Two days later, the entertainment world is still abuzz about the untimely death of 28-year-old Australian actor Heath Ledger. Found unconscious in his apartment Tuesday afternoon, conclusions are still being drawn concerning the nature of the actor�s unexpected passing.

But, for the amount of mystery surrounding Ledger�s death, there is just as much information regarding his successful career as an actor. He first attracted attention from mainstream media � and fawning teenage girls everywhere � in the 1999 teen romantic comedy �10 Things I Hate About You� as Patrick Verona, a bad boy with a heart of gold.

Since then, of course, the actor�s star had risen considerably following his Oscar-nominated performance as Ennis Del Mar in 2005�s �Brokeback Mountain� and a perhaps too-real interpretation of  Bob Dylan in 2007�s �I�m Not There.� The actor was also taking part in the Terry Gilliam film �The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,� which has now ceased production  with no plans to resume filming.

Ledger�s last portrayal is his interpretation of The Joker in the upcoming Batman movie, �The Dark Knight.� But this role may be his most controversial, as Warner Bros. undoubtedly continues to grapple with how to sensitively promote a film with a deceased actor as a major character.

In the past, studios have managed to respectfully deliver a film after one of its major players has passed away. The most famous, 1994�s �The Crow,� offered a sincere dedication to its fallen leading man, Brandon Lee, during the film�s closing credits. Other studios did likewise, publicly dedicating films like �Queen of the Damned� and �Bad Santa� to Aaliyah and John Ritter, respectively.

But few studios have been faced with the challenge of presenting a movie whose main villain � in The Joker�s case, a maniacal mass-murderer � has recently passed. Before his death, disturbing movie posters for �The Dark Knight� featured Ledger dressed eerily in all black, asking viewers �Why so serious?� It seems logical that the studio will soon change the film�s promotional poster out of respect for the actor�s family and friends, while a DVD cover bearing the same image also seems unlikely.

There is no way to sugarcoat the eeriness of Ledger�s portrayal of The Joker in �The Dark Knight,� and a total dismissal of this multimillion dollar project is out of the question. Set for release this summer, the film, then, seems destined for a cult following similar to that achieved by �The Crow� after Lee�s death.

Yet, though �The Dark Knight� is his final appearance, the film will not be the lasting memory for the actor�s legions of fans. Heath Ledger will always be remembered as a rising star whose supreme talent was lost far too soon.