Although Heath Ledger is said to have finished shooting all his scenes for Batman: The Dark Knight, his death presents some marketing challenges for Warner Bros., who have to sell a blockbuster franchise film not only without one of its celebrity leads, but also in a way that doesn't gross out moviegoers, or smell of disrespect. Especially hard when Heath's character, The Joker, is a vile heavy.

The excellent Kim Masters expounds on how we might be listening to a voice artist for some of The Joker's dialogue, since the rough audio captured during filming might not be pristine enough.

But what about the T-shirts? Action figures?

In a bout of, ahem, good fortune, it turns out Warner Bros. hadn't planned to slap Heath's face on many of these materials; the toys are mostly aimed at 5- to 9-year-olds, which means the character of The Joker was often avoided, because of his "intensity." Heath did complete photo shoots for tees and other apparel, but how to sell those without anyone thinking you're exploiting his death? Does their sale on Warner Bros.' official website stink any less than rip-off versions to be sold on Canal Street?

Keep in mind, we're not just talking movie posters and trailers here. "Some marketing efforts—like an idea that involved calls to fans' cell phones—may be scrapped." Good, 'cause that would've been creepy.

And then there's the theme park attraction, where riders probably won't be plowing through an open-mouthed Heath Ledger face anytime soon.