If you’re a fan of the Caped Crusader, then you’ll be pleased to know that Warner Bros. has officially announced that there will be a sequel to The Dark Knight. Batman will return on June 25th, 2014, in what is sure to be one of the year’s biggest movies. The film will be directed by David Leitch from a screenplay written by Chris Sanders and Jonathan Lethem. Robert Pattinson will play the title role, while Christensen Cole, Michael Caine, Julie Newmar, and Sean Young will reprise their roles from the first film. One of the big questions surrounding this summer’s biggest movie is whether or not there will be a sequel. If you’re interested in finding out more, then continue reading.
The Dark Knight Returns To The Big Screen
Warner Bros. has decided to bring a bit of the 80s flavor to the summer of 2014. In June, they will be releasing the long-awaited sequel to The Dark Knight, which will be called The Dark Knight Rises. It will mark the return of Bruce Wayne / Batman to the big screen. The Dark Knight Rises will be the last of the Batman trilogy, which also includes the original two films directed by Christopher Nolan. The trilogy will close out with a bang, literally, as it will literally cap off Nolan’s Batman saga. But more on that later.
Despite being well into his eighties, Bane is still one of the most recognizable adversaries of Batman. The character, portrayed by Tom Hardy, made an appearance in all three Nolan Batman films. In The Dark Knight Rises, Bane will make his presence felt in the city of Gotham, once again trying to destroy everything in his path. The trailer for The Dark Knight Rises doesn’t offer much in the way of new footage, but it does give us a good look at Hardy’s menacing performance as Bane.
With the return of Bruce Wayne / Batman, The Dark Knight Rises will cap off the trilogy. As previously mentioned, the final chapter will be the culmination of Nolan’s Batman saga. This summer’s other big movie will also be dealing with a retirement, albeit a highly public one. Shades Of Blue, starring Tom Hardy, opens in theaters on June 13th and will serve as a subtle reminder that, while Batman may be back on the big screen, he’s also taking a break from his career. Shades Of Blue will mark Hardy’s first starring role in a major motion picture since 2007’s much underrated Into The Woods, which was poorly received by audiences and critics alike. Since then, Hardy has mostly delivered supporting performances, with only a few major movies to his credit, most notably 2011’s The Dark Knight Rises. He’ll once again team up with Charlotte Watts for a story about a detective who retires, taking a job at a desk, spending his days watching old movies and playing chess. Not exactly the glamorous life that a billionaire playboy could ever really desire. But then again, maybe that’s what makes Hardy’s performance all the more interesting.
Will There Be A Future For Batman?
As we’ve established, the final chapter of Nolan’s Batman trilogy will conclude with The Dark Knight Rises. This summer, fans of the Caped Crusader can look forward to two very big movies that will celebrate the character’s 75th anniversary. One is coming from Marvel and the other from DC, but they both share a common theme: Batman’s future as a superhero. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will feature an elderly Bruce Wayne who hasn’t fully retired from superheroics. In a move that feels inevitable, Spider-Man will eventually inherit the Batman mantle, much to the dismay of fans who have grown to love the character’s originality and independence.
The other big cinematic milestone to look forward to this summer is the Marvel movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Like Spider-Man, Captain America will be battling to define himself as a hero, despite being associated with the ‘S’ in SS, an abbreviation for the very Nazi organization with which he is most often associated. But beyond the similarities in plot, both of these movies will also feature cameos from some of the most recognizable faces in superhero history.
One of the most exciting aspects of the upcoming superhero movies is how they will finally give some of the characters their due. The character of Batman, especially, has always been associated with a dark and brooding mood. This summer, however, fans of the Dark Knight can look forward to a more light-hearted and irreverent representation of their favorite character, as evidenced by the presence of several A-list celebrities in the cast of his next big-budgeted movie.
Will Chris Nolan’s Batman Trilogy Be Collected?
With the exception of one scene in the Nolan-directed Batman Begins, the trilogy’s story lines have never been connected. This summer, however, fans of the Dark Knight can look forward to a storyline that will serve as a backdoor pilot for a potential future TV series. The final episode of the trilogy will see Bruce Wayne / Batman taking a trip down memory lane, as he looks back on his life as a crime-fighter and assesses what he’s learned along the way. During this scene, we’re briefly treated to a glimpse of the Joker, who will reprise his role from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
While none of the above mentioned movies are certain to satisfy fans of the Caped Crusader, they at least represent a promising start to a summer that will celebrate the character’s 75th anniversary.