A sequel to Nolan’s well-received 2005 reboot of the Batman franchise Batman Begins, The Dark Knight will be the first of the long-running series not to have the hero’s name in the title.

A trailer for the film is being shown before Will Smith's I am Legend in US cinemas and, predictably, shaky camera-phone footage of the clip was to be found distributed liberally across the web within hours of the first screening. The trailer can be downloaded from this site, one of the network of viral sites promoting the film.

The first poster seen by fans, the ‘Joker graffiti’ image, gave rise to fears that the next instalment might be a Joker movie with Batman as a supporting character.

This was an accusation frequently levelled at Tim Burton’s 1989 take on the comic book caper in which Jack Nicholson’s scenery-chewing performance as the Clown Prince of Crime rather overshadowed Michael Keaton's brooding vigilante.

The new image puts the Caped Crusader centre-stage, looking out over a less dystopian Gotham skyline than seen in previous Batman films.

A few other details have emerged from the set of next summer’s most certain box-office hit: In addition to his military-inspired ‘stealth tank’ Batmobile, Batman will have an armed motorcycle to convey him around the streets of Gotham City.

Not only will Heath Ledger play The Joker but ‘Black Dahlia’ star Aaron Eckhart will be appearing as Harvey Dent, the Gotham district attorney who in Batman lore is transformed by an acid attack into Manichean madman Two-Face. This last detail hints perhaps at the outline of the inevitable third film in the retooled franchise.

See a larger version of the poster here.

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