Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake V

[chintai80]

i think jgl is playing blake in his mid 20s, as he is a rookie cop.
so if he met bruce wayne 8 yrs earlier, blake might've been 15-16.
or if it was earlier than that (between begins and tdk), maybe he was 12-13

[shauner111]

Even though JGL was 29 when they wrote the part for Blake, he has always looked younger. Maybe the character of Blake is in his mid 20s. Subtract 9 years or so and you get a 16 year old Blake who was still in the orphanage. They age out around that time right? That's what Blake is told in the movie. So he could have seen Bruce when he came back to Gotham around the time that he was creating the suit, etc and making his first appearances as Batman. Watching Wayne show up in a fancy sports car with a hot chick on his arm..yeah it makes sense.

[Anne Hathaway]

Originally Posted by FlawlessVictory

Well, you were in the movie, should have just asked Nolan when you had the chance.

Perhaps he wasn't Batman yet at the time but Robin could still see the hurt and that look on his face. Once Batman appeared in Gotham, he put two and two together.

The idea that JGL "knew" Bruce was Batman before he even was is just ridiculous to me.

[FlawlessVictory]

^True. JGL looks much younger than his age. Can easily pass as mid 20's.

[FlawlessVictory]

Originally Posted by Anne Hathaway

The idea that JGL "knew" Bruce was Batman before he even was is just ridiculous to me.

That wasn't what I was saying. He just saw the hurt on his face. Years later when Batman appeared is when he figured out Bruce was Batman. Then again, I can't remember the exact conversation. Did he say he realized he was Batman when he first saw Bruce? If so, then shauner and chintai hit on what is most likely the case here.

[Anne Hathaway]

Could someone post JGLs lines from his first talk with Bruce please.

[Anne Hathaway]

I guess everyone just has an easier time believing JGL is that young.Ive seen enough of his work where him as a 24 year old just isnt clicking in my mind.

[chintai80]

blake going to wayne manor was totally based on on a hunch.
aka his strong gut feeling that wayne is most likely the batman.

he figured this out because himself being an orphan, he understood the pain that wayne was hiding, just by looking at him.
plus wayne goes into seclusion around the same time that the batman disappears - blake probably put two and two together...

[TanneRain]

He saw him at an Angels game when he was a kid, Bane tried to blow up the stadium but Batman and the Angels in the Outfield saved the day.

[robthorn24]

Remember the guy in charge of St. Swithins mentioned that they weren't housing the boys past *I think* age 16. I don't know if that applies to when Blake was at the school, but that could play a part in your timeline. He would have had to have been no more than 16 when he first met Bruce.

[Kryptonian Warrior]

Originally Posted by chintai80

blake going to wayne manor was totally based on on a hunch.
aka his strong gut feeling that wayne is most likely the batman.

he figured this out because himself being an orphan, he understood the pain that wayne was hiding, just by looking at him.
plus wayne goes into seclusion around the same time that the batman disappears - blake probably put two and two together...

You know, I was actually of the opinion that I didn't like how Blake new about Batman's identity. However, one of my friend's said something so simple to me that made me take a step back and saw that it wasn't so far-fetched after all. Remember the saying "take's one to know one"? That's what my friend said to me. The character of Blake was a smart man. Like when Foley wouldn't let anyone go down into the sewer, but Blake was smart enough to go to where the body had been flushed out earlier.

[ares834]

Originally Posted by robthorn24

Remember the guy in charge of St. Swithins mentioned that they weren't housing the boys past *I think* age 16. I don't know if that applies to when Blake was at the school, but that could play a part in your timeline. He would have had to have been no more than 16 when he first met Bruce.

When Blake was at the house the rule was not in effect. Remember, Blake was astonished when he heard it. The reason they have this rule is because they are no longer funded by Wayne enterprise. Which is due to Bruce mothballing the energy project causing WE to no longer make a profit.

[robthorn24]

Originally Posted by ares834

When Blake was at the house the rule was not in effect. Remember, Blake was astonished when he heard it. The reason they have this rule is because they are no longer funded by Wayne enterprise. Which is due to Bruce mothballing the energy project causing WE to no longer make a profit.

Yep, you're right. Good call ares.

[ShadowBoxer]

Actually, I wouldn't have minded if the kid we see in BB grew up and became John Blake/ Robin in TDKR (with an actor that sort of resembled a grown up version of the kid) and it would have been another cool link to the first movie. It would have been better in my opinon, but JGL does a great job here.

[ares834]

Heh, when he first showed up at Wayne manor saying he knew Bruce was Batman and that he saw him as a kid I figured he was "Joffery" despite the difference in appearances. Kinda wish they went with that idea as well.

[DJ Kornphlake]

Originally Posted by ShadowBoxer

Actually, I wouldn't have minded if the kid we see in BB grew up and became John Blake/ Robin in TDKR (with an actor that sort of resembled a grown up version of the kid) and it would have been another cool link to the first movie. It would have been better in my opinon, but JGL does a great job here.

Eh, that kind of stuff tends to come off as being corny shoehorning. Lucas did a lot of that in the prequels.

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Timeline fits.

Even if Bruce was inactive for 8 years, which I don't think is the case but they left it open on that end.

[shauner111]

How did they leave it open?

