10 Planned Comic Book Movie Scenes We’ll Never Get To See

2. The Joker Stands Trial

In light of Heath Ledger's death, not only did the original plan for The Dark Knight Rises obviously cease, but there was also very little discussion of what those plans might have been, possibly as a mark of respect. In truth though, Nolan didn't really have any plans for The Dark Knight Rises - he was very close to leaving the franchise after The Dark Knight, so the suggestion that he had even a light outline might be wide of the mark. Some have said that the intention was for Nolan to have the Joker stand trial for his crimes in The Dark Knight, but that has - thankfully - proven to be false. Imagine the anti-climax of having the force of chaos cooped up in a court-room, batting away his prosecutors who he deemed unworthy of life, let alone of prosecuting him: there might be some pleasure in the idea of his sparring with a lawyer, but without Batman, he would be a blunted object, like a glove without a hand. What is intriguing however is that David S Goyer actually included that sort of scene in an early concept for the Batman Begins sequel and another follow-up - which is perhaps where the confusion comes in - whereby the first film would have the Joker on a rampage and being caught, and then the second having him in court, putting Joker in direct battle with Harvey Dent, which would have made for compelling viewing: the pinnacle of morality against his utter antithesis. The Joker would then have been the one to scar Two-Face. While it's intriguing to think of some of the elements here, Goyer's eventual script dealt with Two-Face's origin far better, and ultimately it's a good thing that the direction was changed.