The Dark Knight Rises Batman: To "Die".. or Not To "Die:?

[jazzmatik]

Suppose if Batman dies, does that mean Bane wins? I wouldn't feel good about Bane being the ultimate winner at the end of the movie and ruling Gotham. I'd like to feel optimistic when I leave the theater thinking that Batman is still out there, haha, but we'll see. Maybe kitty will defeat Bane at the end of the movie.

 

[KalMart]

Suppose if Batman dies, does that mean Bane wins? I wouldn't feel good about Bane being the ultimate winner at the end of the movie and ruling Gotham. I'd like to feel optimistic when I leave the theater thinking that Batman is still out there, haha, but we'll see. Maybe kitty will defeat Bane at the end of the movie.

Nah, Batman's death would have to come with a victory, or at least insure it with no doubt. It would have to be a sacrifice that changes everything for the better from there on out.

 

[BatScot]

Right. The same commissioner now tasked with apprehending said criminal. The same commissioner who, during his illustrious career, has been known to hang out on a rooftop with this guy once or twice. I wouldn't call him Mr. Reliable...

Yep, that's the guy. The very same Commishioner Gordon who despite these bat associations remains the commissioner of police and who is publicly known to have put his life on the line to protect the very DA whose legacy he is now testifying against. Testifying truthfully I might add. And then of course there are the three eye witnesses besides Gordon—a mother and her children taken hostage by a man with actual motive to commit the murders Batman is wrongfully accused of. Murders Batman is only accused of because Gordon consented to the fallacy in order protect Gotham from the Joker's reign of terror.

Odds are pretty damn good that's going to be reliable enough.

 

[Smegger56]

If it's done right and not cheesy, then a Batman death would be fine. Nothing wrong with it. Why can't an interpratation of a comic character die? If Nolan feels it's right, he'll do it.

 

[BatmanGoesToRio]

Not to die. Would make no sense for a movie called "The Dark Knight Rises".
Nolan will bring his trilogy to a conclusion but will leave a universe in which The Dark Knight will still exist. And fight villains like the Mad Hatter, The Riddler, Black Mask etc. Not on screen though.

 

[BatScot]

Hmm, maybe Batman does die in this one but returns? Could that be what Gordon is alluding to in the teaser, "Then you were gone"?

Perhaps everything we're speculating about the film and the "death" of Batman actually does happen. I think we're definitely going to see Batman get beat down by Bane. Maybe after this happens, Gotham and Bane thinks Batman is dead when in reality, Bruce just excepts this defeat. Then with Batman "being brought to justice" for his crimes Bruce can move on to philanthropy as it's been rumored. He starts becoming a greater good as Bruce Wayne.

Then at some point Gotham turns to crap because of Bane, LOS or whatever and there's a need for Batman to return again. Something terrible obviously happens to Gordon and Bruce decides it's time to return.

Bruce Wayne goes back, trains (we get a bunch of training montage scenes that mirror him becoming Batman in Batman Begins) and then Batman "resurrects" so to speak. Gotham is shocked, Bane is shocked and Batman comes back better and stronger than before to fight once more and save Gotham from whatever the threat is. Then in the end Bruce decides that he can use the philanthropy aspects as Bruce Wayne and protect Gotham through Batman, making his parents proud. The best of both worlds.

Punishment/"justice", "death", going into hiding, training, rebirth, redemption and then Batman all rolled into one.

I don't think by the films end that Batman and/or Bruce Wayne have to die to serve the purpose of the story. "Die" sure, but this film will suck if they kill off the hero of Batman Begins and TDK permanently, with no return. Batman should only ever die metaphorically, but only for a time, not forever.

This is much more likely to be closer to the mark. There will be no physical death of Bruce Wayne in this film. There, I've said it. We can argue all we want about whether or not Batman can die but there is no reason why he must die. If 'Batman Death' is going to play a part in this film then it's going to play out along the lines as you've described them. A possible reading of the trailer has Gordon convincing Wayne (and I do think it's Wayne speaking to Gordon as Wayne) to resurrect Batman to fight this evil and Wayne relents. Thing is, Wayne is out of practice and rushes in too soon and it does not go well for him. Now both Wayne and Batman have fallen... and why do we fall? Ultimately Wayne recovers and accepts once and for all that it is a man and not a symbol that must lead the fight and that it is he and he alone—as Batman—who is capable of that charge.

BATMAN LIVES!

 

[BatScot]

If it's done right and not cheesy, then a Batman death would be fine. Nothing wrong with it. Why can't an interpratation of a comic character die? If Nolan feels it's right, he'll do it.

Anybody can make a mistake.

 

[Smegger56]

Anybody can make a mistake.

Yes. Yes they can

 

[db85usa]

I think Batman dies but somewhere in the middle act hence he comes back. Comes back to defeat Bane, then we'll get an epic ending of him falling from the sky with his cape spread and he will look like a bat and do a flyby near the bat signal!

 

[Godzilla2014]

I think Batman dies but somewhere in the middle act hence he comes back. Comes back to defeat Bane, then we'll get an epic ending of him falling from the sky with his cape spread and he will look like a bat and do a flyby near the bat signal!

No. Absolutely not.

 

[Bathead]

This is much more likely to be closer to the mark. There will be no physical death of Bruce Wayne in this film. There, I've said it. We can argue all we want about whether or not Batman can die but there is no reason why he must die. If 'Batman Death' is going to play a part in this film then it's going to play out along the lines as you've described them. A possible reading of the trailer has Gordon convincing Wayne (and I do think it's Wayne speaking to Gordon as Wayne) to resurrect Batman to fight this evil and Wayne relents. Thing is, Wayne is out of practice and rushes in too soon and it does not go well for him. Now both Wayne and Batman have fallen... and why do we fall? Ultimately Wayne recovers and accepts once and for all that it is a man and not a symbol that must lead the fight and that it is he and he alone—as Batman—who is capable of that charge.

