Batman fans have been scampering all over themselves to find out more about Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in the upcoming The Dark Knight. But one person is less than pleased with the choice of casting. Jack Nicholson, who played the Joker in Tim Burton's Batman told MTV Movies Blog that he was "furious" about not being asked back to the role.

When asked about Ledger, Nicholson answered "Let me be the way I'm not in interviews. I'm furious. I'm furious. [He laughs.] They never asked me about a sequel with the Joker. I know how to do that! Nobody ever asked me."

Nicholson also revealed that he isn't all that inclined to see The Dark Knight:

I'm not inclined to watch it because of what I said. But if it's a good movie, I'll catch up with it somewhere. I don't think they ever really captured Tim Burton's spirit [since he stopped being involved]. They kind of drove the franchise into the ground. Tim Burton's a genius. He had the right take on it. That's why I did the movie. I did the movie based on a single conversation with him. We both come from the cartoon world originally. We had similar ideas. Tim said [the Joker] should have a humorous dark side to him. [Burton is] one of the great moviemakers. I think the world of him. He's the most unassuming man. And he doesn't feel pressure. That's what I love about him. Once he's in there, he's smiling making the movie. That's it!

While Nicholson may be unhappy with the casting, most fans are still eagerly awaiting the release of The Dark Knight in July of 2008.