Director Christopher Nolan said there will not be a Joker, the villain portrayed in "The Dark Knight" by the late Heath Ledger in the next Batman film.
"For me, Heath was the definitive Joker," Nolan said in an interview to promote "Inception," his sci-fi thriller opening Friday. "It wouldn't feel appropriate to readdress that character."
Ledger was killed January 2008 in an accidental prescription drug overdose. His death fuelled up fan interest in "The Dark Knight." The film recorded $1 billion at the box office worldwide.
Awarded Best Supporting Actor win, Ledger became only the second performer ever to earn a posthumous Oscar.
Nolan would not reveal potential villains in the upcoming superhero instalment.
Starring Christian Bale as the vigilante superhero, the next Batman motion picture will be the third in the current Warner Bros. incarnation of the franchise.
It is scheduled for release on July 20, 2012, the same weekend that brought the record-breaking $158.4 million debut of "The Dark Knight" in 2008.