9. There's No Joker Reference
This was the end to an arc which had included a number of super-villains, all of whom were dealt with in The Dark Knight Rises in some way, whether returning by hallucination to help the story along a bit (Ra's Al Ghul), casting an ominous shadow over the whole thing (Two Face) or re-appearing in a not wholly successful cameo (Dr Crane). But no Joker. Perhaps it would have been too difficult - not only logistically, but also in terms of the emotional connotations - and yes some might suggest that the Joker's arc was complete within The Dark Knight, but more than anything Rises should be considered a spectacle - a fitting end, we were told even up to the red carpet before the UK premiere - and the culmination of everything that had come before it. And that should have included even the briefest of Joker references, if only for that much vaunted closure. Are we supposed to believe that the inhabitants of Arkham Asylum were left incarcerated when Bane freed the criminals of Blackwater? In that case, how did Dr Jonathan Crane find himself freed? There is little chance he was locked away with the general populus, considering his mental condition, so he must have come from Arkham, and that leaves a Joker-shaped hole in the plot. Of course that suggestion will ignite those who feel Nolan could never have recast the character, because Heath Ledger's performance was so definitive, but in completely ignoring the character, all that happened was a great big white elephant wandered into the back of shot. So, how could Nolan have handled it? Well, not with stock footage of Heath Ledger, because that might have felt needlessly provocative (it is after all a mine-field), but there is no reason the Joker could announced his presence without actually appearing on screen. They could have shown an empty cell, its walls scrawled with the insane ramblings of a chaotic madman, the Joker having left long before when it became clear Batman - his reason d'etre - wasn't coming back. After all, Arkham has rarely been able to keep Joker inside for long, and it might have been another clever nod back to the source. Either way, it would have been fitting to have some mention of the character.