The Dark Knight Rises Should the Nolanverse Continue After Batman III?

[jmc]

Thing is, someone as good as Fincher is still going to produce a totally different Batman film to that of Nolan's series, so if we're gonna get a different film regardless, why force him to stick to an established continuity and deny him the opportunity to revisit themes and characters in his own way?

 

[IBRAH08]

NOlan's been great, but why keep doing the same thing to death? sure it "works" but it will soon run out of steam. With a character like Batman (who has so many sides) let someone else take a stab at something new

 

[IBRAH08]

HELL NO

Just let Nolan's vision end with nolan's directing, then in 5-10 years reboot batman with Zack Snyder and Frank Miller doing THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Its honestly that simple Hollywood!

The Dark Knight Returns would be difficult because general audiences would be confused by the timeline, and would actually require a reboot afterwards.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Nolan's recent interview indicated that he plans to end his story with Batman III; likely meaning he won't be directing any Batman films after that.


Should the Nolanverse continue into the Batman films following Batman III?

Personally I feel it should. The Batman interpretation that Nolan crafted has been the most successful take on the character to date and is incredibly true to the source material. It definitely seems to resonate with general audiences and fanboys.

Even though it's possible we could lose Christian Bale after Batman III, another actor should step into the shoes of the Bruce Wayne from the first 3 films and the story should continue into Batman 4. Maybe Michael Caine could remain as Alfred (like Q in the Bond films).

Rebooting Batman again and starting over would just be a waste, especially with so much done right in this interpretation.

Hopefully they can keep most of Nolan's people (Goyer and the rest) on the franchaise after Nolan leaves to maintain the awesomeness of what he's done.

When BB came, it was the perfect batman film for me. It was a bit more realistic than comics batman but it hadnt strayed too far. Then TDK came and it dashed all my hopes that we would ever see any over the top or unrealistic villains and stories.

Nolan's Batman has been great but since his vision is so constrictive, i dont think they can keep it going for much longer without getting stale. It needs a breath of fresh air and that is unrealistic and colourful villains and stories and those dont fit in this franchise.

So leave a few years to pass and do a combination of continuing and rebooting. In other words, pick up the story a year after B3 (movie time) but open up the realism, change the batsuit, "goth up" Gotham, and refine a few other things. But take Nolan's story for granted the way other comic books take Year One for granted. Nolan did a great job with Batman's first years (Rachel, doubts, trying to kill Joe Chill, etc were all good additions to an otherwise very straightforward origin) and it would be a pity if they let it go to waste.

Writers, artists and visions change all the time in comics but the story goes on. Just as long as they dont **** it up real bad or kill an important villain (like...hm... TWOFACE), then they could keep it going like the comics do.
Something similar to the transition from Burton to Schumacher, only better.

Well...theoretically...if Nolan didn't want to continue, WB..in owning the franchise...could just hire others to continue the continuity...even if it meant different actors as well. So I guess the real question is...should that opportunity arise, should they? If Batman 3 ends up being a smash success like TDK...it'd be hard not to be tempted to, despite a new head creative team.

Creatively, I'd still say no for the sake of the films maintaining their own unique 'stamp', if you will. But from a business standpoint, I'd be hard-pressed to disagree with the incentive to stretch it out....even if I don't like the idea from a creative standpoint.

Good post.

Synder is awful and Watchmen was an epic fail.


That would be horrible.

Not to mention TDKR would be the end of a franchaise, not a good beginning or continuation of one.

Watchmen was great imho, but i wouldnt want Snyder anywhere near Batman unless they do a direct adaptation of some comic book. And even then... meh...

I'd like someone with Abraams' abilities (not Abraams necessarily) in action, fights and visuals (Nolan has disappointed me with TDK in that area). With Jonah and Goyer writing his scripts, i think he could do it.

 

[J.Howlett]

Nolan's universe should continue after Batman 3. It's an excuse to continue with Batman, while changing Batman.

