Batman sequel explains where Joker was during Dark Knight Rises

It's something many of us have wondered - where was the Joker and what was he doing during the events of Dark Knight Rises? Of course, the sad passing of Heath Ledger meant that his iconic version of the Joker wouldn't be able to appear in the third part of Christopher Nolan's trilogy.

At the end of The Dark Knight, we see Joker hanging from a building after being caught by Batman. Joker was left dangling, waiting for GCPD to arrive and throw him behind bars. So, where was he after the credits rolled? Or, a better question, where could he have been?

Nolan went on the record in 2012 with Empire magazine to discuss Ledger's death and where it left the clown prince of crime. Nolan explained that the inclusion of Joker in the third instalment would have been in poor taste. Out of respect for Ledger, Nolan said, "We're not addressing the Joker at all."

However, a novelisation of the third film did give some hints as to where Joker was. The book describes Blackgate prison and how "the worst of the worst" were sent there, "except for the Joker, who, rumour had it, was locked away as Arkham's sole remaining inmate."

This explains why we didn't see Joker after Bane liberated the prisoners of Blackgate in the film. The book goes on to say, "or perhaps he had escaped. Nobody was really sure" which allows for some speculation that Joker got out of Arkham and never reached Blackgate at all. Perhaps he was laying low in Gotham, waiting for the right moment to reappear.

We'll never truly know where Joker was. There could be the chance that Nolan had something in mind, especially as Dark Knight Rises brought back many of Batman's foes for the finale, but his love and respect for Ledger rightly won out.