Ledger enough in the face that perhaps he could pull off the Joker. But I more or less agree with your Point A… The Joker had his stint, it was perfect, leave it alone. Perhaps a scene of the outside of Arkham and the sound of Heath’s laughter, just to remind us that the Joker, as a character lives on, but that would be it.

Nolan has repeatedly clarified that TwoFace is dead.

Despite rationalizing what COULD have happened Nolan states clearly that TwoFace is dead. It’s in the script.

Also the very concept of TwoFace is that he is eternally struggling with himself as Dent is very much a part of the character. You can’t “kill” Dent and keep TwoFace. That’s not how it works.

The actor is just messing with you. This has been debated to death and it all ended when Nolan said TwoFace did die. Now this statement has people at it again, but it won’t change the result.

Comparing that height to the height dent fell I’d say Dent or rather Two-face is very much alive.

The Funeral Service was remembering the man that upheld civil justice in Gotham, it does not mention the carnage that same person ensued on the city. And while Dent is dead I’d like to think Nolan would appreciate the idea that Two-face lives on.

If neither Two-Face or the Joker are to return, two very popular icons in the Batman universe, I think Nolan is risking heaps much like the films before that attempted a tug-o-war of baddies coming and going. It was their overambitious plans and exaggerated characters that I think desensitised what the villain was meant to be. In my opinion showcasing the rise and fall of a villain in a single film does much to remove the threat of prevailing antagonism villains are supposed to have to Batman, making him come off as the constant winner.

We expect Batman will save the day, that there will be no casualties (except the baddies henchmen) but Nolan allows us a view at the real Batman, the sordid and unremitting anti-hero that fights evil even if it’s not the desired outcome by the people he seeks to protect. Batman is the agitator, that prods the beast and wishes to bring them to justice (perhaps his own) when most urbanites would rather you don’t go down dark alleys, you forget there is a real threat underlying society, and try to move on with your life.

I think if two-face were to return it wouldn’t be as many expect to be clichéd. My earlier example already gives a foreboding sense of the ability many have in enduring great pain, and I’d like to think Nolan provided this scene deliberately so he could avoid the stigma of a retcon villain. Critics of film would argue this would be a short-sighted move and shows Nolan’s lacking in creativity. But with a good storyline I think Nolan can push over these wowsers.

As for the Joker?
We may never see him again, though I wouldn’t mind seeing Jude Law take a crack at the role. His psychotic portrayel in ‘Sleuth’ (with Michael Caine) was a king performance.
Ledgers performance was phenomenal, his altered image and voice was so sublime I didn’t even think once that “hey, it’s Ledger, he’s doing a pretty good job”.
So while I’m certain this could be pulled off, I believe what matters to most people arguing that the Joker not return, is
a) the Joker had his stint, it was perfect, leave it alone
b) Heath is the one true Joker, anything else is retcon
c) it would be a slap in the face to the memory of Heath, we assent the Joker’s defeat with Ledger’s untimely death. The two are inextricable.

I happen to agree with these points but I’m not beyond propping up a new actor for the role. Because inevitably in 20, 30, 40 years some new director on the block will ask for their turn at Batman (maybe in holographic cinema). The Joker will return eventually, it’s just a matter of reinterpreting.

I can’t see why he shouldn’t be in the movie.

Dent “died” because two-face took over, and who would want to see their white knight become a stark raving mad criminal?

I suspect they said he died, and then sent him to Arkham.

It was the point where Dent was pointing the Gun at Gordon’s son and Batman pretty much shoulder barged him off the edge of the building. The velocity of the impact would have been much worse off for Dent as Batman managed to hang onto the beam and then crashed through other beams before hitting the floor (And also yes, as previously stated Batman is wearing protective gear that Dent wasn’t)

It’s a shame because Two-Face is my favourite Villain, but I don’t see him coming back. I agree with others who think this is just Eckhart messing with the interviewer.

The only other way around this is if Nolans choice of worse being “I CONSIDER him dead” is to make the audience think he did die, but could possibly make a last minute return at the end of this new movie?

Okay lookit—
He have Catwooman We have Talia. There’s Bane. Lovitt’s playing someone.

Is there any room for Two-Face?