Heath Ledger faces off against Batman

After information was leaked without any official word from Warner Bros., the studio has finally confirmed Heath Ledger will play The Joker in the next Batman film titled "The Dark Knight."

The "Brokeback Mountain" actor will be joined by Christian Bale as Batman and director Christopher Nolan, both continuing their roles from the franchise's 2005 installment "Batman Begins."

"Chris' unique vision is what made 'Batman Begins' such an outstanding film and we could not imagine anyone else at the helm of 'The Dark Knight,'" said Warner Bros. President of Production Jeff Robinov in a press release. "We also can't wait to see two such formidable actors as Christian and Heath face off with each other as Batman and The Joker."

"I'm excited to continue the story we started with Batman Begins," Nolan said. "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."

The film will begin production early next year.