The Dark Knight Rises How should Nolan End Batman's Story?

[Sharkboy]

everyone dies and ends up in a church which they find out is purgatory, so they can all get together and chill out before they pass on, then journey starts playing and it just cuts to black.

 

[Rodrigo90]

The ending I wrote had Bruce filling in Harvey's shoes,and making a real difference as himself. Funding and donating to more causes. Defeating the villain threat as Batman,then having him satisfied and on the verge of retirement.

But of course his worry is brought forward when Joker wants a showdown with him. He forces Batman to shoot and kill him in front of News cameras,or he reveals 'the truth' and kills the hostages. Batman with no alternative,unmasks himself (this is to ensure ultimate victory over Joker). After a chase,Batman and Joker are killed in an explosion from a trap.

Bruce is the talk of the world. Many Gothamites believe despite his controversy,he did make a difference as both himself and Batman.

But its revealed Bruce is alive,and he tells Gordon that so is Joker,and why he faked their deaths. He announces that he will remain in the shadows of the world from now on. Gordon asks if he will return,and Bruce says if Gotham ever needs him again,he will.

 

[Gianakin_]

I do want to see Bruce making a difference in Gotham. Going from the arrogant playboy he is now to a visionary closer to his parents would be welcome for a Bruce Wayne arc. And the naive part of his crusade (donations etc.) would be complementary to the really effective part of that crusade, as realised by Batman.

 

[luke1234]

I agree with Hatebox, the last thing we need is another reboot after this trilogy, I like your story Rodrigo, but I am unsure of Bruce's unmasking. I dont think he should reveal himself to the public.

 

[Rodrigo90]

thanks luke1234.

The reason behind his unmasking,was to show the entire city that his life was sacrifice,he gave it up to protect Harvey's secret (protecting Gotham more than they will ever know) and the hostages. It was also a massive diversion,so the threat of Joker's reveal would be completely nullified,erasing the danger of anyone believing the story about Harvey. It was also the only way to beat Joker once and for all,as he made the mistake of telling Batman that his life revolves around him.

But he tells Batman a message that is true.
"Gotham is a continuous time bomb,youve just merely reset the countdown to its inevitable destruction...When the real crime returns,so will you,and when you return,so too will I,its never going to be over".

That message haunts Bruce,as he tells Gordon it does. He only hopes that Gotham can maintain its peace. But must face the fact, that Joker is probably right.

So in future movies,it creates a new prospect that life will be very different for Bruce and Batman.

 

[mikey1974]

I would like this film to establish that Bruce is Batman, like the cartoon did. They said it in the first film, "This face (Bruce's face) is your mask. That Batman is the Real you."
So they have set up what the cartoon did, that Bruce is the mask, and that Batman is the real Bruce Wayne.
They even show Bruce, willing to make Bruce Wayne look bad get drunk at parties/ crash his car and look careless/and look like a snob and coward.
So maybe this film will finalize that Bruce can never stop being Batman because he is Batman. Maybe what "Ends" in this movie is his HARSH transition into being Batman. (It will take some getting used to, there will be bumps along the way, but after a while you will get good.)
I'd like to see Bruce unable, whatever else he does, to give up being Batman.
Not sure how else they will end it or what else the movie will be about, but I hope they cement that idea of Bruce being Batman and Bruce Wayne being the mask.

was thinking something along the lines of thios myself...

maybe it means the "END" of Bruce Wayne...he fully becomes the Batman,and Wayne becomes the "mask"...

in Batman Begins, he thought Batman was the mask,til Rachel told him that Bruce Wayne left Gotham,and never returned...

in TDK he's willing to hand the city over to Dent,and willing to unmask himslef to save lives....

in B3,he should finally transition over to being The Batman is the real person,and Bruce Wayne only exists to hide the Batman in plain sight...

so it could be an end,and end to Bruce Wayne's story,but the beginning of The Batman's...

 

[mikey1974]

everyone dies and ends up in a church which they find out is purgatory, so they can all get together and chill out before they pass on, then journey starts playing and it just cuts to black.

except for the Joker..he'll sit outside on a bench,not ready to go in yet...

 

[luke1234]

except for the Joker..he'll sit outside on a bench,not ready to go in yet...

Win

 

[luke1234]

was thinking something along the lines of thios myself...

maybe it means the "END" of Bruce Wayne...he fully becomes the Batman,and Wayne becomes the "mask"...

in Batman Begins, he thought Batman was the mask,til Rachel told him that Bruce Wayne left Gotham,and never returned...

in TDK he's willing to hand the city over to Dent,and willing to unmask himslef to save lives....

in B3,he should finally transition over to being The Batman is the real person,and Bruce Wayne only exists to hide the Batman in plain sight...

so it could be an end,and end to Bruce Wayne's story,but the beginning of The Batman's...

but Batman already Began in 2005 hahah

 

[Mr. Earle]

The ending I wrote had Bruce filling in Harvey's shoes,and making a real difference as himself. Funding and donating to more causes. Defeating the villain threat as Batman,then having him satisfied and on the verge of retirement.

