Where to go after The Dark Knight Rises?

Where to go after The Dark Knight Rises?

I know many people have had different opinions about where the Batman franchise should go after TDKR. I've brought up a few conclusions of which direction(s) the franchise should head.

Editorial Opinion
By PaulRom - Jan 17, 2011 01:01 PM EST
Filed Under: Batman

1. Just go ahead and do a Batman Beyond movie!

For those who don't know, a live action version of the Batman Beyond TV show was planned after the failure that was Batman & Robin (I honestly haven't seen B&R...neither do I plan on doing it), but was scrapped in favor of a Batman: Year One adaptation, which eventually became Batman Begins. So a sort of 'spiritual sequel' would be made by a Beyond trilogy (and, although I doubt this would happen, Chris Nolan would make excellent contributions, since the series itself is pretty gritty). It would be fitting to place it right after Nolan's trilogy.

2. Reboot the franchise again.

I know I'll be hated for saying this, but maybe (just maybe) another reboot will be one of the few ways to continue the Batman legacy. But don't make it anything like the Burton/Schumacher series. And since Batman 3 is supposed to be the end of the series for Nolan, I'd be interested in seeing certain villains who haven't been on film before (such as Killer Croc and Harley Quinn), as well as reinvent villains who weren't in Nolan's trilogy but were in the older movies (like The Riddler [and having him played by Johnny Depp would be amazing...more on that later], Mr. Freeze, and The Penguin). But if they try to redo The Joker (which is inevitable), then PLEASE pay homage to Heath Ledger's spin, instead of the Nicholson clown.

3. Continue without Nolan directing?

Yes, I know if by any chance Warner Bros. decide to continue Nolan's series without Nolan himself directing, that the sequels will not be the same as its predecessors. But Nolan never ruled out his leaving the Batman saga completely. Maybe he can stay on as a producer (like how Tim Burton did on Batman Forever). However, that will likely conclude Christian Bale's not reprising his role, and possibly some of the other key figures in the franchise (Alfred, Gordon, etc) will be played by other people. This is one of the things that sunk the original Batman series, and I'd much rather not see this happen to the already perfect trilogy under Nolan.

4. Justice League anyone?

It's my understanding that Nolan's Batman and Zack Synder's Superman will stay in separate universes, but that was addressed only to a Bale/whoever Synder picks live action Batman/Superman film. MAYBE Bale can be back in the costume for a live action Justice League movie (I can smell prep for such a movie now...Green Lantern next summer, a Superman reboot, and The Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman in development), which would be fantastic considering no one else played the role well enough as Bale did.

Well, those were the conclusions I've come to. If anyone has any other ideas of where the Bat-franchise should go, comment below!

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Suzanne
Suzanne - 1/17/2011, 2:37 PM
Actually it was a live action Batman Beyond movie not TV Show.

If they can get Christian Bale to stick with the project the best option would be number 3.

They could do the Justice League but they would have to have Smallville continue another season to introduce the new characters Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern because that is the only way to get the Justice League on the big screen.

