When I think about what happened with Wonder Woman, I think I don't want Joss to go through that situation again. To know he wrote a script and never get to see it realized. Ouch. While I know he'd put a great spin on the Batman story, I prefer the original work Joss comes up with sprung from that wonderful mind.

Tonya J | August 21, 17:48 CET

I don't like these "what ifs". Well, when they deal with possibilities that have no proof. If Nolan didn't come back for B3, then it'd be dead. Either go great, or go back to the yuck we had before Nolan.

No offense to JW or JA. I just want them to do their own thing. It's like asking Abrams to finish up Buffy, or for Nolan to direct Serenity 2. Who would want that?

korkster | August 21, 18:04 CET

That's a pretty heavy assumption--that there'd even be another 'Batman' film. It would be pretty much impossible to top 'The Dark Knight.' Not that it was perfect (but it was close enough).

QuanticoMVP | August 21, 18:30 CET

QuanticoMVP--"They" dont care about making a better film, or topping TDK, they want to cash in on their franchise capital.

In terms of Joss going through the same type of bull$hit as the Wonder Woman fiasco, its par for the course and IMO, it's worth the potential payoff. Look what Spiderman did for Sam Rami. Before Spidey, he was making some of the best films that nobody was seeing. I LOVE Darkman, For Love of the Game, Quick and the Dead...but they are very nichey films. He was able to apply his unique film style to Spider-man and it was a huge hit. If Joss could apply his unique view of character relationships to a movie like Bats 3, I have no doubt he would hit it out of the park. (when you get the gig Joss, please don't kill Alfred)

But again, you can't hit a home-run if you don't step up to the plate.

alexreager | August 21, 19:19 CET

If Nolan doesn't do the next Batman movie, Bale won't do it. Therefore I won't see it. If Christopher Nolan decided to not do the next film they should just leave the Batman legacy in movies alone for 25 years or so. Because there really isn't another Batman like Christian Bale.

badwolf | August 21, 19:25 CET

Considering that Dark Knight is now the second top domestic grossing film of all time, unadjusted for inflation, currently at $475 million according to Box Office Mojo -- I'd say a sequel is a sure thing. (Plus, the ending sort of demands it.) The likelihood is that the studio will milk it until it's dry. Earlier this year, in an interview with EW, Christian Bale has already hinted that it's intended to be a trilogy.

[ edited by Whedonage on 2008-08-21 19:33 ]

Whedonage | August 21, 19:31 CET

I agree it'd be good if Joss had a big mainstream hit on possibly a licenced movie, to break trough as a mainstream movie director, alexreager. Although, really, he's more than busy enough right now. And however much I love Joss, I'm not sure I want him to go back to big movies. Writing something like "Cabin in the Woods" and letting a trusted friend and co-writer direct? Yes. Doing a blockbuster movie right now? Nope. I'd rather have him concentrate on Dollhouse (I mean, c'mon, new show), Dr. Horrible continuations, comics and the occasional movie script.

I especially don't want him to do Batman 3. After TDK, which was near-perfect and got incredible critical and audience reception, you don't want to be the guy to do the sequel. It'd sooner kill a career than start one. Regardless of quality and not even taking into account that a Joss batman would probably be pretty different from what Nolan was doing.

In the future, if he's not doing much television work? Maybe. But I'm not sure I wouldn't rather see Joss doing "niche" movies successfull enough to give him new work and giving him enough creative freedom to write and direct original works, than him tackling the direction of a big name studio blockbuster.

But, obviously, if he'd decide to go that route, I'd still flock to the theatre and hope he succeeds.

Having said all this, I completely expect Nolan to do a third bat movie himself, making this discussion fun but pointless :)

GVH | August 21, 19:34 CET

I'd be up for The Dark Knight Returns, starring Clint Eastwood.

redeem147 | August 21, 20:01 CET

Honestly,right now I don't want to think about someone else doing Batman 3.I'm just hoping Nolan comes back for it.

Buffyfantic | August 21, 21:22 CET

Eastwood's too old now but he would've been pretty decent 8 or 10 years ago I think.

I think Nolan will probably do one more but I doubt there's an "intended trilogy" except maybe as a broad thematic sweep. In fact, I read an interview with Nolan which really impressed me - he said that he thought some writers/directors kept things back for a potential second/third/fourth film whereas he had tried with TDK to make absolutely the best film he could, using all the lines, devices, villains etc. he could think of to make it great without even considering a third movie. And that might explain why it's arguably the best super-hero film to date (and no slouch as a crime film either).

Or, if they don't want to make another right now, why not wait ten years and then with a bit of make-up and his usual intense attention to detail have Bale come back and play 'The Dark Knight Returns' ? He'd obviously be too young chronologically but the guy can really act, I reckon he could pull it off.

It'd be interesting to see Joss' take on old blue ears and to be honest I suspect his take (from what he said in interview) might not be that different to the Goyer/Nolans/Bale approach but right now Warners would need an extremely good reason to go with a relatively small fish in the movie world like Joss - with Wonder Woman there was a clear angle in the "renowned feminist comics nerd and screenwriter takes on feminist icon" idea but with Batman's very male oriented world (even moreso after TDK) I dunno what they'd see Joss as bringing to the party (apart from geek cachet but even then, why not go with Goyer who has the "franchise" history, fan support and pre-existing relationship with Warners ?).

Saje | August 21, 21:45 CET

A couple thoughts Saje, I totally agree with Bale doing The Dark Knight Returns. For those of you that are not familiar, DKR is AWESOME. Its the story of Gotham City many years since the last sighting of Batman. He retired and is now 55 years old. And without The Batman, Gotham's crime has slowly increased to a point where the city is being over-run by gangs. So Bats is forced out of retirement. And it's awesome.

They could totally do that story on the big screen and it seems like an angle that would be right in line with our man Joss' strengths...and don't forget the badass Carrie Kelly as Robin. (But no Brandon Routh as a grey haired Superman!)

alexreager | August 21, 22:41 CET

Yeah, I could live with leaving it at TDK (in the post film pub analysis I actually said i'd love another from Nolan/Bale but if they just stopped at TDK I could live with that too - it's really pretty much the definitive Batman movie IMO) and then have Joss direct Bale in DKR a ways down the line. And yep, he'd really know how to use Carrie, in fact, he'd have to be careful the film didn't turn into "Light Robin Arrives" ;).

Saje | August 21, 23:42 CET

There's already a deal on the table for Nolan to do another Batman movie, but he hasn't signed. I don't need for there to be a third movie, since The Dark Knight was so amazing, but if there is going to be a third, I just want him to sign. I don't want to replace him, not even with Joss.

Though as someone else said above, if Joss did do the next Batflick, I would gleefully rush to the theater on its day of arrival.

UnpluggedCrazy | August 22, 03:43 CET