The Dark Knight Rises Why doesnt Nolan give more nods/easter eggs to the fans?

[GregComicFan]

Hi


SPOILERS FOR TDK....





After watching The Dark Knight four times (most recently in IMAX- sweet!), I started to think... "Nolan could be building a bigger world here IF he wanted to...". Now don't get me wrong, I think Nolan has done a superb job, but here are some examples:

-Why is Gordon's son the "focused child" in the movie? Why did Nolan give him a son? Why not make it Barbara Gordon... sure, she's only 12 years old, but it would be a great little nod to the fans who know in the comics she becomes Batgirl years and years later. Why didn't Nolan use the daughter? she was there (though her face was NEVER shown).... hmmmm....

So thinking about Batman 3.... even if Nolan does not want to do the "unrealistic" villains in Batman's rouge gallery, why not include their alter egos, if they fit well into the script?

If Batman has to visit a scientist for some research.... have him visit Victor Fries or Kurt Langstrum...

Do you think Nolan has done a good job including "nods" to the fans? Do you think he should do more in the sequels?

For example:

-We see Gordon's daughter's face and get a nod about her Heroic future.
-We see a billboard for "Flying Graysons" at Hailey's circus.
-We encounter the alter ego of unrealistic villains.... Victor Fries....etc.

 

[Matt.S99]

Mr Freeze can be made realistic, easily. If you want to see unrealistic villain's alter egos, id definetly want to see Dr. Kirk Langstrum worknig at Wayne Enterprises.

 

[jmc]

Seriously, what is it with fans and 'easter eggs'? Just enjoy the damn movie for what it is.

 

[Coleman Reese]

Leave that stuff to Marvel. DC deserves a better class of films and Nolan's giving it to them.

 

[raynorWilm]

Leave that stuff to Marvel. DC deserves a better class of films and Nolan's giving it to them.

I wholeheartedly concur..

 

[flickchick85]

I agree, lets leave that to Marvel.

The problem I'd foresee with Nolan including stuff like a flying Graysons sign or a "nod" to Batgirl's future is that then you tease the fans with what they won't be getting: He doesn't ever intend to use Robin or (apparently) Batgirl. You put that stuff in, and then the fans start to expect them. They'll say, "Robin WILL be in the next one! He foreshadowed it!" And then they'd be all disappointed when Robin didn't show up.

I mean, look at the reaction to Lucius's "cat" comment in TDK. It got several people (including myself) excited that it MIGHT be a nod to Catwoman, and raised our hopes that we might see her in #3. Now if we don't see her, I know I would be disappointed. I mean, I would be anyway, because she's #1 on my wishlist for the 3rd installment, but that little side comment just gave us hope, and if she doesn't show up, then it was false hope.

Which is why those little easter eggs would probably leave a bad taste in my mouth when all is said and done.

Marvel can do them because they've created their Marvel movie fantasy universe where they can (and actually plan to) deliver on the promise of all of those "nods."

This is Nolan's Batman universe; not his DC universe.

 

[The Senator]

I am usually too focused on the plot of a movie to look for silly little easter eggs, so I don't care one way or the other.

 

[Katsuro]

There was a catwoman nod in there, which was cool if you caught it. Fox's line about the suit protecting against cats.

But yeah, i'd like more nods, not necessarily to more Batman stuff, but things outside of Gotham. Even just a mention of Metropolis would be nice. Superman Returns did it for Gotham, least Nolan could do is nod back.

This is Nolan's Batman universe; not his DC universe.

Batman is inherantly part of the DC Universe. Any universe containing Batman in it should also have nearly everyone else. Obviously we dont need the entire Justice Leage showing up in the movie, but we should be able to believe that they exist somewhere.

 

[flickchick85]

Batman is inherantly part of the DC Universe. Any universe containing Batman in it should also have nearly everyone else. Obviously we dont need the entire Justice Leage showing up in the movie, but we should be able to believe that they exist somewhere.

I totally disagree there. I don't want to think Superman is in this universe, and I doubt Nolan does, either. Batman is part of the DC COMICS universe, but in this series of movies, he's clearly in a world all his own.

 

[hegele]

There is a simple answer. Distracrion.

Whats wrong with original characters?

 

[Melkay]

If he were to show Barbara Gordon's face, or someone as important as Victor Fries, he would be closing himself and other important doors of continuity for next films. Freeze musn't have a face if he wants to use him later... because then he would've to stick with that if he decided in the first time. And that is true respect and generosity for the future of the Batman mythos. Not even Burton had that kind of respect, killing villains and miscasting attorneys.

That's the kind of respect and understanding that wouldn't let Nolan use Renee Montoya as a dirty cop, so he uses another latina copa for the job, who can be corrupted, ulinke Montoya.

