For the diehard Batman fans, like myself, wondering what Director Christopher Nolan would do in his next installment of the Dark Knight to write off the Joker character, it appears fans have an answer.

The gap between "The Dark Knight" and the sequel "The Dark Knight Rises," out next summer, is eight years. Nolan revealed that in an interview with Empire.

"Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight," Nolan said. "So he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state."

The Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger, was not killed in "The Dark Knight," but Ledger obviously could not return for the next Batman film. Christian Bale will reprise his role as Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises."

One of the most famous Batman stories is Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns," as a middle-aged Bruce Wayne comes out of retirement for one last adventure. Whether or not Nolan is using the '80s graphic novel as inspiration for his next film is anyone's guess.

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo