I know people are longing for the Jokers' return and many are calling for the role to be recast. It won't be. Nolan has made that clear. So, without trying to repubblish others ideas and just give my own, I will attemp to put a number of logical possibilitys across that, in my eyes at least, would work.
1. The Joker
Nolan has stated that he won't do the Joker again. What is possible, if fans need the kick of a clown face so bad, are the Joker gangs that mimic what the Joker did and become his unoffical follows. Much in the same light that in The Dark Knight you had people mimicing Batman and dressing like him to show support i think that it could work both ways. Where now Batman has gangs to deal with because the Joker has put the idea in their heads and given them a cult direction.
2. The Villian/s
Like I said at the top, Killer Croc won't work in this world, niether would Mr Freeze or Poison Ivy. I would never have really put Joker in Nolans world of realisitic villians, or two face for that matter, but the guy made it work believably and rather well. Penguin is something i would like to see but as a mob boss pulling the strings trying to unite the groups that have been now left realiativly leaderless and control the group to line his own pocket. Not a fish loving, black blooded fella with his own clowns. I would like to see Bane. not the Bane from the comics but someone who is militarty trained and has a couple of mercenaries with him, hired by the Penguin to flush out the Batman. The vemon infused fella won't work here but you need someone big and imposing and i could think of no one better than Gerrad Butler to take that roll. He is big and mean and you could believe he could brake the Bat. The Riddler has been mentioned to often. As long and he doesn't wear green spendix then i wouldn't be against the idea but we dealt with crazy in the last one. To end the trilogy then we need someone who is going to challenge the Bat in a physical way which brings me to my last point.
3. The End of the Trilogy
I would put money on Nolan killing Bruce in this one, I have a massive gut feeling. He said he has a great ending to this one and I think he will kill him. It makes sense for a number of reasons. DC can reboot the project for a Batman that could appear in the Justice League film and for crossovers to the Superman films if the public called for it. Nolans can't do that and there are not that many more Villains that will work in his world so he has to close the book. Maybe he won't kill him, maybe he will have Bane break his back like the comic and just put him out of action for good but, i think that if the public saw the death of Batman on tv or witnessed it then they would unite to fight the mob out of their city, pushing the Penguin to move city and Bane behind bars. I don't think Batman will win in this film, I think the people have to stand up and be counted by the end. That for me would be the only way to end the film and put his world to rest.
What do you think guys and girls? This is my first artical so be nice please.