Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy reaches a major milestone in 2025 with Batman beginsand it finally feels like a good time for DC to step out of its massive shadow. Nolan Dark Knight trilogy started with Batman begins in 2005, reviving the character's legacy and forever altering the course of Batman's cinematic future. It was a modest box office success, but the goodwill the film garnered helped boost The Dark Knight to become the first superhero film to gross $1 billion.
Fast forward to the mid-2020s, and The Dark Knight the trilogy is widely considered one of the best superhero trilogies of all time. While the success of the franchise has been something special over the years, the legacy it left behind still influences the way Batman has been portrayed on film ever since, for better and for worse. With James Gunn's DCU ready to begin, it finally feels like the right time to go in a new direction with the Caped Crusader.
Nolan's Batman trilogy began 20 years ago, in 2025
2025 will officially mark the 20th anniversary of Batman begins releasing in theaters. It seems like a long time ago, but just 8 years before the start of Christopher Nolan's trilogy, Batman and Robin was released, destroying the character's reputation in the film for nearly a decade before Batman begins revived it. Christian Bale was cast as Batman and, two decades later, is still considered one of the best live-action actors to play the character.
It worked very well, earning critical acclaim and laying the groundwork for what The Dark Knight the trilogy would actually become.
Batman begins It was a drastic change from Batman and Robinfirmly grounding the character in a realistic world and focusing on grand, interpersonal storytelling to make the film really work. It worked very well, earning critical acclaim and laying the groundwork for what The Dark Knight the trilogy would actually become. Apparently, it was a miracle born from a great vision of a then promising filmmaker.
Nolan's Perfect Batman Vision Made the Dark Knight Dark Again
The Dark Knight The trilogy is a comic book franchise at its peak, delivering incredible performances in all three films and adopting an atmosphere that works well for what Christopher Nolan was going for. Nolan wanted to take the Batman character and essentially place him in the “real” world.. It looked something like a Frank Miller Batman comic book series, rather than the neon-soaked live-action cartoon that the late '90s Batman movies have become.
At the time, it was the right move for the character. It was more realistic than ever, and Nolan was able to translate some of Batman's most iconic villains into that world very well. It was successful on all fronts, leading to its staying power over the years since the three films were released. Still, it's fun to look ahead and see what could happen next for the Caped Crusader.
It's time for a fun Batman movie again
A gritty, dark, and grounded Batman is incredibly compelling on screen, but he doesn't have to be just that for the rest of his cinematic life. There have been so many different interpretations of the character over the nearly nine decades he's been around. Looks like reception for both Batman Forever and Batman and Robin also left DC wary of taking Batman in a similar direction, but that shouldn't stop them from trying something new.
Matt Reeve's Batman universe is actually leaning heavily into another grounded take on the character, with surprising results, but the The DCU's version of Batman really has a chance to get fantastic with the character again, and maybe a little crazy too. Not only would it be a breath of fresh air, but it would also allow the DCU version to stand out from what Reeves and Pattinson are doing in their own universe.
Batman has consistently been DC's biggest draw, both in comics and other forms of media, and will likely continue to be as long as DC still exists. Batman begins and Christopher Nolan Black KnightThe trilogy as a whole has caused general audiences to only view Batman as a dark and relatively grounded character. While these interpretations of Batman are great, it seems like a good time to bring out a slightly more light-hearted and fantastical version of the character, especially as the DCU blossoms.
Upcoming DC film releases