BATMAN LIVES!

This concept makes the most sense to me. With a title like "Rises", a metaphorical death seems more likely than an actual (albeit fictional) one. Like you said Scot, yes Batman is human and "can" ultimately die if TPTB decided such, but there is absolutely no reason why he "should" die.

 

[HisMagicTrick]

Maybe if the title of the film wasn’t The Dark Knight Rises I could understand the film ending with Batman ‘dying’ but Bruce Wayne continuing on with his life, finally letting go of his mask, but because the title is TDKR then I doubt it’s going to happen. While all signs are pointing to this being a dark film, the ending will probably be positive for Batman.

 

[QueenChaos]

I do not think Bruce Wayne/Batman will physically die. There will likely be some other sort of metaphorical "death" or death of a certain facet of his persona going on though.
There could also, in that realm of thought, be a death of one or the other of his personas and with that a merging of the two to form his truest self.

 

[KalMart]

'Rises' could very well refer to his returning from a long absence/disappearance for one last battle, after Bane puts him out of commission for a while earlier in the film. It could also eventually refer to him becoming a legend and inspiration after his death. The symbolism of 'rising' above mere mortal existence after the end of an Earthly life is a staple in ideologies and myth throughout history. It can make perfect sense if one dares to look at 'rises' beyond the most rudimentarily literal definition.

 

[BatBat]

I like this metaphorical death concept. That will bring him back in the mind of Gothamites as being something supernatural. lol that was my idea for fixing the damage Batman and Robin caused and releasing Grayson to be in a Nightwing movie (which I'd still like to see) *sigh* I still think it was an epic story.

 

[BatFan88]

if batman dies the ladder for other superheromovies will be really much higher again.

 

[BatBat]

if batman dies the ladder for other superheromovies will be really much higher again.

I don't know, man. Captain America is looking pretty darn good! Man of Steel is shaping up rather promisingly.

 

[Sith Scotti]

Captain America Looks lioke a fun film , but I don't know if looks like its a film that transcends the genre .... TDKR might be . Captain America looks likee the sequel to Rocketeer , which is not necessarily a bad thing but ground breaking ?

 

[BatBat]

Captain America Looks lioke a fun film , but I don't know if looks like its a film that transcends the genre .... TDKR might be . Captain America looks likee the sequel to Rocketeer , which is not necessarily a bad thing but ground breaking ?

It looks to have a good tone. It's true to the source material. Taken seriously not camped up like a 60's comic. For a comic book film that's pretty ground breaking. Batman is quite possibly the easiest character to break ground with, film wise. Nolan's just the first person to tap into that possibility and take it seriously. *second. My apologies to Burton.

 

[Mach2Infinity]

This is much more likely to be closer to the mark. There will be no physical death of Bruce Wayne in this film. There, I've said it. We can argue all we want about whether or not Batman can die but there is no reason why he must die. If 'Batman Death' is going to play a part in this film then it's going to play out along the lines as you've described them. A possible reading of the trailer has Gordon convincing Wayne (and I do think it's Wayne speaking to Gordon as Wayne) to resurrect Batman to fight this evil and Wayne relents. Thing is, Wayne is out of practice and rushes in too soon and it does not go well for him. Now both Wayne and Batman have fallen... and why do we fall? Ultimately Wayne recovers and accepts once and for all that it is a man and not a symbol that must lead the fight and that it is he and he alone—as Batman—who is capable of that charge.

BATMAN LIVES!

Perfect - "now that's more like it Mr. Wayne".

I don't see the sense nor need to physically kill Batman nor Bruce Wayne for that matter. Yes, I'm sure the irony of Bruce being killed by a gun, just like his parents would be welcome by some. It doesn't feel right to me though. In addition, as the title states he will rise, it would be rather strange for this to happen only for him to die afterwards. I am concerned about what was said here by Chris Nolan:

Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story. And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story... I'm very excited about the end of the film, the conclusion, and what we've done with the characters. My brother has come up with some pretty exciting stuff. Unlike the comics, these things don't go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion and the essence of what tale we're telling. And it hearkens back to that priority of trying to find the reality in these fantastic stories.

 

[WeasleyIsRKing]

I do not think the title character will die in a movie in which the title states that he is going to rise. Just sayin'.

 

[BatBat]

I do not think the title character will die in a movie in which the title states that he is going to rise. Just sayin'.

Sound logic that cannot be argued with but by fools.

 

[Mach2Infinity]

Well no, of course not. I am curious about what Nolan said in the quoted section above. Clearly there's a sense of finality about it and he's said he's wrapping up the story; the bit about the story not going on forever like the comics caught my interest. I would hope this doesn't indicate an end to Batman/Bruce Wayne. I hope he's just referring to his Batman continuity rather than the actual character.

 

[Bathead]

I think far too many are taking Nolan's words like "finality" and "conclusion" way too literally. "Finality" and "conclusion" do not necessaerliy mean actual "death". Just like in the Tarot, a lot of people mistakenly think the Death card literally is predicting a death, (you see this al the time in movies and the like,) when all the Death card (according to actual tarot lore) really means is "change".

 

[IamtheBatman]

Bob Kane is probably rolling in his grave with the thought of killing the Batman!