More than a decade later The Dark Knight trilogy's conclusion, Christopher Nolan is still right about the two things Batman absolutely needs to work on-screen as a character. The Dark Knight trilogy has quickly established itself as one of the best superhero film series of all time since its earliest days, with director Christopher Nolan's vision of the Caped Crusader and his world being a breath of fresh air for those who have felt the absence of live-action Batman films since Batman and Robin. That said, the series wasn't a success just because of the desire for more films starring the DC hero.
The careful ways in which The Dark Knight trilogy adapted Batman lore – tweaking some core elements and completely getting rid of others – played arguably the most crucial role in the series' popularity. The delicate handling of parts of the Batman universe that could have sabotaged the films ensured that the story and world rested on a foundation of well-thought-out ideas, permanently changing the perception of what a superhero film could be. That being said, there were some things that Nolan and the creatives who worked on the trilogy knew not to mess with when it came to Batman.
Christopher Nolan revealed the two things Batman needs in the Dark Knight trilogy documentary
Batman's design needs two main elements to work
In The Fire Rises: The Making and Impact of the Dark Knight Trilogy documentary, Christopher Nolan discusses the process of defining and refining his version of Batman. While much of this focuses on ensuring that the hero and his universe work together, Nolan also mentions key details that he felt were absolutely necessary to Batman, stating: “seems obvious in retrospect, but What you learn very quickly is that without that cape he's not Batman. He's… some kind of futuristic SWAT guy. Without the ears and the cape, no matter how much you hold back, it's not Batman without those elements.“
This is an especially notable statement since The Dark Knight trilogy is arguably the most gritty and grounded live-action Batman film ever, meaning there was more focus on stripping out or tweaking the more fantastical elements. from Batman lore in order to make him a hero who could seem realistic despite his story being naturally grandiose in many ways. Since the focus on keeping the world grounded was so focal that there were conversations about whether the Batmobile itself would actually appear, Nolan's comments have even more weight behind them.
Why Christopher Nolan is Right About the Two Things Batman Absolutely Must Have
Batman isn't Batman without the cape and ears
There are many different ways that Batman has been redesigned and redesigned since his comic book debut in 1939, and – just like every other comic book hero since the beginning of time – this has naturally involved changes to his costume as well. That said, it's relatively clear that removing Batman's ears and cape would take him from Batman to a man who actually bears no resemblance to a bat, as The pointy ears and “wings” are the main ways in which the hero's design draws parallels to the animal from which he is named.
On a similar level, a big factor of intrigue with Batman is the fact that he chooses to don a costume that actively looks like a bat to fight crime. There are many heroes who wear similar masks and costumes without these details, and so removing these key defining elements undermines not only the level of visual interest of their look but also their story, making it comparatively less interesting than its original counterpart. more. Fantastic-looking but undeniably captivating traditional attire.
With 85 years of history to cement the distinctive look of the cape and cowl as an inalienable part of Batman's costume, it's harder than ever to imagine the vigilante without these elements, and the concept will likely only become more unimaginable as time goes on. time. to pass. This is especially true considering that the comic book source material and other shows and films have helpfully reinforced the idea that Batman needs ears and a cape in their own way over the years.
Batman's on-screen origin stories prove he needs the cape and ears to truly be Batman
Batman's story reinforced Nolan's statement
The story has consistently proven that Christopher Nolan was right about the two features Batman needs to have in multiple ways throughout the DC hero's history, both in other on-screen releases and in the comics. While Batman's costume has gone through many, many reimaginings over the years, the Caped Crusader has rarely been seen without ears on his helmet. – even when classic comics took less conventional approaches, like putting on the zebra-print costume or dressing Batman like a mummy. Even Batman Beyond's Batsuit features a revealable cape, as it's essential for certain scenes and dramatic sliding moments.
On screen, Batman never truly feels like the hero until viewers get that photo of him in his full costume. Gotham saw Bruce Wayne don a sort of proto-Batsuit at the very end of the show, which stood out for having a great resemblance to the costume, only without ears or cape – something that was quickly remedied in the last film in the series chapters, and with reason, since Bruce looks like “some kind of futuristic SWAT guy“more than his superhero self in this sequel.
Even The Dark Knight trilogy temporarily showed this idea, as the black armor that Bruce Wayne wears when he trains with Ra's Al Ghul is Batman-style, although without a mask. Despite this closeness to Batman's traditional look, it still seems worlds away from the finale, with the hero only truly assuming his vigilante form with the costume itself. As such, the scope and scale of Batman's story really serves to reinforce how right Nolan was about the two things Batman needs to work on, further highlighting why The Dark Knight the trilogy has one of the most effective versions of Batman to date.
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