would Nolan have continued his series if Heath Ledger hadn't died?

[JannTosh]

for some reason I get the impression that Nolan's franchise would have continued if Heath Ledger hadn't died. Audiences would have demanded seeing Batman and Ledger's Joker face off again. Nolan himself even set it up with the line "you and I, I think we are destined to do this forever". I also think he might have also let his Batman franchise be the springboard for the shared universe, but Ledger's death is what made him want to "close off " the series. I don't know, it is just an impression I get

 

[Boom]

I think it's very possible that The Joker would have been the antagonist of The Dark Knight Rises, or at least one of the antagonists, had Heath Ledger lived. During the premiere for I am Heath Ledger, his sister Kate said he was planning to do another Batman film, so we can at least surmise that Ledger and Nolan had discussions about it.

However, I doubt Nolan would have made more Batman films after The Dark Knight Rises.

 

[JannTosh]

I think it's very possible that The Joker would have been the antagonist of The Dark Knight Rises, or at least one of the antagonists, had Heath Ledger lived. During the premiere for I am Heath Ledger, his sister Kate said he was planning to do another Batman film, so we can at least surmise that Ledger and Nolan had discussions about it.

However, I doubt Nolan would have made more Batman films after The Dark Knight Rises.

Maybe not Nolan himself making it, but the series still continues like in a James Bond way

 

[marvelrobbins]

the joker probally would have been in dark knight rises if ledger had lived.at very least he would have had scarecrow's role as judge.possibly ever larger role.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I'm 99% certain that the Joker would have had a bigger role than the Scarecrow had in that film. I don't think he would have been the only antagonist but I'm sure he would have been an important one. Or he may have appeared in a Hannibal Lecter type of role, incarcerated and advising Batman, while undermining him at the same time.

 

[StormC]

He could have had a role similar to The Dark Knight Returns, where he's depressed in prison because Batman quit, then he heard he's back and is excited and breaks out to have a rematch. But yeah, I don't think he'd be the Big Bad again.

 

[The Joker]

There was a recent interview with Heath Ledger's sister that said he had plans to return as the Joker.

 

[Boom]

There was a recent interview with Heath Ledger's sister that said he had plans to return as the Joker.

And that interview ruined my day.

 

[Venom 1988]

I don't think Nolan would have made more than 3 films but Joker definitely was going to return. I remember around the time Batman Begins came out, David Goyer said in an interview that their plans (at the time at least) was to have Joker in the 2nd movie and bring him back into the 3rd to be put on trial and he would have been the one to scar Dent. Now obviously that changed by the time The Dark Knight came out, but its possibly some aspects may have still been used like the Joker being on trial.

http://www.superherohype.com/features/88561-premiere-features-batman-begins

Writer David Goyer talks about possible sequels and says (spoilers ahead), “The next one would have Batman enlisting the aid of Gordon and [Harvey] Dent [aka Two-Face] in bringing down the Joker… but not killing him, which is a mistake they made in the first one.” The article then says that “In the third, the Joker would go on trial, scarring Dent in the process.”

In retrospect, its kind of surprising how open they were about sharing sequel ideas to the public and now a days the only answer you'll get is "We have some ideas but we're just focusing one movie at a time"

 

[Frodo]

I definitely think Nolan would have brought back Ledger for three in some capacity, and I frankly think it probably wouldn't have been what came to be TDKR i.e. Bane as the villain , taking place 8 years later, the end of the Batman saga, etc.

I do think, however, that had Nolan not ended the series in 2012, there wouldn't have been a Batman v Superman .

Had The Nolan series still been active when MOS came out, I doubt that Nolan would have allowed Bale's Batman to team up with Superman, and I frankly think WB would probably not try to force the issue, because they would have wanted to keep Nolan happy.

We probably would have gotten a Nolan Batman 4 in 2015 or 2016

 

[Brother Jack]

http://www.superherohype.com/features/88561-premiere-features-batman-begins



In retrospect, its kind of surprising how open they were about sharing sequel ideas to the public and now a days the only answer you'll get is "We have some ideas but we're just focusing one movie at a time"

That was Goyer saying that. Had he been in charge they probably would have gone that route, but Nolan has said time and again that he focuses on each film as individuals, which is why Dent's whole arc is in TDK and Rises was something different. And I find his approach much better. A cliffhanger that left Two-Face for next time would've come off as sequel baiting and would not have allowed the third film to have its own identity.

Regardless of how it would've shaken out, there's no way Nolan would've done more than three films.

 

[Venom 1988]

That was Goyer saying that. Had he been in charge they probably would have gone that route, but Nolan has said time and again that he focuses on each film as individuals, which is why Dent's whole arc is in TDK and Rises was something different. And I find his approach much better. A cliffhanger that left Two-Face for next time would've come off as sequel baiting and would not have allowed the third film to have its own identity.

Regardless of how it would've shaken out, there's no way Nolan would've done more than three films.

True it is Goyer not Nolan who stated that (I probably should have specified that in my other post). But yeah...as the series went on he had less involvement. But I do agree with you regarding the sequel baiting.

 

[Rowsdower!]

And that interview ruined my day.

It's okay. Now we have Ace Ventura Purring HouseKat Von D Joker.

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

It seems to me that they were planning on bringing back the Joker. The "what if" version of Dark Knight Rises is something I'd like to see as a comic 6 part series.

 

[metaphysician]

I vaguely recall some rumor that the original sequel plan was "Trial of the Joker". I doubt, if Ledger hadn't died, that the third Nolan Batman movie would be recognizable at all.

 

[DieSmiling]

I think it's very possible that The Joker would have been the antagonist of The Dark Knight Rises, or at least one of the antagonists, had Heath Ledger lived. During the premiere for I am Heath Ledger, his sister Kate said he was planning to do another Batman film, so we can at least surmise that Ledger and Nolan had discussions about it.

However, I doubt Nolan would have made more Batman films after The Dark Knight Rises.

That's my feeling. I think he was always doing three but I think there's a very strong possibility TDKR would have featured Joker in some capacity if Heath hadn't passed.