Batman: 5 reasons the Dark Knight trilogy is the gold standard

An Oscar-Worthy Cast

It’s become a regular occurrence now for superhero movies and comic book adaptations to be littered with the best actors Hollywood could offer, but this was not always the case. More often than not, because comic book movies (and, really, comic books in general) were viewed as having a niche audience (more on that a little later). As a result, the movies were viewed by many as being silly. It was rare to see an Oscar caliber actor onboard just for a supporting role, yet alone the lead.

Which is why it was so game changing to see what Christopher Nolan did in assembling his actors for the franchise. As far as superhero movies go, the actors in the Dark Knight trilogy from the start looked like the Hollywood equivalent to The Avengers.

Michael Caine, Tom Wilkinson, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, and Marion Cotilliard had all won Oscars prior to joining the Bat cast, instantly boosting the credibility of their films as something worth taking seriously. And let’s not forget that Christopher Nolan walked into the director’s chair as an Oscar-nominated screenwriter (thanks to Memento).

Meanwhile, actors like Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman and Maggie Gyllenhaal were all elevated in the eyes of the public after appearing in The Dark Knight trilogy considering they all were nominated for (and in some cases, won) Oscars for the first time in their careers shortly after being a part of this legendary cast.