The Dark Knight The Composite Aaron Eckhart Interview Thread

[DSET]

i dont think nolan will recast the Joker and if he did who would he pick.... Jack Nicholson, lol.
if the joker doesnt die in this 1 then the 3rd films gonna b tricky

I dont think it will be anyone short of a HUGE name like Johnny Depp etc
otherwise it wouldnt be fair to ledger.

 

[Hole Shot]

I dont think it will be anyone short of a HUGE name like Johnny Depp etc
otherwise it wouldnt be fair to ledger.

Not Johnny Depp, just gave you your huge name in Heath's age range.

 

[scifijunky]

depp would probably b my 1st choice.

 

[GregComicFan]

I think our predictions are pretty much dead-on. We've heard Nolan say he doesn't like how the old Batman movies killed all the villains. So I think Rachel will die, Two-Face will go after Joker, Batman will save Joker, this will then consumate the arch of Harvey Dent over the course of TDK.... he will be the VIGILANTE while Batman will remain THE HERO.... Two-Face will declare himself the enemy of the Batman (due to a difference in principles)

 

[DSET]

Not Johnny Depp, just gave you your huge name in Heath's age range.

I agree I was just giving an example
I would like depp as joker but yeah hes old
but makeup can do wonders

I like leo and I can see him pulling it off but
I dont know about Leo as the joker only because he seems like a stubborn actor he may choose to do the character his own way rather than the way nolan wants him done.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

this is what I thought before I heard that dawes dies, this would be better but I'm seriously against the recasting of the joker for part 3
unless its a small part
a recasting for part four and a main role would be fine
but part three it would be too soon after this man has past away and after a good performance to be replaced or alterd.

Yeah, no recasting please. They can make up an excuse for Joker's disappearance. Maybe he broke out of Arkham and hasn't been heard from since. Harvey can take out his frustrations on someone else. Either way, Nolan has his work cut out for him if indeed he does come back.

 

[weezerspider]

No mysterious disapearences. Thats just dumb. And I'm not trying to be rude but, JOKER didn't die. Heath Ledger died. If Nolan wanted Joker to be in the 3rd movie, recast. Thats no disrespect to Ledger. He obviously loved the character and would not want Joker to abandon cinemas for another 20 years. "But hes such a big character to replace". If Batman had died, WB wouldn't have ended the block-buster series. The MAIN character would have been recasted, so why not his arch-nemisis?

 

[DSET]

No mysterious disapearences. Thats just dumb. And I'm not trying to be rude but, JOKER didn't die. Heath Ledger died. If Nolan wanted Joker to be in the 3rd movie, recast. Thats no disrespect to Ledger. He obviously loved the character and would not want Joker to abandon cinemas for another 20 years. "But hes such a big character to replace". If Batman had died, WB wouldn't have ended the block-buster series. The MAIN character would have been recasted, so why not his arch-nemisis?

well the thing with the joker is hes a very unique character thus the whole heath is stepping on jacks shoes people opinion that I dont agree with.

if it is a very powerfull performance and it is his last, yes i think in a way if you replace him for part 3 and the replacement gets more than 3-5mins of screentime it is kind of disrespectfull but not so much. Whats more to this is that to replace a unique character like this, it is more less likely that the actor will not mimic ledger and it will be too soon for something like that. Not in the sense that ledger died but in the sense that we already were impressed with one version of the joker it will be akward to change that after 2-3years when part 3 debuts, its better off leaving it to part 4 probably 5-6 years from now and just having stories about him in the third installment without actually showing him.
I say the best way to handle it is to either include the replacement for minimal scenes in the third one and have him look and act and sound similar to ledger, or just wait for the fourth installment to have a complete change.

 

[Nightmare]

Id hate for them to re-cast joker. I want people to remember Heath as the joker for the next twenty years.

 

[The ?]

So, in regards to Rachel dying, I thought this was the case from the very first audio only trailer, when Wayne talks about how the mob went to far, that was my first conclusion. Then in the latest trailer, Wayne (i believe in the same conversation with Alfred) says he knows what he has to become to defeat men like the Joker. So cool.

