Summary

Christopher Nolan ’s Dark Knight Trilogy still holds up as some of the bestBatmanmovies ever made , and their success is partially due to three massiveDCmovie failures . The Dark Knight trilogycomprises the movies that star Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne , debut withBatman Beginsin 2005 . This was met with critical acclaim , launching the subsequent two moving-picture show that would aid reinvigorate exuberance for the Caped Crusader before Ben Affleck would take on the drapery for the first clip in 2016’sBatman v Superman : Dawn of Justice .

Christopher Nolan ’s Batman gain significant praisefor taking Batman in a new , darker direction . This would become the nonremittal tone for Batman for his next two cinematic iterations and significantly contrasted the flavor that typified his character before . Ultimately , the austere contrast betweenBatman Beginsand his previous appearance inBatman & Robinhelped the movie as it felt even more like a breath of fresh air . This was compound by the fact that two moreDC flick failurespreceded Nolan ’s trilogy .

Christopher Nolan ’s Dark Knight trilogy is among the in force trilogy and superhero movies ever , but why did n’t he make a fourth Batman film ?

batman alfred and joker in christopher nolans dark knight trilogy

Batman Begins Was Even More Significant After 3 DC Movie Flops

DC Movie

Release Date

Rotten Tomatoes Score

Robert Downey Jr. revealing himself to be Doctor Doom at SDCC

Worldwide Box Office Gross

Batman & Robin

June 1997

The Fantastic Four stood on a platform together in The Fantastic Four First Steps trailer

12 %

$ 238,317,814

Steel

Split image of Two versions of Batman and one robin looking to the side Batman Begins and Batman & Robin.

Custom image by Sam MacLennan

August 1997

8 %

$ 1,686,429

Batman

Catwoman

August 2004

$ 82,078,046

DC Extended Universe

The report of DC motion picture in the nineties and 2000s was on the floor thanks to three critical nonstarter , which began with the wide lambastedBatman & Robinstarring George Clooney . Even this movie , which is widely believed to bethe bad Batman picture show ever released , did not bring down as ill as the Shaquille O’Neal - starringSteel , which garner a paltry $ 1.7 million at the worldwide Box Office and the Halle Berry - starringCatwoman , which gain several Golden Raspberry Awards in 2005 . All in all , these three movie plant the bar exceptionally low for successive DC labor .

Constantine , starring Keanu Reeves , was unloosen just a few calendar month before Batman Begins and receive middling reviews but was loosely well - like by audiences .

This helpedBatman Beginslook intimately perfect by comparison . Although the movie still keeps the Browning automatic rifle mellow for superhero movies in general , and Batman movies specifically , it interpret the mind - blow notion at the time that superhero motion picture could be of such great quality . This , in turn , would give way to several years of high - quality superhero movies , with DC ’s own being among them .

DC’s Other Movies Show Why The Dark Knight Trilogy Was So Needed

Were it not for the fact thatBatman Beginsreleased when it did , then faith in DC ’s cinematic offering would have been in a catastrophic commonwealth . With Marvel just about keeping its own head above water supply with quality releases likeSpider - ManandX - Menbeing tempered by pic likeElektra , DC pic were at risk of being dependably forged . rather , Batman Beginsrenewed faith in DC and its most recognizable characters , withThe Dark Knight Risesgiving way of life to the DCEU just one twelvemonth afterward .

Batman Beginsalso go under a case law that contradicted the notion that superhero movies are formulaic , proving the general appetence for darker themes . This would be something that many DCEU movies would lean into . While the DCEU would go on to get a fistful of poorly incur releases , religious belief in the dealership is still fervent enough that DC Studios Co - CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have interpret fit to reboot the cinematic franchise with the DCU , which may takeBatmanin a new centering once more .