The DCU’s Biggest Batman Problem Is Just How Great Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy Is

Before the DC Universe’s new Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, can find success, it’ll have to overcome the hurdle that is Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and its legacy as one of the greatest superhero movie trilogies in history. The Dark Knight especially is one of the most beloved superhero movies of all time, holding a 94 percent fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and having earned $1.006 billion at the box office. Even more than the other two movies in The Dark Knight trilogy, the second film is revered as the ultimate Batman movie to which all others are compared.

As yet, little is known about The Brave and the Bold beyond what was revealed when it was first announced by DC Studios earlier this year. It will star a new actor in the role of Bruce Wayne and the movie will feature Batman’s son Damian Wayne in a key role. In addition to Damian, The Brave and the Bold will include other members of the Bat-family, though exact characters have not been confirmed. The Batman film will be directed by The Flash‘s Andy Muschietti, who has a large task ahead of him when it comes to Nolan’s Dark Knight movies.

The Dark Knight Batman Movie Trilogy Creates 2 DCU Problems

The Dark Knight trilogy having a legacy as some of the best Batman movies in history creates a problem for all future films about Bruce Wayne because they’ll have to meet the expectations set by Nolan. Since the trilogy concluded with The Dark Knight Rises, any reboot or new incarnation of Batman has been compared to Bale’s. Ben Affleck’s older Batman was the first, and didn’t fare well when held up against Nolan and Bale’s Batman, though he didn’t receive a solo movie of his own. Then, Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s The Batman attempted to go younger and, though they delivered a well-liked Batman movie, it didn’t quite live up to The Dark Knight trilogy in the eyes of many.

Nolan’s three movies also set expectations in terms of what a Batman movie should be by telling an incredibly grounded and gritty superhero story. Bale’s Batman was a far cry from the lighthearted superhero of the 60s and the campy character of the late 90s. Since Nolan started the trend, it’s seemed Batman movies have only gotten darker. But, as Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice accidentally showcased, the grounded and gritty superhero doesn’t always work in a world with all kinds of metahumans and aliens. Now, the DCU has the opportunity to do what Nolan didn’t and, in doing so, avoid the problems posed by The Dark Knight trilogy’s legacy.

Batman’s First DCU Movie Is Already Minimizing Nolan Trilogy Comparison

Already, there are quite a few differences between The Brave and the Bold and Nolan’s Dark Knight movies, the biggest being the inclusion of Damian Wayne. Although The Dark Knight Rises ending introduced a hero to take over as Batman, Bale’s Bruce Wayne was a largely solitary superhero and didn’t team up with any of the Bat-family characters from the comics. The DCU’s Batman story including not only Damian but other members of the Bat-family means it will tell a very different story about a very different version of Bruce Wayne.

Of course, whether The Brave and the Bold will be able to compare to any of The Dark Knight movies in terms of quality remains to be seen. But, with fewer similarities to The Dark Knight trilogy inherent in the new Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold will have a better chance of subverting or exceeding expectations. Muschietti will only need to deliver a good Batman movie with The Brave and the Bold and it stands a chance of finding a place for itself in Batman movie history.