Bare with me..a long post that may grasp at straws
Some of these posts from the last couple of days, and that Forbes article/blog..have me completely leaning towards Blake not becoming Batman but using him as inspiration to create his own identity. But with the bat signal and that theme carrying on.
Via graphic novel i would continue this story with the Jokers return (with Harley Quinn by his side). On film the only way to do it would be in about 10 years when the reboot is complete. The Nolan brothers , or just Jonah, have recharged their batteries, but who is the villain if you can't recast Heath or mess with villains that the reboot will use? The limitations wouldn't even be worth it to continue on film.
If he becomes Batman it immediately goes into a Beyond type story and the rogues that could be used would be unlimited. But an identity like Nightwing or Robin? Who would fit with a character like that? I can't really see the appeal of Black Mask/Hush being involved in a story that has nothing to do with Bruce Wayne, his business or his backstory. Riddler/Strange/Croc/Freeze and a returning Joker are the only ones that cross my mind. And we all know Riddler will be used next. The whole mob boss thing would be a repeat of what Gotham & Bruce went through when he was a crime-fighter so i can't see Penguin vs Nightwing working so well.
I prefer Nightwing over a new Batman but what kind of stories can you come up with?
Now for a different topic..Has anybody ever thought about this?
The Batman reboot that will launch in a few years will be in a seperate universe/continuity and will mesh with the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern. But if the rumors are true that the first film may have the Riddler and be about Bruce working as Batman in his second year as a hero (skipping the origin). Couldn't these upcoming movies exist in Nolans universe too?? I mean..if you chose to imagine it that way, would it still work out?
The Dark Knight Manual reveals that Bruce was Batman for FIVE years before TDK came around. "5 years with my old suit before i updated it" is the close-enough quote from the book. With some dates given, some posters have figured that it was around 2003 when he debuted as Batman. With his 30th Birthday having been celebrated in 2005. So there's a gap between his Falcone catch and the death of Ra's as well as 3 whole years between that and the summer of 2008 where the Joker/Two-Face incidents occurred.
The point is...if they mostly stay away from Nolans villains and they tackle Riddler, Penguin and a few other supporting villains, can you treat those stories as adventures Batman went through in these gaps of time? (In the prime of his career?)
You can probably look at the first story with Riddler like it could have went down during the events of Begins. It would be before Ducard comes to Gotham to reveal he is Ras Al Ghul but during Bruces second year. A short stint where Edward Nygma (an obsessive journalist/private investigator who) gets Bruces attention while Batsy creeps in the shadows to take down the odd goon will probably be the premise for the reboots #1 film & it works nicely.
After the Riddler, Bruce deals with Scarecrow and eventually Ras dies in the train sequence. Like others have said Joker builds his reputation by committing small crimes in the 3 yrs leading into TDK, as Batman brings down the mob and keeps putting off the Joker until a major bank heist happens. Now during these 3 years there's room for a couple of JLA movies where Batman is now on everyones radar. He only ever leaves Gotham for a couple of months at a time before returning to continue his crusade on the mob/crime.
Nolans Gotham is realistic but if it can exist in the U.S so can Metropolis. I would make it seem that batmans enemies in Gotham are based in reality like the real world and he's the only masked hero that exists who is just a man. Superman & the others do exist on earth by this time and they have "powers" but they are intrigued with Batman because he is just as extroardinary but he's only human. So that's their reason for seeking him out. Batman can fight whatever alien that threatens JLA because they're a foe to say..Superman, like Darkseid. And don't come from this world.
Squeeze in a pair of flicks (reboot sequels) where Batman fends off Penguin/Black Mask as they move to the top of the food chain as crimelords...Post-Carmine Falcone - Pre-Salvatore Maroni...and you have yourself an even more extensive and complete career for Bruce's Batman.
99 % of people will look at the reboot as it's marketed, which is the reboot that has nothing to do with Nolan/Bale. But if it's done the way i think it's going to be done then i will be that stupid 1 % who imagines that the reboot is possibly filling in the gaps, for stories Nolan didn't feel like telling.
Now if a teenage Dick Grayson gets taken in by Bruce or Catwoman appears in this next trilogy, i will GLADLY agree with the rest of the world and say "Yup, it's a reboot that isn't connected at all." But if they make a point to not screw with Nolans villains, ill be sticking with my crazy theory.
More likely though, he'll redesign Wayne Manor, now the new boy's home, into the shape of a tangerine. 
