Christopher Nolan looks at Batman 3 one way: the end of the line.
Talking to the LA Times from his Inception editing bay, Nolan says “Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story… And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story.”
That’s obviously the correct way to approach any film series – close it off. A story without an ending isn’t a story, it’s one long tangent, and I’ve long said that the problem with modern superhero comics is that they’re the endless adventures of these characters. No endings means no arcs, which means you never feel a sense of completion.
“I’m very excited about the end of the film, the conclusion, and what we’ve done with the characters,” Nolan said.“My brother has come up with some pretty exciting stuff. Unlike the comics, these things don’t go on forever in film and viewing it as a story with an end is useful. Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion and the essence of what tale we’re telling. And it harkens back to that priority of trying to find the reality in these fantastic stories. That’s what we do.”
But what does an ending for the Batman franchise mean? Does it mean killing Batman? Ending his career in some definitive way? Or just wrapping up the thematic threads and leaving the ending open to more sequels, with Batman perched atop some Gotham landmark?
What’s funny is that the first option – killing Batman – seemed far-fetched to me until… well, until the last year or so. Hollywood’s obsession with reboots and remakes means that a totally restarted Batman 4 doesn’t seem so unlikely. And if you’re going to just hand the franchise off to the next guy to begin again, why not get really conclusive with this one?
Of course I still doubt that Batman will bite it at the end of Batman 3 – I’m assuming the finality that Nolan is talking about will be thematic – but this does open some intriguing avenues of thought about what could be happening in this film, which is being written by Jonathan Nolan right now, and which is being called by the assumed director (Christopher Nolan won’t confirm he’s directing Batman 3 until he’s finished with Inception) an ‘epic story.’ That basic story comes from David Goyer, and it’s being written into a script by J. Nolan.
One detail Nolan would let slip: No Mr. Freeze.
22 comments
Why won't Nolan confirm that he's directing it when it's obvious that he is? Seems rather odd and pompous. Anyway, I think after Batman 6 (or 7, if you count the Adam West one), they should just do standalone adaptations of key comics, after letting the franchise rest for five or ten years.
Why do I find that fake poster so disturbing? It makes me mentally gag every time.
Thank god this will end the trilogy. I think it's a great idea and something new for the "comic book movie" genre. Batman Begins was great, TDK was better, and here's hoping the third will put a solid book end on this story.
Wow. Along with the Avengers this is by far my most anticipated movie event. But I have a funny feeling Bats is gonna end up in a wheel chair, Alfred and Lucious are gonna buy it, and he'll be forced by his own obsession with preserving Gotham City to take on an apprentice, i.e. Robin, to keep an eye on things.
If Devin thinks there are no story arcs and nothing is ever complete, I'm forced to assume he hasn't even glanced at comics since the '70s. Of course, it IS true that even when something is "ended" in comics, it frequently leaves something open for the future (ala the third option he talks about – Batman standing on a rooftop at the end), OR even if it DOESN'T leave something open, someone will pry it open with a crowbar later – sometimes a decade later, but it's inevitable. Still, nobody ever said you had to acknowledge when the comics "undo" a definitive ending, just like we don't have to acknowledge Superman IV: The Quest for Peace if we don't want.
Wow, Doug, way to miss the point. I'm pretty sure Devin was commenting on the lack of permanent change or character growth in superhero comics — a problem that I feel is probably inevitable in any ongoing, open form, serialized form of entertainment. Instead, you focus on "story arcs" like a doofus.
Here's how you end the story. Make it a loose adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns. Set it 10-20 years after the last movie. This lets you re-cast the Joker without having a new actor have to re-create Ledger's take on the character.
My feeling is that it will echo Dark Knight Returns also. Batman as legend.
The interesting problem about a "realistic" version of Batman is that you have to come very close to showing what a Batman would be like in the real world – a dangerous psychopath who is probably just as dangerous as the villains he fights. Some of the best Batman comics skirt this edge, and Nolan has as well, which leads to a pretty easy way to wrap up the series – face the "Bruce Wayne is a psychopath" thing head on.
Simple really – Batman takes young apprentice, young apprentice works great at first but is eventually captured and brutally murdered by one of Batman's arch-villains. We get an emotional conclusion where Batman faces the killer, and then he either hangs up the cowl or is incarcerated/put in an institution.
The name Gotham City sucks. Besides, that would have a way more appropriate title for Batman Begins. People will get pissed, by the way, if they kill Batman. How well did X3 go for the fanboy community?
^Well, in all fairness joey cash, X3 had a LOT of problems besides killing characters off.
I'm assuming that after Nolan completes his trilogy that means we'll get yet ANOTHER Batman reboot. Perhaps back to easily merchandisable campiness like Schumacher's films… shudder.
James Cameron is loosing sleep that his billion dollar grossing movie lost the gold statue to a movie which made 12 million.
What does that have to do with Batman you say…….everything!
I don't know why Bruce is a psychopath and Zorro is just a cool guy? They both do the exact same thing. Playboy during the day and masked vigilante at night.
Anyway, I think since Batman is now hunted why not bring in the new Superman in to catch him. Which would be a great starting point for the new Superman movies. As many have already pointed out a Return of the Dark Knight take would be excellent in my opinion. Just dont let Frank Miller ever direct anything by himself again.
I could picture a trailer with the President, sitting in the Oval Office, saying how badly we need to take down the Batman. Slowly panning to the left. By the end of the President's speech Superman is standing there. "You can count on me Sir."
Tell me that wouldn't set the internet on fire!
My take: Batman 3 ends with Batman's identity being revealed and the Joker in Arkham. Bruce Wayne is forced to retire and tada we have the setup for a future Dark Knight Returns. This also allows for a future potential crossover with the upcoming Superman franchise. In no way do they have to meet until TDKR. This is the "exciting possibility" that Nolan is alluding to. I'd bet $$$ on it.
Was there ever any doubt that Nolan would stop at a trilogy? It seems logical that part 3 would be the closing act of his Batman story. I seriously doubt he'd kill the character off, though. NOW JUST FOR THE CONFIRMATION THAT HE'S DIRECTING IT SO WE CAN ALL SLEEP SOUNDLY 😉
I call bullshit. After TDK making that much money, they're not ending this franchise any time soon. Very likely they'll run it into the ground until it becomes completely retarded like the last one.
I like the idea of a definitive ending. But does anyone else think that poster looks like Jim Carrey in a catsuit? …… ssseexxxyyy! haaaa
Still too much to hope they'd do the BATMAN RIP storyline, huh?
I'd kill to see the Batman of Zur En Arrh on screen.
Damn, I was hoping for Robin, not going to happen now, not with a solid conclusion. However, this does look very promising for a return of the Joker. I seriously doubt he could be without a role in the end of Batman. I really hope this one spans years of time. I'd prefer that kind of Citizen Kane of batman films approach rather than them killing him off young. But yeah, kill him off, totally. Or go crazy after killing the Joker. Either way.
I agree with the above scenario: End the third film with Batman hanging up the cowl after the mob is eradicated. Joker ends up in Arkham. This will close out the "early days" of the Batman franchise, then Warner Bros can concentrate on a kick-ass Superman trilogy. And by the time that series runs out steam, Warners can bring back Batman for an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns with a new director. This way neither Batman nor Superman franchises will get run into the ground like what happened to Batman pre-Nolan.
Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot, will be the villain in the 3rd Batman film.
I'll be glad to see it end. I enjoyed 'Batman Begins' despite its flaws. But I walked out of 'The Dark Knight' fuming. I'm ready for somebody else (who better understands the comics and who has an eye for action) to take over.
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