Nolan Discusses “The Bat” And The Joker In “The Dark Knight Rises”

During filming of “The Dark Knight Rises” a mystery vehicle popped up on set. Numbers of YouTube videos and pictures of it flooded the internet leading to tons of speculation. Many assumed it was the Batwing but it was never officially named. Until now. “It is called The Bat,” the director tells Empire Magazine in the latest issue. “I spent a long time trying to figure out clever names for ‘bat-something-that-would-fly’, then you go: ‘Oh, it’s a bat.’ It’s very much based on a doubt-bladed helicopter idea, once again a realistic approach to military hardware. We had Corbould and his guys build it full scale and come up with this great driving rig for it so we could photograph it in real streets, and there’s a big computer graphics component to it as well. It’s fun to take Batman to the next level in terms of his transportation and weaponry – in terms of his ability to fight people.”

One of the most memorable parts about “The Dark Knight” was Heath Ledgers performance as The Joker. He left such an impression that after news of his death many internet forums lit up with topics wondering what Nolan would do with the character post “The Dark Knight”.

Many fans had hoped for a recasting or a reference. Maybe even for use of some unused “The Dark Knight” footage. But Nolan had adamantly stated there will be no mention of him in the threequel. “We’re not addressing The Joker at all. That is something I felt very strongly about in terms of my relationship with Heath and the experience I went through with him on The Dark Knight. I didn’t want to in any way try and account for a real-life tragedy. That seemed inappropriate to me. We just have a new set of characters and a continuation of Bruce Wayne’s story. Not involving The Joker.”

Source: Empire