FORUM: Should The Joker Come Back?

So, as we are now 10 days into this new year, we are past due for a senseless Batman 3 rumor. However, this one may have more meat to it than talks of Eddie Murphy being cast. Thanks to Total Film for the heads up...

The Dark Knight producer Chuck Roven has claimed that people need to “separate the actors from the role,” in response to a question regarding The Joker and Heath Ledger. When asked by MTV whether the filmmakers would have done anything different had they known Ledger wouldn’t be reprising the role, Roven claimed that the character wasn’t tied to the actor.

“On a personal level, Heath was a friend of mine,” he said at the People’s Choice Awards. “We had worked together before The Dark Knight, but I still think that The Dark Knight is its own thing, and we have to separate them.”

Since the day Heath passed away, there have been talks about the future of the Joker, and whether or not there would even be a future within the Nolanverse that Chris and his brother Johnathan have created.

Me personally, I've been of the thought that ANY role would be recastable, especially this one, for a few reasons. First off, and this may sound a little bad, but I mean it respectfully, Heath wasn't a brilliant actor. He was just hitting his stride however. Early in his career he would be stuck in fluff roles like his character in 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knights Tale, and he didn't completely excel in those roles. Sure, he was brilliant in Brokeback Mountain, I'm Not There, and even his very small role in Monster's Ball, but overall, he just needed more time. THAT is why losing him was a big deal. Heath would have completely blown up after this performance, and it's sad that he's gone, but someone could do it better. There is ALWAYS room for improvement, and it's hard for me to say that, because I think his performance is one of the 10 best I've ever seen.

Also, and this pertains more to the concept of bringing the Joker back, it would be a bigger disservice to what Ledger did do if WB decided to completely change the mood and feel of the character, which I don't think Nolan would ever think of doing, than just ditching the character as a whole. There is no more important character within the mythology of the Bat, than it's antithesis, the Joker. He's so important to the overall story of Batman, that he would almost have to come back at some point in time.

However, do I think they should, not right now. It's to soon, and honestly, we've had our Joker fix, and I think it's time to give another villain or two their shot. That said, they are almost going to have to mention what happened to Joker, as there is still that huge, sadistic, clown painted elephant in Gotham City. Nothing was completely resolved, as we still don't know what happened to him at the end of TDK. Sure, the police got to him, and he may just be sitting in Arkham, but if so, we need to know that, or else it's going to be a big unresolved thing. Just because Heath passed, doesn't mean the Joker has to.

Give it to Daniel Day Lewis and let him run wild. I'm just saying.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? SHOULD THEY RECAST OR JUST SKIP OUT ON THE CHARACTER AS A WHOLE??

Go see something good!