Summary
DCactor Joseph Gordon-Levitt discussesThe Dark Knight Rises' ending, confirming whatChristopher Nolan’s plans for hisDark Knighttrilogylooked like from the beginning. Despite the Bat-Family’s absence in Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt played GCPD detective John Blake, who’s revealed to be called “Robin” and becomes Batman’s successor inThe Dark Knight Rises' ending. This last-minute surprise caused many fans to believe that theDark Knighttrilogy would continue with spin-offs or more sequels.
Speaking toInverse, Joseph Gordon-Levitt debunked the theory that Christopher Nolan had plans fora fourthDark Knightinstallmentor aRobinspinoff film. According to the actor, Nolan always intended to make a standalone, self-contained trilogy instead of an expansive cinematic universe. Read Gordon-Levitt’s comments below:
“Nolan was making a trilogy,” he says. “He never wanted to make any more movies. This was an ending to his trilogy. It’s funny, we look back on it now with the context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — everything is a sequel to a sequel to a sequel. But back in those olden days, doing a trilogy was a lot, and that was how it was thought of.”
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What Chris Nolan & Christian Bale Have Said About The Dark Knight 4
A New Dark Knight Movie Is Highly Unlikely, But Technically Possible
Speaking toScreen Rantin 2022,Christian Bale admitted that he would play Batman againin a newDark Knightsequel, but only if director Christopher Nolan asked him to wear the cowl again. Even then, Christian Bale has been certain of theDark Knightmovies' nature as a self-contained trilogy from the very beginning, as he was on the same page as the director about the purpose of each installment. Bale said,
I had a pact with Chris Nolan. We said, “Hey, look. Let’s make three films, if we’re lucky enough to get to do that. And then let’s walk away. Let’s not linger too long.” In my mind, it would be something if Chris Nolan ever said to himself, “You know what, I’ve got another story to tell.” And if he wished to tell that story with me, I’d be in.
Christopher Nolan has moved on from the superhero genre sinceThe Dark Knight Rises' release. Nolan’s career has only continued to grow with widely acclaimed films such asInterstellar,Dunkirk,Tenet, andOppenheimer. Nolan challenges himself technically and artistically with every movie he directs, and the results are evident with critics and the box office. Besides, Nolan has expressed his disagreements with the modern-day superhero movie genre, suggesting that he wouldn’t like his Batman films to follow the modern approach. Speaking toIndieWirein 2020, Nolan said,
“When we did ‘Batman Begins,’ we didn’t know we’d do one and it took three years to do it and then four years before the next one. We had the luxury of time. It didn’t feel like a machine, an engine of commerce for the studio. As the genre becomes so successful, those pressures become greater and greater. It was the right time.”
Meanwhile,Jonathan Nolan has shown interest in aDark Knightsequel. Jonathan Nolan is Christopher Nolan’s brother and co-writer ofThe Dark Knight. Speaking toScreen Rantin May 2024, Jonathan Nolan said,“Wouldn’t that be a dream… So, if I had the chance to go back and work on that again, absolutely.”Considering Christian Bale and Jonathan Nolan’s attitude to the idea of a follow-up toTheDark Knight Rises, then, it would be up to Christopher Nolan to decide whether to work again with Warner Bros. on a sequel.
