Heath Ledger Cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight

Two new pieces of the Bat-puzzle have been filled in. We all know how good Batman Begins was, and it was just a matter of time before we would get a sequel. The only thing that was, and is, waiting to be discovered are those pieces.

Christopher Nolan is coming back, Christian Bale is coming back, and hopefully other members of the cast will come back — guys like Michael Caine and Gary Oldman. This week unveiled two more pieces.

First, Warner Brothers has announced the title of the film, and I love the choice. The second film will be called The Dark Knight. At least that will be the tentative title. I would not be surprised to see the word "Batman" tossed in there as a leader, so there will be no confusion as to who this movie is about. As it stands, The Dark Knight is a great title, and seems to be fitting with the tone and look of the new timeline.

The other new piece unveiled is the casting of the primary villain. It was teased at the end of Batman Begins who was next, with the playing card reveal. The villain is set to be the clown prince of crime, the Joker. Many names were tossed around for the coveted role, and someone I considered to be a dark horse pulled away and has landed it. That someone is none other than Heath Ledger.

Let the Broke-Bat Mountain jokes begin, or rather lets not.

Since the announcement, I have visited a few places that had similar announcements up, and it seemed that no sooner did someone see the name, the jokes started. I have to ask why? Why must the jokes start up? Brokeback Mountain was an excellent film, and Heath Ledger gave a fine, nuanced performance to emotionally anchor the movie. I feel bad for Heath, as this may follow him the rest of his career. Hopefully it won't, but it is what it is. The jokes are completely unnecessary.

Now, do I like the casting of Ledger? I have not completely made up my mind yet, but I am leaning towards yes. He has a look that could be well adapted to fit the role, but I have not yet seen him in anything that demonstrated a goofy or maniacal side to him. I have faith in Christopher Nolan, so I am sure he sees something in him that will be brought out in the role.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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