4. Don't Be Afraid To Re-Cast The Joker
Christopher Nolan decided early on that he wasn't going to re-cast The Joker out of respect to Heath Ledger who tragically passed away just a few months before Nolan had finished editing the last movie. Had Ledger lived, you can be certain Nolan would have brought back the actor after his Oscar winning performance as The Clown Prince of Crime and he would have been part of The Dark Knight Rises in some form. Obviously we can't say for sure but most likely he would have been a freed prisoner from Blackgate Prison and his murderous, chaotic ways would have terrorised Gotham once again - or perhaps the Nolan's and Goyer would have gone in a completely different direction with the film and included The Joker more prominently? The Joker has existed for as long as Batman and there's plenty more interpretations we'll see of the character yet. Warner Bros and whomever they hire for the next movie MUST NOT BE AFRAID to use The Joker character if they feel it enhances the story they want to tell. There are plenty of A* class actors out there who would be chomping at the bit to give their take on the Clown Prince of Crime and there's more Batman stories that could be improved with his use. The Joker character is just awaiting for someone to come up with a challenging new story for him. Although he wasn't hinted at in The Dark Knight Rises, the character does get a mention in the official novelisation of the film. As written by Greg Cox (and which has been officially licensed by Warner Bros, though probably not in continuity) The Joker's absence from the film is explained as thus;
Now that the Dent Act had made it all but impossible for the citys criminals to cop an insanity plea, it (Blackgate Prison) had replaced Arkham Asylum as a preferred location for imprisoning both convicted and suspected felons. The worst of the worst were sent here, except for the Joker, who, rumor had it, was locked away as Arkhams sole remaining inmate. Or perhaps he had escaped. Nobody was really sure. Not even Selina.
They surely can't keep the Joker locked away forever?