Movie bosses at Warner Brothers have chosen not to alter the final cut of the new Batman film, despite one disturbing scene that features the late Heath Ledger pretending to be dead.

Early screenings of The Dark Knight left some film fans reeling after they saw footage of Ledger, as The Joker, hiding out in a bodybag.

That prompted internet speculation about whether studio heads would cut the scene to avoid upsetting sensitive Ledger fans.

But a source close to the production tells website MovieHole.net, "The film remains intact - and nothing of Ledger's will be cut from the movie, including the bodybag scene."

The source adds, "I know for a fact that that scene is in the film. I also know that WB has made no such mandate and that (director) Chris Nolan is honest when saying that he will not change what was intended with The Joker."