Every Parallel Between The Batman & The Dark Knight

Matt Reeves’ The Batman draws a striking number of parallels with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight on a narrative and thematic level. The second film in Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Batman trilogy, 2008’s The Dark Knight is widely considered one of the best comic book movies ever made. Focusing on Bruce Wayne’s (Christian Bale) first encounter with the Joker (Heath Ledger), The Dark Knight also sees the introduction of Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent/Two-Face into Nolan’s interpretation of the Batman mythos. In addition, the film also explores Gotham’s underworld of organized crime and how the introduction of Batman and the Joker transforms the city.

The Batman‘s version of the iconic caped crusader is admittedly very different from The Dark Knight‘s character, however. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is a more brooding, gothic figure than Christian Bale’s take, still in his early formative years of vigilantism. Reeve’s depiction of Gotham is also far bleaker than the one seen across Nolan’s trilogy, which more closely resembled the city of Chicago where the majority of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight were filmed. In addition, The Batman introduces villains that weren’t a part of Nolan’s films: the Riddler (Paul Dano), who acts as the film’s primary antagonist, and the Penguin (Colin Farrell), a character that earned himself an HBO Max spin-off series.

Despite the many distinctions between the two films, they share a number of surprising parallels. Most of the similarities come down to the two films’ respective stories and narrative themes, although some are more specific details of the characterization of Batman and his villains. The Dark Knight‘s critical success made it an excellent template for future cinematic outings for the character, and The Batman‘s positive reviews reflect yet another parallel between the two films.

The Batman & The Dark Knight Establish Batman In Similar Ways

One of the main ways in which the two Batmans are similar is the method of their introduction and their place within Gotham at the start of both The Dark Knight and The Batman. Both films take place relatively early in the vigilante’s career and introduce Batman to the idea that he creates his own villains. Interestingly, both films introduce their protagonists in the same way that they introduce their villains.

In The Dark Knight, the Joker is introduced in a bank heist in which he’s arranged for his accomplices to all wear clown masks. Batman is introduced in a scene in which copycat vigilantes dressed in makeshift Batsuits take on mobsters. Both the film’s hero and villain emerge from those they’ve inspired, drawing an immediate parallel between the two characters.

In The Batman, Paul Dano’s Riddler is introduced after two flashes of lightning, the third revealing the villain to be lurking and preparing to murder his first victim, Gotham Mayor Don Mitchell. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is introduced in an almost identical fashion, with flashes of light offering glimpses into empty shadows twice before the vigilante emerges. This draws parallels between The Batman‘s hero and villain in much the same way that The Dark Knight did, using subtle, visual similarities that showcase each version of Batman’s own shared traits with his respective villains.

The Batman’s Riddler & Dark Knight’s Joker Had Similar Plans

While the two villains’ plans are distinctly different, there are a number of similarities that draw parallels between The Batman and The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger’s Joker wants to give Gotham “a better class of criminal“, first taking half of the mob’s money, then burning it to prove he’s not driven by wealth or power. Though Paul Dano’s Riddler is driven by his desire to expose and end the corruption that plagues The Batman‘s Gotham—much like Batman Begins and the League of Shadows—the two villains each exact plans with a remarkable number of similarities in their approach.

Both plans involve the murder of high-profile Gotham figures, including a mixture of city officials and career criminals. Both villains use self-shot videos and the media as a means of scaring Gotham’s citizens into action and announcing their intention to continue to murder and terrorize the city. The two villains’ respective approaches to dismantling Gotham’s criminal and political structure share a striking number of parallels, and even though their aims are different, their final plans also share similarities, making it seem as though The Batman‘s Riddler borrows elements of Joker’s plan from The Dark Knight.

Both villains’ plans culminate in a final moment intended to vindicate their own twisted sense of morality. Joker intends for one of the two ships to blow the other up, proving that morality is a false ideal that can be broken in the right circumstances. The Batman‘s Riddler intends to prove the thorough corruption of Gotham by murdering its newly-appointed Mayor, Bella Réal. The culmination of each villain’s plan doesn’t work out the way they’d hoped, forcing them to each face their respective failures and galvanizing their villainous natures.

The Batman & The Dark Knight Both Use Interrogation Scenes To Show Batman’s Weakness

Another seemingly coincidental similarity between The Batman and The Dark Knight is that both films feature interrogation scenes that are crucial for Batman’s character development. In The Dark Knight, Batman attempts unsuccessfully to interrogate Heath Ledger’s Joker, forcing him to confront that he’s not able to physically intimidate or logically reason in any way with the villain. His assumption that the Joker is nothing more than a madman who will be easily outmaneuvered is ultimately what results in the death of Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent becoming Two-Face.

In The Batman, the interrogation scene between Pattinson’s Batman and Dano’s Riddler once again highlights the hero’s mistake. By assuming that Riddler is nothing more than a violent criminal, he overlooks key elements of his plan, ultimately resulting in Riddler’s plan succeeding. Both interrogation scenes show Batman underestimating their respective villains, especially as being captured was always a part of both Joker’s plan in The Dark Knight and Riddler’s plan in The Batman.

The Batman & The Dark Knight Both Change Batman’s Role In Gotham

The Dark Knight‘s ending sees Batman opting to take the blame for the murders Harvey Dent committed as Two-Face in order to preserve his public image, disregarding his heroic intentions in order to be what Gotham needs. The Batman‘s ending sees Batman let go of his quest for vengeance and establish himself as a beacon of hope for the people of Gotham. Though the two endings are distinctly different, they each draw on a common narrative theme. Both Christian Bale’s and Robert Pattinson’s Batman each make the decision to redefine themselves in light of their respective films’ stories. While one becomes more outwardly heroic and the other allows himself to be branded a villain, the idea behind the choice is the same—both The Batman and The Dark Knight end with Batman choosing to be what Gotham needs him to be.

The Batman Borrowed The Dark Knight’s DA Subplot

Though it’s a relatively minor part of The Batman‘s larger story, the film does borrow one of The Dark Knight‘s subplots. Though Harvey Dent doesn’t appear in The Batman, it has been suggested that its story hints at his eventual inclusion in Reeves’ version of Gotham. Gil Colson is Gotham’s DA within The Batman‘s narrative, although Riddler’s plan involves exposing his corruption and murdering him at the public funeral of Mayor Mitchell. It may be a set-up for Two-Face in The Batman‘s sequels, and though it’s a minor parallel between the two films, the idea of the DA being kidnapped and rigged with explosives is another narrative link between the two films.

Other Similarities Between The Batman & The Dark Knight

The two films also share a few more similarities on a superficial level. Many of these are linked to keeping their versions of Batman feeling grounded and realistic, including Batman’s use of a motorcycle as a more effective means of traversing Gotham’s streets, as well as an exploration of exactly how their respective heroes manage to “fly” through the air using his gadgets. Ultimately, The Batman‘s Gotham City owes much to that of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

Though Reeves’ version of the character and his story is distinctly different from previous cinematic versions, it does lean on themes and elements from the films that came before it. This makes sense, as Nolan’s film has proven its lasting popularity with audiences and critics alike, and serves as a logical basis for a more grounded take on Batman as a character. Ultimately, though The Batman and The Dark Knight share many parallels and similarities, they each stand as excellent interpretations of Batman’s character and his wider world.