Batman: 6 characters Christopher Nolan’s movies got right

1. Batman / Bruce Wayne

The Dark Knight trilogy marked the first time in movie history that the same actor was able to reprise the role of Bruce Wayne / Batman for three films. Usually, an actor is lucky enough to make it to a second film. Such a record speaks to both the acting talent of Christian Bale and how Nolan was able to portray the character.

For Bale, it’s difficult for an actor playing any superhero to believably pull off the duality that comes with being the hero and the civilian alter ego. Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Clark Kent and Superman is a notable example and Bale has probably come the closest to pulling off a similar feat with Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Even with the much maligned “Batman voice” that has been parodied to death, Bale was able to basically deliver a compelling character in three acts: Batman the terrifying vigilante, Bruce Wayne the man behind the cowl, and Bruce Wayne the selfish playboy guise he showed the rest of the world during the day.

Christopher Nolan made that character transition believable in how he personified him in script form and really dug at the root of who Bruce Wayne was as a person. It’s a character study we had yet to see on the big screen before Batman Begins and, arguably, the best character portrait of the Batman to date.

Are there any other characters you thought The Dark Knight trilogy nailed? Let us know in the comments below!