Minor spoilers ahead.
Empire’s The Dark Knight Rises article is making the rounds on the internets this morning and it’s providing the most concrete info we’ve had on the film. We now have official confirmation that the prologue is bowing in front of Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol on December 21st. Also, in typical Nolan fashion, they revealed there’s a practical necessity for Bane’s wonky mask – in this case the administration of pain medicine. But of everything in the piece, I suspect this Nolan quote will cause the biggest stir:
“It’s really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne’s story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight.”
Obviously this raises some questions. It’ll be curious to see if Wayne’s still been Batman this entire time, or if he abandoned the crusade altogether. I hope that’s not the case, as it feels like a major betrayal of the character. Still, the trailer would lead you to believe that Wayne turns his back on the Bat at some point.
This feels like a bold narrative step for Nolan and Co. to take. In some respects it’s fitting with what will surely be Heath Ledger’s noticeable absence. Eight years seems like a reasonable amount of time for Gothamites to no longer live in fear of the Joker. Whatever Nolan’s reasoning, I have enough trust in him as a filmmaker to believe this time gap will serve some greater narrative purpose -even if it’s not yet evident.
Source: Empire
7 comments
Hmmm. Interesting. If Bruce was what, 32 during TDK that would mean he’s around 40 now? Getting a little creaky and maybe those rumors that the John Blake character will take over from Batman at the end a little credence.
Hadn’t heard that one. Definitely intriguing. Though I wouldn’t bank on it. Batman handing over the mantle doesn’t strike me as the direction they’re heading. John Blake’s definitely a wild card though.
I like the idea of an older Bruce that has left behind the mantle of the bat for a while because it could allow them to take elements from “The Dark Knight Returns.” They’ve already essentially adapted Year One, The Long Halloween and The Killing Joke, it’s time for them to dive into the last remaining seminal Batman work.
The most obvious way it serves the story is to show batman wearing out….pain medication a part of that. Part of the argument or theme of batman has always been that as that even a goodhearted fascist inspires his opposition into new levels of extremeity. The next obvious question is what happens when the good hearted fascist starts to wear down. Hopefully we will get a satisfying answer (though I will always love Miller’s initial answer to this, he will train the next generation).
I really hope he didn’t quit being Batman for 8 years. In agreement with Tim, it would be a massive character betrayal. I pray he’s been Bats the whole time, only so we can hear passing references to other cracker jack villains he’s dealt with, and sidekicks who he’s failed.
Seriously, how great would that be?
Oh and Blake is totally going to Jean Paul Valley this thing before the credits.
I think that the closure that Oldman has talked about willl put these elements into the appropiate context. I can not wait.
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