You should praise Nolan for that kind of clarity.

And people should sue Avi Arad for lacking that clarity.

 

[jmc]

I totally disagree there. I don't want to think Superman is in this universe, and I doubt Nolan does, either. Batman is part of the DC COMICS universe, but in this series of movies, he's clearly in a world all his own.

So true, this is not Nolan doing the entire DC universe, this is Nolan doing his own Batman universe, as far as Nolan is concerned, it's Batman and Batman alone. This is a thing some comic fans have trouble coming to grips with: comics, movies, two different mediums, what happens in one doesn't necessarily happen in the other.

 

[BurtonBegan]

Hi


SPOILERS FOR TDK....





After watching The Dark Knight four times (most recently in IMAX- sweet!), I started to think... "Nolan could be building a bigger world here IF he wanted to...". Now don't get me wrong, I think Nolan has done a superb job, but here are some examples:

-Why is Gordon's son the "focused child" in the movie? Why did Nolan give him a son? Why not make it Barbara Gordon... sure, she's only 12 years old, but it would be a great little nod to the fans who know in the comics she becomes Batgirl years and years later. Why didn't Nolan use the daughter? she was there (though her face was NEVER shown).... hmmmm....

So thinking about Batman 3.... even if Nolan does not want to do the "unrealistic" villains in Batman's rouge gallery, why not include their alter egos, if they fit well into the script?

If Batman has to visit a scientist for some research.... have him visit Victor Fries or Kurt Langstrum...

Do you think Nolan has done a good job including "nods" to the fans? Do you think he should do more in the sequels?

For example:

-We see Gordon's daughter's face and get a nod about her Heroic future.
-We see a billboard for "Flying Graysons" at Hailey's circus.
-We encounter the alter ego of unrealistic villains.... Victor Fries....etc.

I totally agree, I expected a few more in TDK as fantastic as it was.
There was Freeman's 'should do ok against cats' line but that was about it.

I fully expext the 3rd film to end with Bruce on his way to see the Flying Graysons though, I think it would've been too soon to plant the robin seed in TDK.

 

[shadowdog]

I'm glad they didn't put in a bunch of easter eggs just to make fans whisper "look, that's whoever, did you see that?" that's just a cheap gimmick that IMO would have lowered the films overall appeal. I was a pretty serious film, as serious as a film about a Batmna can be anyway.
And I like that they didn't show Barbara's face. We know she is one day destinied to be Batgirl, we might never see it, but by not showing her face as a little girl we aren't forced to have an image of who the Nolanverse Batgirl is going to be, which could screw up the continuity for future films.
And to have Victor Friese already cross paths with Batman/Bruce Wayne seems forced. Why would they necessarily have already met or come in contact in any way? The world's a big place, there are more than just a few familiar faces walking around, bumping into each other, waiting to eventually become supervillains.

 

[Firm18]

There is always who has to moan...

I've noticed a Easter Egg in TDK, when Batman says to Lucius:

"Will this protect me from the dogs?"

"Dogs? I think it will do just well with Cat's"

At least I think it's a refferance to Catwoman

 

[Two-Face]

I don't think it is reference to Catwoman.

 

[p4poetic]

^Me either. Fans make up/think of the strangest things of the most simple dialogue.

You're asking for too much, OP.

 

[ThePoisonPuppet]

There were tons of nods to the comics and easter eggs and they were all done tastefully. Its certainly not something that cheapens the movies either.

The viral campaign had numerous nods in the movie and the viral campaign itself (an extension of TDK) had tons of nods to other things in the DC universe.

Also in BB you had Zsasz in as an easter egg.

 

[[A]]

DC deserves a better class of films and Nolan's giving it to them.

Great use of a TDK quote.

 

[marukisu]

...

 

[Hamill-Joker]

^ Too similar to the last movie.

It is like "here is the scene where Gordon tells Batman who the next villain is"

 

[Anita18]

I thought the "You want to be able to turn your head" line was a good nod to the fans, or at least to the previous films.

 

[[A]]

I thought the "You want to be able to turn your head" line was a good nod to the fans, or at least to the previous films.

Of course. A nod to the history of (Batman) filmmaking!

 

[az824]

something so easy like chanching Gordon's boy to Barbara would be so easy it was kinda stupid (imho) not to do it. i agree he needs to put more easter eggs in there. they only help not hurt

 

[Cunning Stunts]

Easter Eggs and nods often make a movie too light or humorous. If you want to immerse your audience into the movie completely, much as TDK did, you have to subtract all the goofy additions like sticking Bob Kane in the man who figured out Batman's identity (which I think would be pretty funny... considering... well, you know- see my point?). Nolan was all business with this one, and he created a masterpiece.