The Dark Knight Rises 8 Years: Active or Retired?

[MrWayne]

The conversations in this thread are way more interesting than whats going on in the gen discussion/speculation thread lol

Interesting thoughts on this 8 year timeline.

After reading all these views, I'm now leaning more towards that he possibly has been retired over last few years, makes sense, and would be compelling if he's lost and frozen in the BB/TDK timeline wheres he's itching for a reason to get back out there and let loose is anger.

My question then becomes, if he's been absent, then what's Banes motivation to come to Gotham if not Batman? I'm sure there could be other reasons, but I'm just wondering out loud.

But I do refuse to believe that he retired the day after he captured Joker, and Dent died. I just cant see him saying "I quit" after getting back home from being chased by GCPD.

I'm more curious to know how long did it take for Batman to fade away after realizing he wasnt really needed in Gotham anymore.

 

[shauner111]

I think he comes out once in a while, but if it's proven that he's NOT active for 8 years. I can see him doing detective work, always in the batcave. Taking time to rebuild the batcave first..bringing all his computers and suits into it. Getting right to work and tipping off Gordon with text messages.

Even Alfred being reluctant like "Whats the point?" but of course Bruce is obsessive, probably more than ever during the 8 years because he cant get over what happened. It would be interesting if that was the case but even if most of us are right and hes out there fighting crime in the shadows id like to think hes still doing most of his work in the batcave. Just being a reaaaal hard person to be around.

Maybe thats where the legend grows. He sharpens his tools as a detective. Which is what hes known for. By the time Bane arrives, Bruce is the ultimate detective like from the comics even tho hes past his physical prime.

 

[TomServo]

Yeah I could see him passing along "anonymous" tips to Gordon and doing some work from the batcave, but I just don't think he'll be donning the cape and cowl. The guy talking to Modine in trailer says that it's peace time and Johnathan Nolan says in that interview that part of the movie is a/b what would happen if Bats' plan of wiping out crime in Gotham actually worked, so I don't know how much there is for him to do. I'm also an idiot so....

 

[shauner111]

But I do refuse to believe that he retired the day after he captured Joker, and Dent died. I just cant see him saying "I quit" after getting back home from being chased by GCPD.

I'm more curious to know how long did it take for Batman to fade away after realizing he wasnt really needed in Gotham anymore.

Good point. It would make more sense if he was active (once in a while) for half of those 8 years. Not enough to get peoples imaginations going like "He's been battling the Riddler and Penguin.." But just enough to make it clear that Bruce got his s*** together in the batcave, went to work as a detective and brought down the remaining thugs that were still left over from the mob. Then the last 4 years or so leading into TDKR, he fades away. Stops going out as the Batman all together. He stops tipping off Gordon too, just completely dissapears

 

[MrWayne]

Well maybe he now only works from the bat cave, doing surveillance and detective stuff and dropping info to Gordon as he always had been doing!

So in this way, he's been still active, just not physically out there out and about in the streets of Gotham kicking @ss anymore.

 

[shauner111]

Ya i was just trying to come up with some scenarios, but i would actually prefer it if he wasnt physically out there for 8 years. Just something about that idea, it's pretty extreme. Maybe hard to swallow for some people, but thats why i like it. People around here, for the most part, can't accept that their Batman was only doing his thing for like 2 years just encountering common thugs, Falcone/Maroni, Crane, Ras, Joker and Two Face. And then skip to his final battles with Bane and Catwoman. They want to imagine every villain from the comics having their shot. But its not the comics, and thats why i love the eight year absence. It leaves it to the most important characters IMO

 

[Naked Shia]

Yeah I could see him passing along "anonymous" tips to Gordon and doing some work from the batcave, but I just don't think he'll be donning the cape and cowl. The guy talking to Modine in trailer says that it's peace time and Johnathan Nolan says in that interview that part of the movie is a/b what would happen if Bats' plan of wiping out crime in Gotham actually worked, so I don't know how much there is for him to do. I'm also an idiot so....

I don't think you're an idiot. but I don't think peace is a factor in this. It's not about Batman still being needed IMO, it's about Bruce needing to lost himself in Batman, and thus still being active, even if he's not that needed. His fight would seem meaningless to those around him, and that could explain alfred speech in the trailer "this city doesn't need batman anymore, but you're still acting like a vampire, that's why I think all the tangerines I gave you weren't enough to protect you".

 

[TomServo]

I don't think you're an idiot.

 

[Naked Shia]

Someone who uses gifs to answer will more than likely become my friend.

 

[TomServo]

Someone who uses gifs to answer will more than likely become my friend.

Spoiler

 

[mackblack01]

Spoiler

lol. kvz5 !!!

 

[SpideyFan866]

I'm pretty sure Bruce is retired.

I suspect that, dut to the likely provisions about intolerance to crimes, Batman must be gone for the Act to provail.