Now as for recasting the joker, one man comes to mind Ben Foster... check him out in Hostage... he pulls off the long haired (not a pre-req) crazy mo fo to a tee... and he is a known method actor... I just think that if they recast they should have someone brave enough to do something similar to what Mr. Ledger did truly delve into the character.

,
?

 

[Keyser Soze]

I'm still on the fence about recasting. It's not a moral issue. The show must go on, that's what they say. And I'm sure Heath Ledger, being the true professional he was, would understand that. It's a practical issue. If Heath Ledger's take on The Joker is as definitive as it seems set to be... where else is there to go from there? If you can't get someone who can top or at least match Ledger's unique portrayal... then why bother?

Also, consider that it would be a thankless role for whatever actor took it. However good they were in the role, they'd be playing against public opinion. They'd be under Ledger's shadow, and fans of THAT performance would probably come to the conclusion long before the film's release that Ledger's successor doesn't match up to the original. Then there's the people who would attack WB, Nolan and the actor itself for "cashing in" on Ledger's death. I don't think that's right, but it's how some people think. What does an actor do in that situation? Try and slavishly imitate Ledger to pay respect to his legacy, and come across as Ledger-lite? Or try something different, and risk hurting continuity between films?

However, if they WERE to recast The Joker, I'd say my pick would be Casey Affleck.

His age, build and acting ability is comparable with Ledger, but he's different enough that he could bring something of his own to the role rather than being a Ledger clone.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

well the thing with the joker is hes a very unique character thus the whole heath is stepping on jacks shoes people opinion that I dont agree with.

if it is a very powerfull performance and it is his last, yes i think in a way if you replace him for part 3 and the replacement gets more than 3-5mins of screentime it is kind of disrespectfull but not so much. Whats more to this is that to replace a unique character like this, it is more less likely that the actor will not mimic ledger and it will be too soon for something like that. Not in the sense that ledger died but in the sense that we already were impressed with one version of the joker it will be akward to change that after 2-3years when part 3 debuts, its better off leaving it to part 4 probably 5-6 years from now and just having stories about him in the third installment without actually showing him.
I say the best way to handle it is to either include the replacement for minimal scenes in the third one and have him look and act and sound similar to ledger, or just wait for the fourth installment to have a complete change.

Brief references to Joker in the third Batman film will likely do nicely. Like you mention above, recasting the role (that Ledger very well may have personified) this early is not the way to go. What we need for the finale is one helluva new villain, but who?

 

[Sub-Zero]

It's not even confirmed. At all.

Eckhart said Harvey's fiancée dies in the film or something, and since there's a shot in the new trailer of Rachel being thrown off some sort of building top from the great Clown Prince, everyone assumes that, yes, Rachel dies in the movie.

Can't see it, myself; let alone Rachel being Harvey's soon-to-be goddamn wife.

i think it's been a "confirmed" rumor. killing rachel would really drive him over the edge. i don't think that she dies when joker throws her off the building. i bet batman saves her and joker kidnaps her later and she tells him bruce is batman (like in the rumors from a while ago) he doesn't believe her and kills her.

revealing so much in a trailer isn't really nolan's style, and it kinda ruins the suspense of the movie.

 

[Sub-Zero]

Brief references to Joker in the third Batman film will likely do nicely. Like you mention above, recasting the role (that Ledger very well may have personified) this early is not the way to go. What we need for the finale is one helluva new villain, but who?

why just have one villain in the next one when they can introduce a darker gotham with many 'freak' villains causing chaos and taking over the underworld from the mob?

 

[DSET]

Brief references to Joker in the third Batman film will likely do nicely. Like you mention above, recasting the role (that Ledger very well may have personified) this early is not the way to go. What we need for the finale is one helluva new villain, but who?

i think something with hush\ra's al ghul\riddler\two face would be phenominal for the fourth film
for number three if its the last one then just two face
if number 4 is the last one hush\ra's\riddler\two face
this would equal awesomeness in a nolan style film

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

i think something with hush\ra's al ghul\riddler\two face would be phenominal for the fourth film
for number three if its the last one then just two face
if number 4 is the last one hush\ra's\riddler\two face
this would equal awesomeness in a nolan style film

It can't just be Two Face because he's not really evil. He's more like a Punisher type according to Eckart. That may change, but honestly I don't see him killing innocent good people.

