'Dark Knight Rises': Ways To Bring Back Liam Neeson

It was the confirmation we all figured would come eventually. We just thought that we might have to wait until seeing "The Dark Knight Rises" in the theaters. Liam Neeson will be back to reprise his role as Ra's Al Ghul in the final Christopher Nolan Batman movie.

Bringing someone back who died in a previous installment is always tricky business, so we've done Mr. Nolan the favor of looking at the four ways to bring Neeson back into the series. Needless to say, some are better than others.

Flash back

Thanks to young actress Joey King, we know that a young version of Talia Al Ghul will appear at some point during "The Dark Knight Rises." Naturally, we will see a young Ra's, and it's no secret that that's who Josh Pence is playing. It's possible Neeson will appear as the character of "Slightly Less Young Ra's Al Ghul" with the help of some makeup opposite Marion Cotillard.

Dream Sequence

It wouldn't be the first time Ra's has been involved with one of Bruce Wayne's hallucinations. If the themes and ideas of "Batman Begins" find their way into the storyline of "The Dark Knight Rises" as they're supposed to, it wouldn't be surprising if Bruce had Ra's on the mind. He played a large part in the origin of Batman, so a dream-time visit wouldn't be unheard of. Cue the "Inception" BBWWWOONNGG.

He Never Died

It always seemed kind of odd that Batman, a symbol that built himself on the principle of no fatalities, would just let a man die. You might want to go back to the rulebook on that one, Bats. That is, unless, Ra's Al Ghul didn't die in the elevated train crash. We never saw him die, which always leaves the possibility open for a return. All the makeup team on "The Dark Knight Rises" would have to do is slap on a scar or two onto Neeson, and then he'd be all set.

Resurrection

While resurrection is the most likely explanation for the reappearance of Ra's Al Ghul, it will also be the most difficult to pull off. If you're familiar with Ra's at all from the comics, you know that he always comes back. Batman just can't seem to get rid of the guy, but the idea of resurrection doesn't exactly fit within the realism of Chris Nolan's take on the Caped Crusader. But if anyone can bring a character back from the grave and make it seem plausible, it's Christopher Nolan.

Are you looking forward to seeing Liam Neeson back in "The Dark Knight Rises"? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!