But of course his worry is brought forward when Joker wants a showdown with him. He forces Batman to shoot and kill him in front of News cameras,or he reveals 'the truth' and kills the hostages. Batman with no alternative,unmasks himself (this is to ensure ultimate victory over Joker). After a chase,Batman and Joker are killed in an explosion from a trap.

Bruce is the talk of the world. Many Gothamites believe despite his controversy,he did make a difference as both himself and Batman.

But its revealed Bruce is alive,and he tells Gordon that so is Joker,and why he faked their deaths. He announces that he will remain in the shadows of the world from now on. Gordon asks if he will return,and Bruce says if Gotham ever needs him again,he will.

Others have asked you this before, so here's once more: What would Bruce achieve by unmasking himself? Is the public supposed to say "Oh no, Batman is innocent. He is Bruce and Bruce would never kill." as if they knew him personally?

everyone dies and ends up in a church which they find out is purgatory, so they can all get together and chill out before they pass on, then journey starts playing and it just cuts to black.

Is that from Lost?

 

[MechaOrga]

i think a suitable ending that i described in the title thread and some posters have already said was Bruce finally coming to terms that he will be batman forever.No handing off the responsibility or mantle to a public or private figure. By the end of the film he will have a rebuilt tech'd out mansion and bat cave and would have turned his back finally on the prospect of a normal life filled with love.Hard cut to black title card: THE BATMAN.

this makes sense i think to alot of fans...

Now if nolan wants to end characters, "end the story" if you will, i just don't know. Kill off batman? that means the criminals win. unmasking? criminals win again. No matter how dark and disturbing B3 may get, it needs to end with at least of glimmer of hope on the horizon.

Unless of course they play off the fact that Bruce is indeed his fathers son and his DEATH galvanized the wealthy and powerful into action to clean up their own city...CRAP that would work and bring the story full circle.

damn, I'm getting misty eyes just typing it

 

[akfj]

Is that from Lost?

And the Sopranos.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Others have asked you this before, so here's once more: What would Bruce achieve by unmasking himself? Is the public supposed to say "Oh no, Batman is innocent. He is Bruce and Bruce would never kill." as if they knew him personally?

A personal achievement for Bruce is finally beating the Joker at his own game.

He had no other choice but to unmask himself. His life is sacrifice for his city.

As Bruce he puts more effort into the Wayne Foundation,donating to the police,hospitals,schools,etc. This shows Gotham that he wants to be their new hero. As you said before,Bruce has all this money yet he never does anything charitable with it.

So when Bruce is apparently dead,divided Gotham citizens have debates on the impact he made,and the greater majority believe he saved the city as both himself and Batman,despite his wrong doings.

Bruce becomes something of a controversial Martyr.

 

[Artistsean]

Now if nolan wants to end characters, "end the story" if you will, i just don't know. Kill off batman? that means the criminals win. unmasking? criminals win again. No matter how dark and disturbing B3 may get, it needs to end with at least of glimmer of hope on the horizon.

The criminals don't win if they don't know he died. If Bruce's death is done in secret where only Alfred, Fox, Gordon, and maybe Catwoman, know about it but no one else. Alfred, and maybe with help from the others, covers it up so no one will ever know [BLACKOUT](like they did with Dent)[/BLACKOUT]
and everyone in Gotham thinks the Batman is still alive and out there.
Maybe Gordon even flashes the signal now and then. The rumors still fly around that the Batman, who killed people in the Dark Knight, who is crazy and dangerous, who might be a monster or worse, is still praying on the criminals.
His death would also force the citizens to fend for themselves and make their own city better, and they will never know that he died. (unless Bruce's death is made public.)

Unless of course they play off the fact that Bruce is indeed his fathers son and his DEATH galvanized the wealthy and powerful into action to clean up their own city...CRAP that would work and bring the story full circle.

damn, I'm getting misty eyes just typing it

Exactly, if they went with the death angle, there are hints all over the two previous films that support this ending.
like you said, it would end the way it began. the death of a Wayne forcing the city to save itself.
Dent says you either die a hero or you live long enough to become the villain (did I quote him right?)
Bruce says that a man can die but a symbol can't be killed.
There are these bits all over the movies. Not saying this is how it should end, but if they ended it with his death it wont seem like he pulled it out of nowhere.

Even if Bruce retires, the symbol he created (the Batman) will live on. I can see Bruce, maybe injured and retired, still living in Gotham and seeing that the people of Gotham are afraid of the Batman still. Because they think he is still out there and fighting crime.
"did you hear about the mob war last night? The Batman showed up and took them all out." (even though Bruce hasn't been Batman for a year.)

