Aaron Eckhart Reveals Fate Of Harvey Dent And Two-Face

Yesterday, a screener for The Dark Knight leaked all over the interwebs, so the entire world has officially enjoyed Chris Nolan's Batman sequel. Nevertheless, let me whisper "SPOILER ALERT" in your ear like a geeky Craig Mack. In a couple of  new interviews, co-star Aaron Eckhart has revealed the ultimate fate of Harvey Dent and Two-Face per the ending to TDK and this second sequel we love to speculate about...

"[My character is] dead. I couldn't even get the words out of my mouth. 'Hey, Chris, am I–?' 'No. You're dead. You're dead,'" Eckhart told AICN. "...Well, it'd be easier than anything to bring him back, but... it's like Chris said on the tour. He wasn't thinking about the next movie when he made [THE DARK KNIGHT]. All the vegetables were in this stew. I think that this franchise has shown that it doesn't have to bring back characters. I mean, there's still Catwoman. I've heard Angelina Jolie really wants to do Catwoman; I think that's a great idea. I'll be a happy audience member this time."

Do you guys agree with Eckhart that it'd be "easier than anything" to bring Two-Face back for the next installment? Like most of us, I've had this debate with friends. Given, Two-Face's arc in TDK is swift (some fans have said too swift) and his final scene in the film is dubiously played (so is The Joker's), but I feel that infection would have set in and killed him if a character ultimately did not.

One of my minor quibbles with TDK is that Two-Face's appearance in the film entertains a Dick Tracy-type cinematic reality, whereas The Joker, his goons, and Lt. Gordon are based in a realistic universe that's drawn comparisons to Heat. Having Two-Face return for another film would only reinforce this extension of disbelief. One of the counter arguments to this is that Dent, beloved by his peers and the city, could be medically treated and make a still-conflicted return with lots of scarring and facial reconstruction. And of course, there's the chance, albeit small, that Eckhart is setting us up here for a similar surprise. So, Dent's done, but what about Nolan?

"He never said he's going to make another one. I'm sure they drove the Brinks truck up to his house and dumped money on his lawn. But I think Chris wants to go out and make other movies, too. And he should. He's an independent filmmaker at heart."

Money on the lawn? Meh. Nolan is probably sitting poolside in a purple beret next to an original work of Francis Bacon, demanding that Warner Bros. put his "face on the one dollar bill."

Discuss: Eckhart's statements aside, do you think Two-Face should return? If so, in what state and what's his new arc? As it stands, was TDK's take a definitive one for this major character? Is there a chance Eckhart is being sly? Angelina Jolie for Catwoman? How many films do you expect Nolan to make before a second sequel?