The Dark Knight Rises: Liam Neeson Will Return as Ra's al Ghul

It may seem an odd location for confirmation of what may be deemed by many as "big news", but the production notes for the upcoming Wrath of the Titans have revealed that Liam Neeson will be returning to his role as Ra's al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises. The news briefly appeared on The Hollywood Reporter under the headline "Warner Bros. Confirms Liam Neeson to Appear in Dark Knight Rises" before being removed, but the production notes document is still available direct from the Warner Bros. website in PDF format here. The document states:

Neeson next appears in Peter Berg€™s actioner €œBattleship,€ and he also will be seen in Christopher Nolan€™s much-anticipated action thriller €œThe Dark Knight Rises.€

It is, however, worth noting that Neeson could be simply featuring as part of flashback sequences. Given that Nolan's universe is aiming for "reality", it seems unlikely that they will be introducing the Lazarus Pit scenario to bring al Ghul back from the dead. He has long since been listed on the IMDB movie page for The Dark Knight Rises, but this can be updated by anyone. The production notes for Wrath of the Titans are the first official link to his reappearance in Christopher Nolan's Batman series. Later in the day, speaking to CNN, Neeson confirmed his inclusion in the movie but offered a word of caution. The role, if it makes the cut, is likely to be a "cameo".

"I think so," he said. "I have no idea what the story is about. Nothing. Nothing. Seriously, I'm not sure if I'm still in it. It's a cameo €“ let's put it that way €“ if it still survives.€

Martion Cotillard (Inception) is widely anticipated to play Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Talia al Ghlu, in The Dark Knight Rises. The trailer for the movie featured a voiceover by Liam Neeson, which had sparked the initial rumours regards his return. The Dark Knight Rises will be released in both the US and UK on July 20th, 2012.