I'd like Penguin to make an appearance in addition to Dent. Maybe have a character like Hush manipulating the scenes from afar. Riddler could be cool too.

 

[nickyg641]

I'm still on the fence about recasting. It's not a moral issue. The show must go on, that's what they say. And I'm sure Heath Ledger, being the true professional he was, would understand that. It's a practical issue. If Heath Ledger's take on The Joker is as definitive as it seems set to be... where else is there to go from there? If you can't get someone who can top or at least match Ledger's unique portrayal... then why bother?

Also, consider that it would be a thankless role for whatever actor took it. However good they were in the role, they'd be playing against public opinion. They'd be under Ledger's shadow, and fans of THAT performance would probably come to the conclusion long before the film's release that Ledger's successor doesn't match up to the original. Then there's the people who would attack WB, Nolan and the actor itself for "cashing in" on Ledger's death. I don't think that's right, but it's how some people think. What does an actor do in that situation? Try and slavishly imitate Ledger to pay respect to his legacy, and come across as Ledger-lite? Or try something different, and risk hurting continuity between films?

However, if they WERE to recast The Joker, I'd say my pick would be Casey Affleck.

His age, build and acting ability is comparable with Ledger, but he's different enough that he could bring something of his own to the role rather than being a Ledger clone.

I agree completely. About what you said, not about the Casey Affleck thing. Never seen him in a movie before.

Recasting would be walkinga a VERY fine line. There's got to be some sort of continuity, but he can't be a clone. That would be disrespectful. Something new should be brought to the role, because, if not, it's not even worthwhile. And, you're right, it's a thankless role. No one's going to say he's done better than the dead man, whether he had or not. Which is why he would need to do something different. Not completely different, you should still be watching the same character, but take the character in some different characters.

But, as they say, the show must go on.

 

[Jokers_Wild]

Wow. Why did I read this article!? Damnit...I think I'll know everything going into this movie...

 

[FhFgJg]

These trailers can be very deceptive. I mean the BB trailer basically told us nothing about the true plot and reveal of who the characters were. It just gave assumptions. We DON'T know if Rachel dies. she probably does but it's possible he's just saying false information on purpose.

It's like the whole, "Joker looks pissed when the money is burning" thing so he must be angry at whoever burned it. Well....you don't know that. He may be burning it himself for another reason. Nolan never seems to surprise us in creative ways. I don't even try to guess at this point.

 

[$klaary]

Id hate for them to re-cast joker. I want people to remember Heath as the joker for the next twenty years.

Well said!

 

[Jokers_Wild]

These trailers can be very deceptive. I mean the BB trailer basically told us nothing about the true plot and reveal of who the characters were. It just gave assumptions. We DON'T know if Rachel dies. she probably does but it's possible he's just saying false information on purpose.

It's like the whole, "Joker looks pissed when the money is burning" thing so he must be angry at whoever burned it. Well....you don't know that. He may be burning it himself for another reason. Nolan never seems to surprise us in creative ways. I don't even try to guess at this point.

True. One of the interviews way back with Maggie about Rachel, seemed to suggest she was ready and willling to play the role again--even making some statements suggesting that she is alive and well throughout this whole film. I remember reading it and thinking that it would put the "Rachel dies in this film" rumours to rest. Now this statement by Aaron seems conflicting...obviously someone is spreading disinformation.

 

[The Guard]

Wait...

What if The Joker makes them THINK he killed Rachel, causing Dent to break his rules, and Batman to bend his quite a bit...and then she turns up alive and well?

Now that would be a joke.

 

[ActuallyRobin]

Wait...

What if The Joker makes them THINK he killed Rachel, causing Dent to break his rules, and Batman to bend his quite a bit...and then she turns up alive and well?

Now that would be a joke.

interesting theory, I think I could run with that...

 

[FinchersGhost]

interesting theory, I think I could run with that...

Its such a cool idea that I will be very mad at Guard if its true. As he has just spoiled it.

 

[The Guard]

I doubt that's the case. Granted, I did suss out the entire storyline for BATMAN BEGINS...

But I doubt it's true.