Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, as far as movie history is concerned, is viewed as the gold standard and a template for the superhero movie genre. Here are some reasons why.
We are just over 15 years removed from the day that Christopher Nolan first reintroduced the Batman to us in theaters. On the flip side of the coin (hopefully not a coin belonging to Harvey Dent), we are about eight years removed from when his Dark Knight trilogy ended.
The shape of the superhero movie genre and perhaps the overall landscape of Hollywood in general was completely different by time that same trilogy ended compared to when it first began in 2005. And it is hard to deny that Christopher Nolan’s trilogy did not have at least some impact on changing the filmmaking industry for the better.
Before putting a finale bow on his trilogy and calling it a wrap, Christopher Nolan created a template for how to craft a superhero movie and adapt comic books on to celluloid. That same template is still being followed today by a bevy of movie studios. All things considered, it seems like Christopher Nolan created the gold standard for the superhero movie genre.
Here are some reasons why that is the case and how it came to pass:
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.
Dark and Gritty Tone
Let’s wind the clocks back to the release of Batman Returns, which, thanks to a pervy Penguin, casual cartoon murder (including at least one intentionally committed by Batman himself) and a Catwoman who effectively is not your father’s Catwoman, was the darkest Batman we ever got up to that point in cinema history.
This Batman proved to be far too dark for McDonald’s, and in hopes of appeasing their Happy Meal toy selling partners, Warner Bros. replaced Tim Burton with Joel Schumacher the director of future Bat flicks, and decided to take the franchise into a more kid-friendly direction. According to Hollywood, a dark, gritty version of Batman just wasn’t profitable enough to sustain forever.
Fast forward to 2005, where new facts prove the opposite. Those facts being Batman Begins making $374 million from a $150 million budget, followed by The Dark Knight making over $1 billion from a $185 million budget. The Dark Knight Rises continued the hot trend by grossing even more than that, pulling in $1.08 billion against a $250 million budget.
Seeing how well gritty reboots did in a modern age convinced studios to try to reproduce the same effects with different heroes, almost to the point of exhaustion. Of course, a gritty Superman and a gritty Spider-Man wasn’t nearly as well-received as a naturally gritty Batman and fans quickly grew tired of the sub-genre, but we can’t deny Nolan’s trilogy started the trend.
It Helped Make Comic Book Movies Mainstream
Piggy-backing on what was said earlier about why big marquee name Hollywood actors rarely take part in them, comic books movies were once a niche art form. Before moviegoers of all shapes and sizes made it clear – whether they were familiar with the source material or not – that they wanted to see superhero movies, they were viewed as something for a specific audience.
The only way to prove otherwise was with numbers and looking at box office numbers, aside from once every other decade we see the success of 1978’s Superman or 1989’s Batman, superhero movies and comic book adaptations rarely exceeded expectations at the box office. And when they did, they were never game-changing box office smash hits. As a result, it took a lot of bargaining to convince studios to invest into making one superhero movie.
Then, The Dark Knight made a billion dollars and it changed the game. Suddenly, we started seeing a wide array of studios – outside of Marvel, of course, who had already just started Phase One of the MCU the same year Dark Knight hit theaters – were releasing multiple superhero movies a year. Not to mention, more and more big name Hollywood actors were interested in appearing in such movies.
This started the official shift into the acceptance of superhero movies as a major genre in and of itself – one that was finally taken seriously by the mainstream public.
Innovating While Respecting The Original Material
One interesting thing about Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is that as much as he went out of his way to create unique and different interpretations of classic characters, he still made sure those same characters stayed as close to the root of who they were in the comics as possible.
The Joker is still as deranged and obsessed with Batman as ever, but the scars and his “Why So Serious?” shtick adds a new layer. Although the trilogy changed Bane’s origin and the source of his strength, he’s still a cunning villain with as much brain as he has brawn. Plus, Nolan kept the iconic, Bat back-breaking image that defines Knightfall.
The same can be said for classic storylines and motifs from the comics. The Lazarus Pit in the movies may not literally transform someone into a younger version of themselves, but The Pit as seen in The Dark Knight Rises is transformative enough to serve as a rebirth for whoever’s crafty enough to emerge from it.
In different ways ranging from subtle to acceptably on the nose, Christopher Nolan pays respects to the comics which his films were inspired by. He knew where he wanted to go with the franchise without ever forgetting where the source material came from.
Hans Zimmer’s Score
One thing that cannot be overlooked about this franchise is the iconic music within it – specifically, the music composed by Hans Zimmer. Zimmer has produced plenty of classic scores over the years – including The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, Inception, and Muppet Treasure Island (just to name a few), but he perhaps will always be defined for the work he committed behind the orchestra for The Dark Knight trilogy.
Certainly for The Dark Knight alone, as The Joker’s main theme is one of the most fondly remembered aspects of the film. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who did not come out of these movies humming the “Why So Serious?” theme or the “Rise” theme to themselves after leaving the theater.
It may often be overlooked, but in movies, one of the most important aspects is the musical score. Producing memorable music can help leave a memorable imprint and impression on viewers’ minds, and Hans Zimmer offered some of the best music that could ever be used for a superhero movie or comic book adaptation.
The Dark Knight trilogy gave us the most iconic and memorable superhero music score since perhaps the main theme of the first Christopher Reeve Superman film or Danny Elfman’s fellow Batman score.
Do you consider The Dark Knight trilogy the gold standard of comic book movies? Let us know in the comments below!