5. The Return of the Joker
Out of all of the reasons I have in this article, this one is the one that makes Nolans departure have a silver lining. Given that Heath Ledger died during the editing of The Dark Knight and the sense that both Nolan and Bale would never want to recast, Nolan leaving Batman enables the character to return to our movie screens with another actor to take on the role. This doesnt and shouldnt be a copy of Ledgers take, in fact, given that The Joker has now been toe to toe with Batman and has been in Arkham Asylum for a stint, his attitude should change anyway. Id like to see an established Joker. One who knows what Batman means to him now. Smarter (purple) suits, a more refined look and approach to his madness. Arkham could change the Joker as it has within comic book stories. Id personally cast Sam Rockwell given the option as to me he has everything that makes an established Joker shine off of the screen and more. Whoever steps up to direct the new Batman movies, whatever the setting, they have The Joker at the disposal and given that a hero is only as good as their villain and The Joker is the best villain ever, this element could very well be the sugar that makes the lack of Nolans involvement more sweet.