The Dark Knight Rises Should Bruce Wayne/Batman Die or Retire at the end?

[Herolee10]

One thing that I've noticed over recent months is that there have been a lot of debates in a lot of places discussing as to:

1. Whether we think Bruce/Batman will be "killed off" at the end of Nolan's franchise or retire even...

&

2. Whether/Why we think he should either be killed off or retire at the end of the franchise...

So I thought that it'd be a good idea to have one thread for this hot topic.

Personally, I'd prefer for Bruce to find some closure at the end of the franchise without having to die, but I've read a lot of good arguments as to why he should die.

Thoughts?

 

[Naked Shia]

Bruce should accept that he deserves to live a real life. He has to stop to hide behind Batman, and accept to be the true bruce wayne, and not the playboy act. He can't be Batman for all his life, and he doesn't have to die.

 

[Nevincer]

This thread has been made a million times. I still stand by that he should die... I don't think he should retire, because it's been considered too many times in the trilogy and we've had so much Batman going away and coming back in this franchise that it'd be a bit like the boy who cried wolf, wouldn't it? We're supposed to think he won't come back for a sequel after he's hung up the cowl for like the third time?

But eh... all signs are pointing to him actually retiring for good, so I suppose that's that. But I think a Batman that was so motivated that he died for his cause would be a bit more compelling, than one who gave up. As far as neither goes, Batman not dying or retiring at all, well I just don't see that as a realistic proposition.

All the teasing and stressing over this film capping the Nolanverse Batman completely and they'd give us an ending where he's still active... but ruling out any possible stories to show on film anyway. Sounds a bit cheap to me, honestly. But then again it would be the marketing for me to bark at were that the case, not Nolan or the film.

 

[AnneFan]

Batman hanging up the cowl doesn't count as giving up in my book. He would've retrained himself, vanquished Bane and his men and left Gotham in a state of equilibrium. Giving up would equal getting smashed by Bane and feeling sorry for himself, letting Bane rule the place for as long as he wants, with that doomsday device threat hanging over everybody's heads. I think that if Bruce is publicly outed as Batman, that goes a long way in giving his crusade finality.

 

[The Morningstar]

The ending should be ambiguous. After the final battle in the Batcave he sits down on the chair, badly injured.

 

[AnneFan]

This is the last we're going to see of Bale's Batman anyway, so I'm fine with him retiring, and becoming Gotham's hero with a face. Becoming his father in a sense.

Their murders shocked the wealthy and the powerful into action. The image that is Batman could have a similar effect if he's outed publicly.

 

[Nole]

I believe that Bruce Wayne will die just as Harvey Dent died in TDK. I believe Bruce will become Batman in every way possible just like the comics.

 

[The Joker]

Absolutely not.

Though I'd take him retiring over dying because at least if he retires there's the possibility he might have to come out of retirement again in the future. If he's dead, Batman is well and truly done.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

Preferably neither. However seeing as he has had a relatively full career as Batman (10 years) I'd kind of be okay with either option.

 

[Poeman]

I want to see Bruce Wayne on the beach of Mexico cleaning the grease of that motorboat and living a secret retired life as Red walks up to him and acknowledges that they made it out of pris--...I mean Gotham

 

[Green Ghoul]

Retire or something else. I'm not a big fan of trilogies that kill off the main protagonist. Yeah, it's great when death has a positive impact in fiction, but in regards to a main protagonist we've been following for 3 films, it always comes across (to me) as a waste of time. Bad stories aside, I think I would have had more repeat vieweings of Matrix 2 & 3 if they hadn't killed off both Neo and Trinity.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

In The Dark Knight Returns, Bruce Wayne is revealed to be Batman to the public and he fakes his death. Alfred has Wayne Manor destroyed and Wayne's fortune disappears. At the end, Bruce Wayne emerges underground and is pretty much exactly what Ducard/Ra's al Ghul is in Batman Begins--he creates his own army, his own "League of Shadows" as it was called in Batman Begins. This was followed-up in The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

If death is option "A," and retirement is option "B," this could be called option "C." It's outside the box of nearly everyone's thinking.