[shauner111]

Originally Posted by ares834

Heh, when he first showed up at Wayne manor saying he knew Bruce was Batman and that he saw him as a kid I figured he was "Joffery" despite the difference in appearances. Kinda wish they went with that idea as well.

That's always been a stupid idea. Not only do they not look alike at all, that was a little kid. So come time for Rises and Blake is what? 18 years old? Yeah..stupid.

[ares834]

Obviously, the time line would have to be shifted like have TDKR take 12 years after BB or something and get a different actor for Blake.

[87vertgt]

I didnt buy the " I KNEW YOU WERE BATMAN CAUSE YOU WERE MAD!'


lmfao.

retarded.


? Is this how John Black found out in the Comic?

[shauner111]

John Black in the comic? LOL what

He never said he knew he was Batman cuz he was mad. Somebody didnt pay attention. He knew he was an orphan and he recognized the phony playboy attitude that he was putting on.

The way i like to look at it is that Blake had a thought that he could be Batman. But as someone who was always curious and being a police officer..he probably felt that the whole "Batman murders HarveyDent" thing seemed fishy, plus 8 years of no Batman, 8 years of Bruce Wayne the billionaire playboy being a recluse. He must have felt pretty confident by the time he went up to Wayne Manor that he was the Batman.

This is how i see it.

[Ultimatehero]

As someone above said "takes one to know one" and I'll re-post how an orphan could beyond easily figure it out:

I think this is taken from something sort of meta. As an orphan, btw I thought the dude who said all orphans don't dress up as bats was really funny, you look up to these heroes because you feel a certain bond with them. We all lost our parents. We all hide aspects of who we are because of this. There is an anger that we can relate to in Batman that stems out of this. There is a sense of losing one's home planet that innately ties into Superman. Although alone, heroes in general we can look up to and say "hey, we aren't actually alone - there are these amazing heroes out there and they're just like us. They lose their parents too and they are strong still!" I have to say there's something really inspiring in that. We are thrown into the world almost at a disadvantage because we become, or many of us do, naturally dark horses who have to fight for ourselves and don't completely trust in the system because of that.

Taking that into the film's world, I can really easily see myself in Gotham looking towards Batman and thinking "maybe he's an orphan too, maybe he's just like me." Then I'd also look towards Bruce Wayne and think, "Wayne also lost his parents when he was young" - I can not go into detail enough about how amazing and awesome it is hearing that Bryan Singer and Michael Bay are also both adoptees, there is just something striking about that to me that I've always latched onto and sometimes even notice those themes in their movies whether intentionally put in or not (I'm also a film maker, so that's why their names stick out). So, I would similarly look towards Bruce Wayne. Right there you have looking at Batman and thinking maybe and looking towards Bruce along common grounds. You start diving into it. It would be noticeable that there is something hidden under the surface even if that behavior is just self-destructing, it would and has caused me to look further into it and myself from doing similar things. You bring two-and-two together and it's a plausible hypothesis.

Orphans look for family, a sense of bond, and that bond comes from familiarity - having someone to look up to in order to not feel alone. Because losing your parents can often make the world a very sad and lonely place. If you can lose your parents, a thing no child should ever go through at any age, anything is possible and anything can break. Having a orphaned hero is inspiration and gives you strength. That's why I said it's sort of meta. The Batman in the comics is the same Batman to Blake and the other orphans in the film. Many might just see him as a hero, but to some it's a lot more than that. And I really love how they emphasized that in this film and why I see Blake as an excellent Robin.

Basically is thought process and summing the above up...

1) As an orphan, I look up to heroes because I relate to them in those means. If Batman was real, I would find myself wondering if he too is an orphan. Even if just for wish-fulfillment. "There goes the orphan superhero, just like me." We do have that - to many of us that is the central importance of comic books and mythology - and that does remarkably help.
2) I would notice Bruce Wayne because he is also an orphan. He too lost his parents. I've found I've looked for information on those too who were orphaned. You start asking and seeing familiarities. Whether it's out of self-destructing or hiding something else under the surface. It gets you to start questioning. Are they really this way? Are they hiding something? Why did he do this and then that? Etc.
3) Batman would need a lot of money to do what he does. So in your head is Batman could be an orphan and Bruce Wayne is a self-destructing orphan who seems to be hiding something. It would naturally link the two together as a hypothesis. And that's what it was. A hypothesis. Blake didn't know for sure, but he had a dream that turned out to be true.

Hope that helps, even though I may have rambled at points?

[87vertgt]

Originally Posted by shauner111

John Black in the comic? LOL what

He never said he knew he was Batman cuz he was mad. Somebody didnt pay attention. He knew he was an orphan and he recognized the phony playboy attitude that he was putting on.

The way i like to look at it is that Blake had a thought that he could be Batman. But as someone who was always curious and being a police officer..he probably felt that the whole "Batman murders HarveyDent" thing seemed fishy, plus 8 years of no Batman, 8 years of Bruce Wayne the billionaire playboy being a recluse. He must have felt pretty confident by the time he went up to Wayne Manor that he was the Batman.

This is how i see it.

So Blake knew Bruce was Batman cause he was an Orphan???

ok now that makes sense......so is every other orphan batman too?

[Greens]

Originally Posted by 87vertgt

So Blake knew Bruce was Batman cause he was an Orphan???

ok now that makes sense......so is every other orphan batman too?

No but every Batman is an orphan.