The Issue with Christopher Nolan and the Rise of "Nolanism"

Many fans are contemplating why Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan won't return for more sequels, here is my answer.

Editorial Opinion
By vigilantes - Jul 26, 2013 03:07 PM EST
Filed Under: Batman

With all the buzz about Superman/Batman 2015, many fans if not everyone on this site is wondering, who is going to play Batman? There are probably a hundred other questions about this movie and the castint, but one question I've seen over and over is the question "are Nolan and Bale retunring?"


The official answers are that Nolan and Bale are done and aren't returning for this movie, but why? This film has the potential to be the next biggest event in CBM history. The world's two most famous superheros in one movie. I'm 100% that this movie will break the billion dollar mark in a matter of weeks because of its shear star power potential. My big question is why won't Nolan and Bale at least consider it?


A lot of you readers are probably saying, TDK trilogy is done and over, you can't continue that franchise. False. I've seen at least 20 different ways that Batman, Christian Bale, can return to Gotham and continue his legacy. All of them make sense and only the hardcore comic book readers will fight it, but the rest of the public will go along with it. This movie has so much potential that both Nolan and Bale can capitalize on that it doesn't make sense for them to downright decline it. From all the articles I've read, most of the world regards Christian Bale as the best Batman on screen ever, so why dissapoint fans? Why not become even more of an international celebrity in this movie? Nolanism, that's why.


A couple years ago, I was a die-hard Nolan fan and loved everything he did, but lately, my opinion on Christopher Nolan is changing. Part of my love for him was still a high from seeing the Dark Knight and knowing that a third was coming, but after TDKR, I saw the side of Nolan that wasn't fan favoring. Christopher Nolan is in this buisness primarily for himself. I know that sounds harsh, so think of it like this, Christopher Nolan cares more about what his interest toward new projects are than what his fans think. I think that is almost pretensious and downright cocky. At this point, I'm sure Nolan knows that there is a hardcore following for him that will see his next movies no matter what, but what I think Nolan is failing to realize is that he became very famous BECAUSE of Batman and he will lose a lot of following because his new movies aren't Batman or something JLA related. Inception did well because it was released during that franchise which sparked fan-interest, but if it was released outside of the franchise, I think it wouldn't have done as well. I think Christophe Nolan is predicting that Interstellar is going to do phenomenally well because, well, it's him. I think that Interstellar will do well, but not remarkably well as expected because his Dark Knight following is gone. I will still go see Interstellar, but not because it is a Christopher Nolan film. It sounds promising from different captions about the movie.


Back to my point, I think that the people out there who are begging Christopher Nolan to come back should rethink their choices. TDKR was kind of mess because Nolan obviously didn't care as much as before. He wanted to move on to another movie and ignored important details in the movie. To me, that shows that he really doesn't repect his fans to care about a film that is based on such a coveted chracter. I could tell that Nolan is focused on his own projects and really doesn't respect his fans. I would absolutely love it if Christopher Nolan returned to Superman/Batman 2015, but only if he wanted to. I think that he can do amazing work, but if he is forced to do something, like TDKR, it will be messy. I think people like Christopher Nolan should take a more active stance is understanding what the fans want and what they don't. I'm not saying that a film-maker should listen to fans blankly, but look at Hugh Jackman. He is going on 7 films as the same character. That is true passion. He does it because he knows the fans love it and he loves it. Sure, Jackman can move on to something else, but he knows that if he leaves the X-men, he might suffer a reputation hit because the cult of superhero movie viewers is growing to immense numbers, and they will most likely "boycott" his other projects. I use boycott lightly because what I mean is that the superhero movie fan-base is becoming such a large amount of viewers that they should be taken into consideration. So if Jackman moves onto some other franchise, god forbid some other superhero, he won't be accepted very easily.

Basically, what I'm trying to show is that people that adore Christopher Nolan and call him the "godfather of DC movies" should stop. Nolan did Batman to tell that story and renvision that character. I'm sure he expected a large fan base to come, but he was probably hit by surprise with the overwhelming numbers TDK reached. Nolan wants to work on his projects and isn't to particuraly interested in what his fans want. If you want a good superhero movie, get someone who wants to do it and do it well. For example, my mom will tell my sister 'do the dishes' and she will, but she will do them sloppily. She gets the job done, but its not really what my mom wanted. Then, if my mom just leaves the dishes to pile-up, my sister after a while will do them, and she'll do them well because she gets tired of the garbage piling up. So in this case, Nolan is my sister and he needs to want to do something otherwise, it won't be of good quality. I am just baffled still on why Nolan doesn't want to be a part of this movie in 2015. It will be a hit even if it sucks, so why make it suck? Why does Christopher Nolan have absolutely no interest whatsoever in it? WHY?