I don't have a personal preference so long as it serves the story. Kill him or don't kill him, it's supposed to be the last film in this continuity so this Christian Bale Batman is dead in the meta sense anyway. Option "C" has its own set of issues, but we'll see what they did.

 

[Pwz414]

Retire or something else. I'm not a big fan of trilogies that kill off the main protagonist. Yeah, it's great when death has a positive impact in fiction, but in regards to a main protagonist we've been following for 3 films, it always comes across (to me) as a waste of time. Bad stories aside, I think I would have had more repeat vieweings of Matrix 2 & 3 if they hadn't killed off both Neo and Trinity.

I never liked that Neo was killed off.

I think he’ll be exposed as Bruce Wayne. Either voluntarily or by a villain. I think exposure and age will be key motivations for retirement. I think he’ll defeat Bane handedly before doing so.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

He should become a grumpy old man with a cool dog bossing Leonardo Dicaprio around.

 

[Nevincer]

If he's dead, Batman is well and truly done.

Isn't that kind of the point of what is being marketed? Nolan's Batman being done, 'the legend ends'? It's not like anything that happens here will effect the comics or the next Batman franchise, and there won't be a third sequel anyway.

 

[MrWayne]

Im wondering if "The Legend Ends" is actually referring to Bane. Maybe in TDKR Bane is the Legend that will end... I dont think Batman is considered a legend in Gotham or in these movies. The defenition of "legend" fits more with Banes character than Batmans imo..

 

[Banes_Dealer]

That would be the S**T to see Nolan do what noone has done with a comic flick before... to have the hero lose at the end.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Im wondering if "The Legend Ends" is actually referring to Bane. Maybe in TDKR Bane is the Legend that will end... I dont think Batman is considered a legend in Gotham or in these movies. The defenition of "legend" fits more with Banes character than Batmans imo..

At the start of the Dark Knight the criminals discuss him like he is an urban legend.

 

[Art Damage]

All I know is it's going to be a huge punch in the gut if Bruce ends up dying at the end of this film. This has been my favorite movie franchise and for how much I think we all have invested in this Bruce Wayne it's going to be a tear-jerker moment for sure if he ends up having to give up his life to save Gotham.

Either way, July 20th..I cannot wait!

 

[TinkerTailor]

I know it's just a marketing campaign so to give it credence is probably overstating it's importance to the story anyway but 'The Legend Ends' then 'The Dark Knight Rises'... That just suggests to me that whatever happens to Bruce it'll still end in his victory.

 

[Banes_Dealer]

Yeah, the title implies to me personally that he will "rise" above the stigma of being blamed for Dent's death.

 

[BestGirl]

I know it's just a marketing campaign so to give it credence is probably overstating it's importance to the story anyway but 'The Legend Ends' then 'The Dark Knight Rises'... That just suggests to me that whatever happens to Bruce it'll still end in his victory.

Of course Bruce will ultimately win, even if he dies. I mean, the series can't end with Gotham in shambles with Bane presiding over it.

 

[TinkerTailor]

Yeah, the title implies to me personally that he will "rise" above the stigma of being blamed for Dent's death.

The Legend in that instance referring to the lie that Batman and Gordon put into play to cover up Dent's fall.

I think The Legend bit could refer to many different aspects of TDKR, from Bruce's initial defeat, the symbol of Batman as a whole, the notion of Dent as a white knight, the idea that Bane is untouchable... There's a lot of legends/symbols that are going to be torn down in this thing.

 

[Banes_Dealer]

Of course Bruce will ultimately win, even if he dies. I mean, the series can't end with Gotham in shambles with Bane presiding over it.

UGH, that would be AWESOME. I'd go see it 400 times in theaters if that were the case.

 

[TinkerTailor]

Of course Bruce will ultimately win, even if he dies. I mean, the series can't end with Gotham in shambles with Bane presiding over it.

Yeah I don't think that's up for discussion. I just think the whole legend ends thing is being overstated as a literal ending for Batman when it could mean a number of different things.