This old rumour is rearing its ugly head again. According to the generally rather credible Stuff, Chris Nolan is considering the use of unused footage from The Dark Knight in The Dark Knight Rises, giving Heath Ledger another big screen outing in the guise of The Joker.
Stuff’s unnamed source has apparently suggested that CG would be used, though quite why isn’t clear. It could, in theory, place the image of Heath in a location other than the one in which he was filmed; or, potentially, alter his lip-sync and change what he is saying.
They do stress that there is only a “snippet” of film up for possible use and that the appearance of The Joker would only be “fleeting”, as well as pledging that the approval of Ledger’s family will be sought.
I can’t even imagine what Nolan would be planning to do with such footage. What would be so attractive a filmmaking a notion that he might brave these slings and arrows?