# IMDB says Heath Ledger would have starred in Batman 3
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 23, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714 "2008-01-23T20:57:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/1 "2008-01-23T20:57:39Z")
From the IMDB news page:
> [@](#):
>
> And leading movie news source, Clint Morris, reveals Ledger’s fellow Australians have been left stunned by the news of the actor’s sudden death. Movie producer Morris, the man behind website [MovieHole.net](http://MovieHole.net), says, “The whole of Australia is in deep shock. I liked Heath. He was a good guy. Loved his daughter. Knew his sister too.” Morris reveals Ledger’s death will present problems for Batman producers - because the actor had already signed on to reprise his role as The Joker in the follow-up to this summer’s The Dark Knight. He adds, “I guess they can easily re-write it or re-cast. But yes, it’s true, Heath was supposed to return in the next Batman movie.”
Is it too early to speculate who might take his place?
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/2 "2008-01-23T21:00:12Z")
Well that blows. I really liked the guy as an actor.
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### Author:  [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/3 "2008-01-23T22:15:06Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey]
From the IMDB news page:
Is it too early to speculate who might take his place?
[/QUOTE]
I’d like to see how well he did in this role first. Then we can pick some good possible replacements. If he nails it, then it will be hard. If his Joker sucks, then we can draw names from a hat. I have a feeling he blazed it though. I can’t wait to see the movie.
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### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/4 "2008-01-23T22:17:44Z")
Since this is a thread that is also about the third batman, i have a question:
Does anybody know if Chris Nolan will do the third one as well?
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/5 "2008-01-24T00:02:17Z")
I wonder if they’ll scrap the Joker script and write a new one with a different villain such as the Penguin or Catwoman. I know it would be more expensive, but they would have to cast a new actor whether it was still for the Joker or not.
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### Author:  [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/6 "2008-01-24T03:22:37Z")
All signs are pointing to Heath absolutely nailing the role, so I would certainly hope that Nolan will rethink things and take the next chapter in a non-Joker direction.
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### Author:  [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/7 "2008-01-24T04:11:33Z")
The speculation I was hearing was that Batman 3 was to feature Joker and Two-Face.
If so, then the same plot could be reworked to minimize or do without the Joker.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/8 "2008-01-24T04:31:04Z")
Maybe they could bring in Bane in a nonspeaking role. That could be cool.
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### Author:  [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/9 "2008-01-24T04:44:36Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers]
Maybe they could bring in Bane in a nonspeaking role. That could be cool.
[/QUOTE]
Why do you hate America?
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### Author:  [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/10 "2008-01-24T04:49:54Z")
:smack:
Of course we’ve now got a major spoiler for _The Dark Knight_!!!
Happy as I am that they’re not going with the lame comic-book-movie convention of killing off the villain at the end, I would have liked to have been able to watch _The Dark Knight_ without KNOWING that he wouldn’t be killed off!!!
I blame not the OP. Once Ledger died, I was bound to hear sooner or later, from one source or another, that he was supposed to be in the third movie.
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### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/11 "2008-01-24T04:54:57Z")
[QUOTE=Menocchio]
The speculation I was hearing was that Batman 3 was to feature Joker and Two-Face.
If so, then the same plot could be reworked to minimize or do without the Joker.
[/QUOTE]
From the out-takes they’ve shown since the actor’s death, I would NOT want to see the Joker eliminated. If the make-up was any indication, it seems that the character was going to approach the evilness level of a horror film monster that would certainly be intriguing.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/12 "2008-01-24T04:56:05Z")
Joker was supposed to survive is a spoiler? Maybe in 1939…
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### Author:  [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/13 "2008-01-24T05:12:46Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel]
Why do you hate America?
[/QUOTE]
Actually, a Sword of Azrael sort of thing might be a cool direction to go in. As far as graphic novels go it was a so-so story, but the character of Azrael is damn cool.
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/14 "2008-01-24T05:42:12Z")
[QUOTE=bienville]
:smack:
Of course we’ve now got a major spoiler for _The Dark Knight_!!!
Happy as I am that they’re not going with the lame comic-book-movie convention of killing off the villain at the end, I would have liked to have been able to watch _The Dark Knight_ without KNOWING that he wouldn’t be killed off!!!
I blame not the OP. Once Ledger died, I was bound to hear sooner or later, from one source or another, that he was supposed to be in the third movie.
[/QUOTE]
Well it’s still up in the air now, with Ledger gone. Now they might decide to kill off the Joker in the editing room.
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### Author:  [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/15 "2008-01-24T06:39:22Z")
So good to see that the vultures have already picked his bones clean and the rest of you have wasted no time in putting his bones out to bleach.
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### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/16 "2008-01-24T06:44:00Z")
[QUOTE=CarnalK]
Well it’s still up in the air now, with Ledger gone. Now they might decide to kill off the Joker in the editing room.
[/QUOTE]
I sincerely hope they don’t do that unless it’s an option they’ve thought out since day one.
I’m not against them using another Joker even if Heath totally knocked this one out of the park. It just means they need a really established actor to take over in the third one.
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### Author:  [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/17 "2008-01-24T07:03:04Z")
Well, we’ve come 15-odd years since _The Crow_—maybe they could just CG him into Batman 3. Have Ray Winstone or Andy Serkis do the motion capture.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/18 "2008-01-24T07:03:26Z")
[QUOTE=devilsknew]
So good to see that the vultures have already picked his bones clean and the rest of you have wasted no time in putting his bones out to bleach.
[/QUOTE]
Well, cry us a river. I never met Ledger and while I kinda liked him in _10 Things I Hate About You_, I’m not particularly broken up by his death though I was a bit surprised by how out-of-left-field it seemed. I tuned into the middle of a radio broadcast and heard “Heath Ledger” and “drugs” and was about to shrug it off as a celebrity scandal until I heard “his body” and realized he was actually dead.
One of my first thoughts was hoping that his participation in the Batman movie was complete because I’m kinda looking forward to it. If he wanted to throw his life away, that’s not really my concern.
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### Author:  [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/19 "2008-01-24T07:12:17Z")
I caught the trailer for “The Dark Knight” on HDNET tonight, and Ledger wasn’t very recognizable. Of course, it’s possible that there _are_ scenes that make him much easier to identify, but if the trailer is indicative, they won’t be unable to replace him. Of course, it’s pretty sad to consider such a thing so soon. This won’t be like _Gladiator_, where Reed drank himself to death, much to the surprise of no one. I, at least, will have sad associations with the new Batman movie, no matter how good it is.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/imdb-says-heath-ledger-would-have-starred-in-batman-3/434714/20 "2008-01-24T12:40:54Z")
[QUOTE=bienville]
:smack:
Of course we’ve now got a major spoiler for _The Dark Knight_!!!
Happy as I am that they’re not going with the lame comic-book-movie convention of killing off the villain at the end, I would have liked to have been able to watch _The Dark Knight_ without KNOWING that he wouldn’t be killed off!!!
[/QUOTE]
While I’m sorry this feels like a spoiler to you, I don’t think it is.
Christopher Nolan has said he thought it was stupid that all of the villains kept dying in Batman movies and vowed not to do that. That’s why Ra’s Al Ghul lived, that’s why Scarecrow lived and that’s why it’s no surprise the Joker will live.
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