Yesterday we wrote about an Internet rumor regarding the possibility of Heath Ledger’s Joker making an appearance via unused footage in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises.” Nolan himself has since commented on this rumor, effectively putting an end to it while confirming Tom Hardy’s involvement in the film.

From Thompson on Hollywood, here’s what Nolan had to say:

The script is due in January for a July release. But he wouldn’t say what the story’s about or who the villain is, other than to confirm that Inception’s Tom Hardy will play “a key role, not saying good or bad,” and to shoot down reports that he’ll resurrect The Joker by including unused footage of Heath Ledger’s performance in the previous chapter. “That’s all wrong,” said the writer-director, who’s also producing the next Superman movie, for Zack Snyder to direct.