Batman sequel gets a title and cast!

Well, we never like to say ‘we told you so,’ so we won’t – but we did...

Despite some reports on t’internet yesterday that Heath Ledger wasn’t in the running to fill the flamboyant purple suit, we can confirm that the Brokeback Mountain star will appear as The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins follow-up – entitled The Dark Knight.

“I'm excited to continue the story we started with Batman Begins,” Nolan said today. “Our challenge in casting The Joker was to find an actor who is not just extraordinarily talented but fearless. Watching Heath Ledger's interpretation of this iconic character taking on Christian Bale's Batman is going to be incredible.”

Batman Begins key-tapper David Goyer helped Christopher Nolan come up with the story for The Dark Knight before scribbling duties were handed over to Nolan’s brother Jonathan, who also penned the script for his bro’s recent project The Prestige.

Production is slated to begin early next year, with Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman all expected to reprise their roles as the caped crusader, his butler Alfred and Wayne Enterprises honcho Lucius Fox.