The perfect scenario is to do an adaptation of the Dark Knight Returns in about 5 to 7 years that's a continuation of the world Nolan created.

We don't need a reboot and we don't need to go back to see the villians that Nolan missed in his trilogy. A Dark Knight Returns adaptation could sum up, in the opening credits, the exploits of Batman after Batman 3.

What doing an adaptation of the Dark Knight Returns in Nolan's universe also gives is a way to go pass that and go directly into Batman Beyond with Bruce playing the Alfred role, etc...

Now, if by some miracle Nolan changes his mind and adds Dick Grayson to Batman 3, you could still do a Dark Knight Returns adaptation, but you could also have a Robin/Nightwing spin-off, then do Batman Beyond afterwards.

Batman Begins-The Dark Knight-Batman 3-The Dark Knight Returns-Batman Beyond 1-Batman Beyond 2-Batman Beyond 3...possible Robin/Nightwing spin-off.

A possibility of eight films at minimum, without ever having to reboot.

 

[ImWithTeamConan]

I think subsequent Batman movies after this film should follow the Incredible Hulk sort of "reboot": don't redo an origin, assume that everybody already knows the story and hit the ground running.

 

[J.Howlett]

Well, the origin is the Nolan Trilogy. Just use that and continue forward. All you have to do (despite the fact that more than likely, it'll be an all new cast and crew) is to remind the audience in the opening credits of what happened in the Trilogy. That's it.

After that section, just continue on with other villians to see where it leads. But, even with that, it has to have an end point.

WB is going to want to do another Batman trilogy. No question.

 

[J.Howlett]

In order to differentiate from Nolan's stories, you add, piece by piece, fantastical elements that have a plausibility to them. This has always been the key to Nolan's approach to Batman. PLAUSIBILITY.

Nolan has done as much in his two Batman films(Two-Face's look, the fear toxin, the microwave emitter). There's no reason not to continue with that way of thinking.

 

[Mr. Earle]

I dont get why people want to jump to TDKR.

1) It hasnt aged all that well.
2) ******ed mutants for villains. Really?
3) GRIMDARK, GRIMDARK, GRIMDARK, GRIMDARK times 1000.
4) There is so much magic to be found in Batman's later adventures, why do we have to jump from his first adventures to his last?

 

[BatmanGoesToRio]

Of course a new director should be able to achieve his own visions. But I'd like the following movies to stay in the Nolanverse continuity.
That would be like in the comics: Different writers, different drawers, same canon.

 

[J.Howlett]

Earle,

Adapt the Dark Knight Returns to fit the Nolan universe. No one is saying to do the graphic novel exactly. Adapt it to fit the continuity and mold it. Use it as a bridge story....

 

[Mr. Earle]

Earle,

Adapt the Dark Knight Returns to fit the Nolan universe. No one is saying to do the graphic novel exactly. Adapt it to fit the continuity and mold it. Use it as a bridge story....

Ah, my bad. Still:

4) There is so much magic to be found in Batman's later adventures, why do we have to jump from his first adventures to his last?

 

[jmc]

I really dont get the obsession with adapting The Dark Knight Returns into a film.

 

[J.Howlett]

For people who want to see more fantastical elements in the Batman films but treated with respect that those elements weren't given in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, you need to change Batman settings.

To do that, you use The Dark Knight Returns as a bridge film, since it is set in the future, that goes to Batman Beyond.

I don't know the fanbase feelings on Batman Beyond but personally, I liked the idea more than the execution. But, it can be reshaped into a sci-fi/tech noir, ala Blade Runner or Dark City. By doing that, you get the realism of a future/torn down Gotham with the fantastical elements than can have merit and plausibility because of the future setting.

You can do all of this in Nolan's continuity without a reboot. It would be a reboot for a new generation that's not technically a reboot in the story sense.

 

[Drz]

James Bond treatment would work best for Batman. Never a direct sequel to each other.

