How Christopher Nolan Honored Heath Ledger’s Joker in a Movie He Almost Didn’t Make
The Dark Knight Rises made over $1 billion at the box office, but living up to The Dark Knight was a huge challenge. That movie is often called one of the best American films of the 21st century, so expectations were sky-high.
One big issue for fans was that Batman spends most of the film injured, dealing with a broken back and a bad knee. While Bruce Wayne’s struggle to recover and fight again is a classic Batman story, many viewers felt it didn’t work well on screen. After all, a Batman movie where Batman isn’t really Batman for most of the time feels strange, unless the focus is on the Joker, maybe.
Christopher Nolan, the director, was well aware of the shadow The Dark Knight cast. In fact, he hesitated to even make a third film. When he finally decided to complete the trilogy, Nolan chose to quietly honor Heath Ledger’s unforgettable Joker without ever mentioning the character by name.
Instead, Nolan included a subtle tribute by showing the Joker’s famous smile during the unveiling of a Batman statue near the end of the movie. It was a small but powerful nod to Ledger’s performance.
Christopher Nolan's hidden tribute to Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
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Back in 2005, writer David S. Goyer revealed he had drafted story ideas for two sequels to Batman Begins centered on the Joker. The first treatment involved Batman, Harvey Dent, and Commissioner Gordon hunting the Joker.
The second showed the Joker scarring Dent, turning him into Two-Face during his trial. The third treatment had an ending similar to what became The Dark Knight Rises, with some ideas from it used in The Dark Knight.
After Heath Ledger’s death, his family said he had planned to return as the Joker, a fact backed up by Aaron Eckhart, who played Two-Face alongside him. There was also a deleted subplot in The Dark Knight where Michael Jai White’s character, Gambol, survived an encounter with the Joker and was set to come back to try taking over Gotham. However, after Ledger’s passing, those plans were scrapped, and the film was edited so Gambol died in that scene instead.
Out of respect for Ledger’s iconic performance, Nolan decided not to recast the Joker. He was initially hesitant to make a third movie, worried about whether the story was worth telling.
Jeff Robinov, Warner Bros.’ president of production, hoped the third film would arrive around 2011 or 2012. Nolan, though, wanted a story that would keep him emotionally connected. He said, “On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question, how many good third movies in a franchise can people name?” In the foreword to his book, The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy, Nolan admitted he never thought a third film was possible. He only agreed once he found a story that felt meaningful, worried he might lose interest otherwise.
Even though The Dark Knight Rises divided fans, we’re lucky Nolan took the chance to finish the trilogy.
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