ledger's performance was iconic and oscar-worthy, but just because dude died doesn't mean he gets to take the joker with him. i for one, would love to see screen tests for the following actors:

ryan gosling

take his performance from the believer, mix in a little lars and you've already got the beginnings of a great joker. my wife says johnny depp, and i agree he'd be great as well. the point is, ledger's performance will likely never be topped, but then again does it really need to be? the movies aren't about the joker, they're about batman (and even the role of batman has been recast several times). even if someone brings 90% of what ledger did to batman 3, it'll still be a good enough and probably great enough performance for a comic book movie. so there's really no need for the nolans to write the best character of the new batman series out of the films forever. it's a nice show of reverence to heath's performance, but really a little ridiculous. ledger raised the bar, but let's not cancel the olympics.

"i smack clowns with nouns, punch herbs with verbs..."