PaulRom
PaulRom - 1/17/2011, 2:40 PM
@Suzanne Sorry, forgot to add it was to be a movie. :P
skykey
skykey - 1/17/2011, 3:33 PM
Bring back Michael Keaton and do a adaptation of the Dark Knight Returns. Keaton is still my favorite Batman with Bale running behind. Keaton is the right age for the story and he did make everyone believe he was Batman before and He could do it again...... or do a Batman Beyond movie.
GreenHalJordan
GreenHalJordan - 1/17/2011, 3:35 PM
If bale comes back, number 3 and 4. but if not, it would make sense to leave it stand as a trilogy and then move on to batman beyond, this would take a whole new set of villains and timeline and could therefor work with a new director if nolan doesnt do anymore.
recudes
recudes - 1/17/2011, 4:21 PM
I know that some people are going to strongly disagree with me but I really think they should leave it alone after 'rises'. It's unlikely that Chris Nolan is going to do anymore and anything another director brings out is probably not going to be a patch on Nolan's work. Batman Begins has already started a proliferation of comic book movies (in 3D of course!) and a lot of them in my view are poor films that just don't have anywhere near the artistic quality of the last two Batman movies. Less is always more.
Twenty23Three
Twenty23Three - 1/17/2011, 5:05 PM
really? it would be unfair to you because you don't read the actual comics? If you don't read the comics you surely don't even know all of the villains that well if at all so it will not make a difference. Personally I say try and get Nolan producing and use it (and also a huge big pay check) to keep the same cast. Bale has said if Nolan stays he might. Otherwise leave it alone for 5/6 years, reboots are happening to much right now, focus on other DC characters.
BIGBMH
BIGBMH - 1/17/2011, 9:30 PM
Thanks brazilianbatman! The reason I don't want to see it continued is because it's going to be a different creative team, so I feel like it won't work well trying to connect it to the Nolan movies. We don't know how this series is going to end, but I'm pretty sure from comments that have been made by Nolan and others that this is going to feel like a stopping point.
jcannate
jcannate - 1/18/2011, 10:10 AM
I definatley think they should make Frank Millars Dark Knight Returns with Keaton as Batman. I would personally like to see crispin glover as joker and guy pearce as riddler.
recudes
recudes - 1/18/2011, 1:43 PM
Everyone's entitled to their opinion of what should come next but I can't help but feel that some of the people who post here just want Batman and Robin all over again. The reason the last few movies worked was because of they're down-to-earth realism. Some of you want Batman fighting the Incredible Hulk. Sure, have John Cena as Batman / Bruce Wayne and the great Edward Norton as The Riddler but I think the end result will just be sub-standard compared with Nolan's creation. Just read the comics and don't ruin the legacy of Nolan's work for those of us who are happy with what we've been given.
x2SMONEY
x2SMONEY - 1/18/2011, 1:50 PM
If they decide to do a fourth movie, and that is IF,(That's because I dont want this series to plummet)either chris nolan should return (So the sequel would be in a few years with chris) or it should be directed by Jonah Nolan and David S Goyer
BTW Im with you 100 percent recudes
Bud
Bud - 1/19/2011, 8:23 AM
I wish Nolan would agree to a fourth movie so that it could be based on the "Hush" graphic novels...

Hush and the Riddler could both be villains since they are crucial to the storyline. Maybe one other cameo villain, not the entire bunch that were in the original story. And the Riddler's charecter could be somewhat like the Zodiac killer, contacting police and bragging throughout the movie, but in the form of riddles. He should never be visually seen in the movie until the end when he is apprehended.
KILLADELFIA
KILLADELFIA - 1/21/2011, 11:50 AM
If Nolan leaves, then whoever wants to make another film needs to completely detatch themselves from Nolan's trilogy. Nothing will be worse than a filmmaker trying to put his/her touch on something that was perfect and the best of its kind already. I'd be fine with another filmmaker wanting to do their own version of Batman on the big screen, with their own characters, cast, sets, story, etc, but at least wait a few years. And supposedly there's going to be a live action TV series after the DKR, so..... that could appease the people who DON'T read Batman for a little bit.

And Brazilianbatman, you should probably read the comics if you want to be considered a real Batman fan.

Oh and, I wouldn't be completely surprised, and part of this is wishful thinking, that maybe 10 years or so from now, maybe a bit less, Nolan, Bale come back for a Dark Knight Returns type of movie. I would die from joy if that were to happen.
KILLADELFIA
KILLADELFIA - 1/21/2011, 11:55 AM
And for all the people saying Keaton is the best Batman. Ha. I love Keaton's Batman, but everything, including Christian Bale, (who was probably overshadowed in BB because of the excitement of a new Batman movie, and inevitably by Heath in the DK) about the Nolan movies is the best of anything Batman has ever offered to the big screen.
schultzy949
schultzy949 - 1/24/2011, 5:11 AM
I don't know why it's so important to make another Batman film so soon after the release of TDKR. What Nolan has done in his Batman saga has been incredible and I'm sure TDKR will be no exception. I say it's now time for Warner Bros to put Batman on hold (at least for the for-foreseeable future) and focus on getting some of their other heroes (The Flash, Wonder Women, etc.) on the big screen.
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