 

[J.Howlett]

jmc,

My interest in the story has nothing to do with the story. It has to do with the fact that WB has a perfect opportunity with that particular story to not reboot Batman, but go forward with it.

WB is going to want further Batman adventures. No doubt about it. But, to avoid what Sony and Fox are doing with Fantastic Four, Daredevil, probably X-Men and Spider-Man, they have a graphic novel that can adapt to something that can give them more Batman adventures without having to retelling the origin.

The Nolan Trilogy, when done, will be seen like Superman The Movie. There will never be a need to tell the origin of Batman in cinema again. It's done. But Batman is lucrative. How do we continue to make money by telling further Batman stories for new generations without starting over?

The Dark Knight Returns really gives them that.

 

[J.Howlett]

You could go the Bond route. Basically, each Batman film would be seen as an intact graphic novel.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Interesting question.

But I would have to say,no.

I would like Nolan to end his story,but leave open the possibility that another story for another team can happen.

 

[Mr. Earle]

For people who want to see more fantastical elements in the Batman films but treated with respect that those elements weren't given in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, you need to change Batman settings.

To do that, you use The Dark Knight Returns as a bridge film, since it is set in the future, that goes to Batman Beyond.

I don't know the fanbase feelings on Batman Beyond but personally, I liked the idea more than the execution. But, it can be reshaped into a sci-fi/tech noir, ala Blade Runner or Dark City. By doing that, you get the realism of a future/torn down Gotham with the fantastical elements than can have merit and plausibility because of the future setting.

You can do all of this in Nolan's continuity without a reboot. It would be a reboot for a new generation that's not technically a reboot in the story sense.

So in order to get Manbat, Clayface, etc on film we have to have a TDKR film first? I dont follow.

 

[J.Howlett]

If you adapt The Dark Knight Returns into Nolan's continuity, the film's story would take place in the year 2022 at the earliest. That's the future. By doing that, it gives more plausibility to the fantastical elements in the Batman mythos.

Science and technology are ever changing. If you set Batman in a future Gotham, it opens even more doors than what Nolan has done.

But, I just don't see how it works if you go from what we'll get in Batman 3 to all of a sudden, fantastical elements show up more often in the very next film.

Change his settings and you get away with more. And you do this by not starting over from a character and story perspective.

That's what I'm getting at in my personal idea of what The Dark Knight Returns could do for WB and the franchise.

 

[J.Howlett]

WB should do whatever they must to avoid a situation from the past; going from Batman Returns to Batman Forever.

Everything felt disconnected when the switch was made.

You can't do that again.

 

[J.Howlett]

Earle,

Do you think Man Bat or Clayface would be better suited in a world Nolan has established now or in a Batman Beyond setting....?

 

[Mr. Earle]

Earle,

Do you think Man Bat or Clayface would be better suited in a world Nolan has established now or in a Batman Beyond setting....?

I want Batman's villains in the Batman films. Not in Batman Beyond, nor in some other sequel set in the future.

Its comics. Superman can fly, shoot lasers and freeze things with his breath. Batman is a normal man who fights clowns, freaks, monsters and alien gods. Throw realism and rationalisations out of the window and enjoy the ride.

 

[Cypher00]

No, I don't think it should continue after Batman III if Nolan decides it will be his final film. I also don't think a reboot is needed-at least not a reboot that requires another origin story. All they really need to do is have the next movie take place at a time when the new Batman universe vision of the new director is already fully established.

If Nolan is gone, I honestly can't see any of the cast having any desire to return (Caine included). They all seem to be fiercely loyal to Nolan and his crew.

 

[cupcake_jimmies]

I think three seems to be the magic number. I love the films, but I don't want them to just continue on and on, they would likely diminish in quality. I'd also like too see different Batman films though...ones that, as Earle said, sidestep realism to a certain degree. Nolanverse is great but I would hate for him to be the end all be all as far as Batman films go...