I also suspect Bruce has become even more of a recluse now then he was when he was Batman.

Imagine Bruce in Batman Beyond. He was older, broken down (used a cane), somewhat bitter, had mental scars from his days as Batman, and overall longed for the days when he was Batman.

I loved that characterization of Bruce ( it was was borderline "the dark knight returns") and I think we will be getting that in this movie.

 

[MrWayne]

I'm pretty sure Bruce is retired.

I suspect that, dut to the likely provisions about intolerance to crimes, Batman must be gone for the Act to provail.

I also suspect Bruce has become even more of a recluse now then he was when he was Batman.

Imagine Bruce in Batman Beyond. He was older, broken down (used a cane), somewhat bitter, had mental scars from his days as Batman, and overall longed for the days when he was Batman.

I loved that characterization of Bruce ( it was was borderline "the dark knight returns") and I think we will be getting that in this movie.

This would be interesting and make for an emotional arc. I like it.

 

[conan69]

Imagine Bruce in Batman Beyond. He was older, broken down (used a cane), somewhat bitter, had mental scars from his days as Batman, and overall longed for the days when he was Batman.

"But now I'm sure the day wont come, when you no longer need Batman"

 

[LegendInMyMind]

"But now I'm sure the day wont come, when you no longer need Batman"

It's been stated here before that simply because Bruce NEEDS Batman doesn't mean he's going to keep BEING Batman. There's a difference. He's a responsible guy, he's not going to be selfish in that. He wasn't just going out at night for his own therapy, though that's part of it. That's why he's chomping at the bit, looking for a reason to be Batman again. I'm still saying retired. Completely retired. All in all, it's going to be the situation that governs this, not the exposition. They've shown, and even stated time and time again that this is a man who puts others before himself.

He's won, there's no further threat from either the mob or LOS (until TDKR obviously) or the people like the Scarecrow and the Joker. As I've stated, to keep going at it only puts their ploy (that Batman is the killer) at risk.

That's my take on it, and no one will know until we see the film, but there are things in the teaser like "and then you were gone" and other snippets of info that hint that retirement is the case, but one thing I hope doesn't happen after we see the film is all the *****ey "I told ya so!"s going around, but I'm sure they will, no matter how it goes.

 

[Nevincer]

lol. kvz5 !!!

Lol, nostalgia trip. Reminds me of when that Kermit gif got posted and someone yelled "Boom!"

 

[kvz5]

lol. kvz5 !!!

Aw you remember!

 

[Superhero 101]

Hmm i think he is active or semi but from the trailer it sounds like he is retired

 

[KalMart]

Have we found this out yet? Way back, I went with inactive.

 

[The_Maestro]

Retired, based on the following.

1. Gordon at the end of TDK: "He's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now..."

2. TDKR teaser trailer dialogue.

Gordon: "The Batman has to come back."

Wayne: "What if he doesn't exist anymore?"
---------------------------------------------------

On a side note, I maintain that Wayne's cane was required after his injuries in TDK, but it's now a psychological "crutch" that he uses as a constant reminder of Rachel and Harvey's deaths. Putting down the cane is the first step to becoming Batman again.

 

[KalMart]

As discussed from the start, the mere fact that they're putting it eight years in the future speaks, I feel, to it being more inactive than active, since it's the more likely narrative purpose of that expanse of time. You don't just skip that many years of prime-age activity between film installments. You do that for the purpose of setting up a return after not being seen for a long time. Much like the DKR comic had that Batman unseen or heard of for ten-something years. Now...one can say that it was age that motivated that in that comic...but it seemed more to me that age happened during the layoff, and it was personal trauma and loss/guilt that motivated his retirement more than anything.

I think a lot of Batman/comic fans don't like the idea of Batman...any version of him...not being active for such a long time in his thirties, as it not only goes against the traditional portrayal of superheroes, but it somehow makes him out to be a 'quitter'. Whereas I think this is a more unique departure that Nolan is taking with his version of the character, and a different story in which this particular Batman does lay low for a long time in light of the events of TDK. And I think that's fine coming from such a skilled filmmaker, since his series as a whole has been a sort of 'elseworlds' take altogether. I'm eager to see a different take like this.

 

[Broker]

Retired, based on the following.

1. Gordon at the end of TDK: "He's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now..."

That isn't the context of that line.

He was saying that while Batman deserves to be seen as a hero, for Gotham to prosper it needs him to take the blame for Dent's crimes.

 

[ALP]

Unfortunately there has been no news of an animated tie-in that details the 8 year gap.

 

[MechaOrga]

See I think I'm leaning more to inactive in light of the new news but...

He built up the batcave in these 8 years and more tech... to what end, if he's not out there busting heads once in a while?

Doesn't the Bat suit reveal itself in a bad ass case rising from the water?

count me confused/intrigued...

 

[The Joker]

See I think I'm leaning more to inactive in light of the new news

What new news?