No live-actionDCmovie released so far has attempted what the fourthDark Knightinstallment,Batman: Gotham Knight, achieved. To say thatChristopher Nolan’s highly-acclaimedThe Dark Knighttrilogywas incredibly influential for the superhero genre and Hollywood filmmaking as a whole would be an understatement. Not only didThe Dark Knighttrilogy offer one of the most beloved villain performances in Heath Ledger’s Joker, but it also proved that comic book adaptations could thrive on the big screen as high-quality cinema.
AlthoughChristopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy was a massive hit at the box office, its chances of becoming a cinematic universe were slim from the start. Nolan envisioned the trilogy as a grounded, self-contained story with a well-defined beginning, middle, and end. Hence,there were never plans for a fourthDark Knightmovie, and despite the passing of the torch teased inThe Dark Knight Rises' ending sequence, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Robin was never supposed to star in his own spinoff film. However, there’s an obscure DC film that also takes place withinThe Dark Knight’s universe.
The Secret Fourth Movie In The Dark Knight Series Explained
Batman: Gotham Knight Connects Batman Begins To The Dark Knight
The 2008 animated anthology filmBatman: Gotham Knighttakes up where Christopher Nolan’sBatman Beginsleft off, with Batman continuing his crusade against crime following the Ra’s Al Ghul’s defeat.Batman: Gotham Knightcomprises six animated shorts produced by four different studios — all starring an animated version of Christian Bale’s Dark Knight. WhileBatman: Gotham Knightcould be consideredThe Dark Knighttrilogy’s fourth installmentgiven its ties toBatman Begins' characters and plot, its canon status is left ambiguous after the events ofThe Dark KnightandThe Dark Knight Rises, which neither acknowledge nor contradict the animated movie’s story.
Deadshot
Batman: Gotham Knightrevisits Christian Bale’s Dark Knight from the eyes of four Gotham children in “Have I Got A Story For You”, and it showcases Batman’s ability to fight Gotham’s organized crime singlehandedly in “Crossfire” and “Field Test”, where he stops Sal Maroni and strengthens his bond with James Gordon.Batman: Gotham Knighttakes a big leap in tone in “In Darkness Dwells” and introduces Killer Croc, who’s corrupted by Scarecrow’s fear toxin. After defeating Killer Croc and Scarecrow, Batman reminisces about his past after being shot by a regular man in “Working Through Pain”, and he then finishes a final mission by capturing Deadshot in “Deadshot”.
The DC Universe Can Learn A Lesson About Batman Villains From Gotham Knight
Batman: Gotham Knight Features Villains Never Seen In Live-Action Movies
Batman: Gotham Knightincludes a brief appearance by Scarecrow. However, two often overlooked Batman enemies finally get the spotlight, as Killer Croc and Deadshot are the main antagonists in two ofBatman: Gotham Knight’s chapters. Although both characters made their live-action debut in the DCEU’s 2016Suicide Squad,neither Killer Croc nor Deadshot have appeared in a solo Batman movie.Batman: Gotham Knightoffers a fresh change of pace with its lesser-known antagonists, in comparison to all the live-action DC films that repeatedly focus on big-name villains like the Joker, the Riddler, and the Penguin.
Batman apprehended Scarecrow inThe Dark Knight’s second action sequence, meaning that it took him three separate titles to stop Jonathan Crane for good. Bane then broke Crane out of prison inThe Dark Knight Rises.
With Matt Reeves’The Batmanfranchise leading the way and the DCU’s Batman making his debut inThe Brave and the Bold,the divide between Batman’s grounded and fantastical elements has never been clearer. So far,all live-action Batman movieshave picked one of the two lanes. Even Tim Burton’sBatmanfilms, which began Batman’s blockbuster history, stuck closely to the director’s iconic"Burtonesque"style that embraces the character’s fantastical qualities. Whereas Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy kept its tone completely grounded,Batman: Gotham Knightadded Killer Croc to the mix despite his monstrous appearance and superhuman strength.
What DC Villain Should Be In The DCU’s Batman Movie
Andy Muschietti’s The Brave And The Bold Has A Blank Check For Its Villain Choice
Matt Reeves’The Batmanuniverse has gained widespread acclaim due in major part to its realistic antagonists. Paul Dano’s Riddler and John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone are highlights ofThe Batman, and Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb might be the breakout star of the whole franchise due to his stellar role inThe Penguin. As Reeves’The Batmanfranchise dives deeper into its realistic Gotham underworld, the DCU’s Batman may take advantage of its larger-than-life cinematic universe and explore Batman’s more comic-booky elements. Therefore,over-the-top villains like Man-Bat, Killer Croc, and Poison Ivy could beThe Brave and the Bold’s main antagonists.
Why Batman Fans Still Think Nolan Hid Deathstroke In The Dark Knight Rises
Deathstroke’s sneaky cameo in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises isn’t what it seems, despite seemingly solid proof of his appearance.
For some time, Clayface and Mister Freeze seemed like strong candidates forThe Batman - Part II’s main villain role. However,The Penguin’s hints at the Court of Owlsmake the secret society the most likely antagonistic force forThe Batman’s sequel. Meanwhile,The Brave and the Boldcould adopt Clayface or Mister Freeze and give them a chance to shine in the DCU. After all, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campy Mister Freeze portrayal fromBatman & Robinhasn’t been challenged in almost thirty years, and Clayface has yet to appear in a DC movie. Other villains likeBatman: Gotham Knight’s Killer Croc and Deadshot could also appear in supporting roles.