Now, the other part of this article is about Christian Bale and the others like him. The issue I have with Bale is his thinking towards Batman as well. Why on Earth doesn't Bale consider returning as Batman? What does he have coming up that is, well big like this? I appreciate that pretty much everyone in the Dark Knight trilogy, excluding Bale, has expressed some sort of interest in returning for a sequel. That is fan dedication along with character dedication. Anne Hathaway says she'll do a Catwoman movie in a heartbeat in Nolan asks her. I personally would love to see that and I'm sure a lot of the world would too, so why can't it be done? Partly because Nolan doesn't want to, but also because Anne Hathway has been sucked into Nolan's Army of Actors. Nolan frequently uses the same actors in his movies , like Christian Bale, Marion Cottilard, and Michael Caine, and he is training them to follow their passions, not fans. This is kind of angering. I feel like if you asked Bale during Batman Begins if he'd do a JLA film, he'd probably be where Henry Cavill is right now, eager, but not too set on it. But now, he is just against it. Basically, I think that Nolan's Army is becoming the actors in Hollywood who become engrossed in a part, and move on because its their own interest. Look at some of the dedicated actors out there like Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and Andrew Garfield as Spiderman. All three as didicated to their parts and continue to make movies not only because they have interest, but their fans love them. So, I think that Nolan and Bale should take this new movie with more of an open-mind because there is so much potential and the fans will gladly accept them in the movie if they would only get on board. I think that when you create a franchise as strong as TDK, there is some respect to the fans that should be made in some way or another.

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TheYoungMan
TheYoungMan - 7/26/2013, 3:58 PM
"I've seen at least 20 different ways that Batman, Christian Bale, can return to Gotham and continue his legacy."

All of which would be redundant and inconsistent with the trilogy. Nolan ended it and that's that. Why would he make an ending and then just undo it?
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 7/26/2013, 4:01 PM
Nolan is this generation's Richard Donner. Yea I [frick]ing said that.

Nolan changed the CBM genre like Donner.

Batman 89 & Spider-Man 02 were inspirations of Richard Donner's Superman 78.

The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class, and Man of Steel were inspirations of Batman Begins.

Batman Begins is this generations Superman 78 because like Superman 78, in the fact that it told Batman's origin like how Superman 78 told Superman's. If you notice Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, TASM, X-Men: First Class, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine all use flashbacks like how Nolan used them in Batman Begins.

If you don't think Nolan is this generation's Donner your an idiot.

Also fun fact, you know how Nolan went from doing Batman to producing Superman? Richard Donner went from doing Superman movies and now his production company is the company behind Fox's X-Men movies and him and his wife produce all the X-Men movies since the first.

Nolan & Donner are CBM pioneers.

Nuff said.
TheManFromMars
TheManFromMars - 7/26/2013, 4:02 PM
Nolan has no interest in it because he has no interest in it.

I know it's hard to understand why some people may have disdain for things that matter so much for us (I'm not being sarcastic), but the truth is: Chris Nolan doesn't care.

Not because of malice or cockiness or self-importance.

But it doesn't interest him. Period. That's it.
ruadh
ruadh - 7/26/2013, 4:03 PM
"Nolan & Donner are CBM pioneers."

Yet both directors' best films are not comic book movies at all.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 7/26/2013, 4:04 PM
rudah

I don't understand this? Donner's best is Superman.

Name me 2 other directors in the CBM genre who's films have been as big as an influence as Donner's or Nolan's?
TheYoungMan
TheYoungMan - 7/26/2013, 4:05 PM
If Nolan didn't care about TDKR, he wouldn't have made it his largest production ever. He would have just made it fast and easy. But instead, what we got is the best movie in the trilogy.
Transforminator
Transforminator - 7/26/2013, 4:06 PM
@TheYoungMan I was totally on your train of thought with that comment until the last sentence. Nah man, TDKR is not better than TDK. Nah.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 7/26/2013, 4:07 PM
I agree Dio.

Give me the [frick]ing Flash film and an Arkham style Batman.
TheYoungMan
TheYoungMan - 7/26/2013, 4:09 PM
@Transforminator What if I told you... it is?
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 7/26/2013, 4:11 PM
I can't stop [frick]ing laughing DudeGuyMan
jerryblake
jerryblake - 7/26/2013, 4:12 PM
"downright cocky" - to say that about Nolan is a little bit of exaggeration.

MOS was a good example that Nolan can take a back seat. It was almost all Snyder & Goyer movie.

The problem with Nolan are his last movies. Inception, TDKR - i've lost my interest what is he's gonna do next. Just like Insomnia those movies were medicore. Nothing exciting.
I got a feeling that Interstellar will go the same road.
Odin
Odin - 7/26/2013, 4:13 PM
All these articles make me feel same way about Nolan than Red feels about Luke Skywalker:
jerryblake
jerryblake - 7/26/2013, 4:13 PM
@Levi

Nolan didn't change CBM genre.
It was Singer with first X-Men.
staypuffed
staypuffed - 7/26/2013, 4:15 PM
I don't want either of them back. The Dark Knight Trilogy stands as three of my favourite all-time movies. They are incredible masterpieces (well, TDKR wasn't perfect, but hey!) and they changed the superhero genre.

