Since vanishing into the dark night upon the release of Dark Knight to take a well-earned vacation, Chris Nolan has returned, and the LA Times is first in line to ask him the question on everyone’s mind:  What’s up with the sequel to The Dark Knight?  Nolan’s response covered all angles of his train of thought...

"Well ... let me think how to put this. There are two things to be said. One is the emphasis on story. What's the story? Is there a story that’s going to keep me emotionally invested for the couple of years that it will take to make another one? That's the overriding question. On a more superficial level, I have to ask the question: How many good third movies in a franchise can people name? [Laughs.] At the same time, in taking on the second one, we had the challenge of trying to make a great second movie, and there haven't been too many of those either. It’s all about the story really. If the story is there, everything is possible. I hope that was a suitably slippery answer."

One down, one to go.  The second question on everyone’s mind: The Joker is still alive but Heath Ledger tragically is not and cannot reprise the role, so will Nolan attempt to recast or bring the character back in any way?

"No, really and in truth, I only deal with one film at a time. I find myself sort of protesting this issue a lot. We've never attempted to save anything for a sequel or set up anything for a sequel. That seems improbable to some people because, particularly with Batman Begins, the film ended with a particular hook [with Jim Gordon showing Batman a Joker playing card announcing the arrival of a new villain in town]. But for me that was just about the excitement of people leaving the theater with the sense that now we have the character up and running. I wanted people to walk away with that sense in their head. You know, that he’s become the Batman in the movie. That's why we had the title come up at the end, because it was Batman Begins, and it was all very specific to that."

It was a slightly dodgy interview but, all in all, it sounded like Nolan was none-too-keen on returning to the franchise.  Personally, I’m praying Nolan comes back.  Stay tuned Bat-fans.