I don't think Bruce could ever return to being Bruce though, he has already ruined his reputation and everything. Bruce is now seen by everyone as a drunk, rude, playboy, moron.

 

[Mr. Earle]

A personal achievement for Bruce is finally beating the Joker at his own game.

He had no other choice but to unmask himself. His life is sacrifice for his city.

As Bruce he puts more effort into the Wayne Foundation,donating to the police,hospitals,schools,etc. This shows Gotham that he wants to be their new hero. As you said before,Bruce has all this money yet he never does anything charitable with it.

So when Bruce is apparently dead,divided Gotham citizens have debates on the impact he made,and the greater majority believe he saved the city as both himself and Batman,despite his wrong doings.

Bruce becomes something of a controversial Martyr.

So instead of continuing to help people as Batman and Bruce (through charities and so forth), he's going to unmask himself and put the lives of everyone he knows or works for him at stake, risk losing his company and get Fox and Alfred arrested, and risk getting arrested or killed himself? What would that achieve? Wasnt the point of TDK that he'd rather taint his name for Gotham's sake? Why would he take it all back and say "hey guys this is Bruce, sorry for the trolling"?

 

[jmc]

There are way too many complicated ideas going on here. Nolan knows Batman, he knows there is no full stop after the character, he wont kill him. At worst, he might retire Batman, but that still leaves the door open for the character to return. People need to stop over thinking things.

 

[Marx]

There are way too many complicated ideas going on here. Nolan knows Batman, he knows there is no full stop after the character, he wont kill him. At worst, he might retire Batman, but that still leaves the door open for the character to return. People need to stop over thinking things.

Exactly.

 

[Rodrigo90]

So instead of continuing to help people as Batman and Bruce (through charities and so forth), he's going to unmask himself and put the lives of everyone he knows or works for him at stake, risk losing his company and get Fox and Alfred arrested, and risk getting arrested or killed himself? What would that achieve? Wasnt the point of TDK that he'd rather taint his name for Gotham's sake? Why would he take it all back and say "hey guys this is Bruce, sorry for the trolling"?

Fair points,but I thought it out. Alfred and Fox already knew his plan,and were instructed to get rid of all evidence linking their involvement with Bruce. So it looks like he was acting alone. Selina continues on with the charity,but decides to leave the US. Bruce secretly departs to the Himalayas,to remain by himself. I wrote it in the end that Gotham no longer needs him and is far better of through his actions...for now.

 

[Artistsean]

There are way too many complicated ideas going on here. Nolan knows Batman, he knows there is no full stop after the character, he wont kill him. At worst, he might retire Batman, but that still leaves the door open for the character to return. People need to stop over thinking things.

Whats over thinking it?

 

[TheBatman072]

I honestly can't believe that some people here are liking the idea of Batman dying.


It's so ****ing stupid.

 

[Artistsean]

I cannot speak for anyone else, but here is why I am not apposed to the idea. The three movies are just Nolan's take on the character. This wouldn't be the END of the Batman character or the franchise, just how Nolan would see his movie Batman's story end. If this is Nolan's vision for the movie, it might turn out really good. Then after that Batman would get a new franchise of films. Even if Batman didn't die, I wouldn't want someone to take over after Nolan and continue the films in his style. I would hope to see a different take.
His sacragise at the end would be meaningful, so it wouldn't be like he died for no reason, It would be like [BLACKOUT]Bravehheart[/BLACKOUT].

So if Nolan's idea for how to end HIS story, his Batman, is to kill him off thats ok because we still have all the comics, the cartoon, and the next run of Batman films.
Plus it would be the first time that we would get to see a director take a character like Batman/Spider-Man/Superman and take him from his beginning to his end and clearly end the story there.

But I am not saying that I want him dead, I honestly think that the movie will end with Batman settled in as Batman forever. Showing he chose to be Batman in the beginning, he got to a dark place in the middle, and he came out stronger then ever in the end.
Plus we will probably see that Gotham is stronger because of him too.

but its also fun to let our imaginations run wild with ideas of how Nolan could end the whole story, since we aren't in charge of it and what we say wont come to pass. Its also exciting to think that he might do something with a superhero movie no one has done before and wrap it up like a series final.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I think it'd be cool if Ra's words about being a legend were played towards the end of the movie.

 

[raybia]

I honestly can't believe that some people here are liking the idea of Batman dying.


It's so ****ing stupid.

So much for the foreshadowing from BB in which Ra's tells Bruce that he could become a legend if he died after actually being Batman for less than 2 or 3 years.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I don't remember him saying anything about dieing.

 

[TheBatman072]

So much for the foreshadowing from BB in which Ra's tells Bruce that he could become a legend if he died after actually being Batman for less than 2 or 3 years.

Uh...what?