But bringing Bale back, and getting Nolan to have more input, it would destroy everything about their Batman, their Gotham and their ending. TDKR wrapped up Bruce Wayne's story. In the Nolanverse, Batman will live on, but with a new Superman, get a new Batman. Younger. Fresher. Different. Not John Blake. You can't make a Batman/Superman movie with Bruce Wayne.

I can understand that people love Bale and want him back. But that would be an incredibly flawed plan. The Dark Knight Trilogy stands alone. Man of Steel is a new universe, an expanding universe. Maybe it's too soon, but having Bale as Bats would be the wrong choice.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 7/26/2013, 4:16 PM
jerryblake

I can post articles of directors and actors from all the films I posted saying they were influenced by Batman Begins.

Show me some movies Singer influenced?

Also you know who produced Singer's first X-Men?

Richard Donner.
shadow1460
shadow1460 - 7/26/2013, 4:16 PM
the reason the two universes cannot be combined is because the TDK universe is extremely realistic. tell me this can you reaaly imagine guys like clayface or manbat exist in nolans batman universe. you cant can theyre not realistc enough anf if they did exist they would be butchered down. can you imagine green lantern the film side by side with nolans batman no it cant. nolans batman and snyders superman movie might have the same tone but nolans batman is far more darker and realistis. if you combined them it would complete destroy the tone in the TDK and unbalance everything. and btw if you still think they can combine then tell me this where was superman in TDKR. if i remeber correctly the PRESIDENT announced to the WHOLE WORLD THAT GOTHAM WAS TAKEN OVER BY BANE. THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT. GO BACK AND WATCH IT. seriously its always the little things that people miss in movies. and dont say that MOS takes place after TDKR because snyder already said that superman is the first superhero in his universe.
blvdnoise
blvdnoise - 7/26/2013, 4:17 PM
I'm completely open to a new Batman, though I'd be just as (if not, more) pumped if Bales did in fact return to don his cape and cowl..
staypuffed
staypuffed - 7/26/2013, 4:18 PM
I meant without Bruce Wayne. It has to be Bruce.
TheManFromMars
TheManFromMars - 7/26/2013, 4:22 PM
I want to clarify myself.

I didn't mean to say that Nolan didn't have interest in Batman while doin the Dark Knight Trilogy.

I meant to say that he doesn't have interest in a comic book movie shared universe, or at least not enough interest to go along with the ride.
jerryblake
jerryblake - 7/26/2013, 4:29 PM
@Levi

"Show me some movies Singer influenced"

are you kidding me ?

First X-Men movie was first comic book movie that was grounded in reality, just like Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy.
By adding some real drama into his movie Singer managed to take simple cbm and turn it not only into something new but change the rules of the genre forever.

I've got a couple scenes for you :

- Eric as a child
- Rogue and her boyfriend
- Rogue and Logan - the car scene
- Wolverine meet Cyclops and Storm

Gunslinger
Gunslinger - 7/26/2013, 4:34 PM
The reason Nolan's Batman can't coexist with Man of Steel, is simply because Nolan created that Universe in a bubble. It's a very, very realistic approach - apart from the third instalment which is anything but realistic, but that's not the point here. Nolan's Batman, who isn't a detective or even a genius in his own right - unlike his comics counterpart - would stand no chance whatsoever against what is essentially a god.

Man of Steel despite all its numerous shortcomings, is a comic book movie. Nolan's Batman is based rather loosely on a comic book character. And this isn't trolling, it's simple fact, I enjoyed the first two movies, it's just not the Batman from the comics. It's a Batman who isn't the world's greatest detective nor an unrelenting justice entity.

I choose to see it as an Elseworlds story. Man of Steel on the other hand, even though the character development and essence wasn't well translated, had the look, feel and scope of a comic book movie.

So in this case, a Batman reboot is essential, we need a Batman that won't clash with the scope and feel (and fiction) that were present in Man of Steel.bale wasn't even that great as Batman, although his Bruce Wayne was flawless. Difficult to top that. But I think change is good.

And when you say Nolan did it for himself, you were spot on. He did. And there's nothing selfish about that. He didn't compromise his style which he had already established in his previous movies. You have to give props to the man for that. But as a fan of the character, I can't help but feel short changed in a way (and extremely pissed with TDKR which I view as utter garbage). So yes, no Nolan, no Bale. Reboot and undo the problems MoS had.

Then,wet will truly have world's finest.
TheManFromMars
TheManFromMars - 7/26/2013, 4:46 PM
@Dio & @cipher

Love you guys

platonically
TheYoungMan
TheYoungMan - 7/26/2013, 4:47 PM
@Gunslinger "It's a very, very realistic approach - apart from the third instalment which is anything but realistic"

Ya, I know that wasn't your point, but I gotta ask you. Why do you think the level of realism changed at all? Unless you totally believed in the blue flower fear gas, microwave emitter, League of Shadows, and the Joker and Two-Face and their actions in the first 2 movies as realistic?



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