Batman movies are always huge successes at the box office, and The Dark Knight Trilogy redefined what most people thought of Batman movies, and superhero movies in general. Many fans still insist that The Dark Knight is the greatest Batman and superhero movie of all time.
Nolan took a different approach to Batman that helped his trilogy stand out, and while most of these changes sat well with the fans, there were a few that viewers did not like. With The Batman releasing in March, fans are eager to see if this new Batman film can take the top spot.
9 He Was Trained By Ra’s Al Ghul
It’s well known that Bruce Wayne traveled the world to learn the skills that allowed him to become Batman. This is the case in the Nolan movies as well with one big twist. In the comics, Bruce spends time at different temples, in different countries, and with individual trainers.
In the Nolan films, it is hinted that Bruce does a bit of this as well, but the bulk of his training comes from the League of Assassin’s and Ra’s Al Ghul. While in the comics Ra’s always considered Bruce to be an equal and a perfect successor, they did not meet until much later in Bruce’s Batman career.
8 He Tried To Kill Joe Chill
Joe Chill is the man that murdered Thomas and Martha Wayne. In Batman Begins, viewers are shown his trial and Bruce’s reaction to seeing the man that ruined his life. In a shocking turn of events, Bruce is planning on killing Joe.
This is a big divergence because most fans know that Bruce is very against any kind of killing. Nolan took a much more grounded view on Batman and might have seen this approach as a more authentic human reaction to the situation.
7 Bruce Uses A Tank As A Batmobile
It’s not uncommon for Bruce to pull out a special Batmobile that is more of a military-style, but his everyday Batmobile is typically closer to a car. The Nolan films introduced fans to The Tumbler and it was much more of a tank designed for city streets than most fans were used to.
Most fans loved this new take on the classic Batmobile and people still talk about it in the conversation of best Batmobiles ever.
6 Bruce Has Consistent Love Interests
Bruce tends to set aside relationships in order to complete his goal of saving Gotham. The Dark Knight Trilogy decided to lean into Bruce’s love interest and use his relationships as a catalyst for a lot of his actions. Rachel Dawes acted as the main love interest for the series and she helped motivate him to do more for Gotham and was much of the driving force of the first and second film.
While in the comics, Batman has girlfriends from time to time, it wasn’t until recently that his relationship with Selina Kyle became more permanent.
5 Batman Retired & got a happy ending
Rarely do fans get to see Batman have a happy ending. Most of the time people believe that an essential aspect of Bruce is that he is miserable. That misery helps him be an effective Batman. Nolan didn’t believe in this theory and gave Bruce a happy ending.
When Gotham was saved from Bane, Bruce faked his death and was able to retire with Selina Kyle. No one knew what truly happened until Bruce showed himself to Alfred and proved he was alive and for the first time he was happy.
4 He Let Ra’s Al Ghul Die
Ra’s Al Ghul is almost immortal in DC comics, he uses the Lazarus Pit to survive for centuries. Nolan went for a practical take on Batman and ignored this fact of Ra’s Al Ghul. In The Batman Begins, Ra’s Al Ghul dies and Batman lets it happen.
While Batman can’t save everyone, he purposely chose not to save Ra’s. While this isn’t completely unprecedented in the comics, it’s still a surprise when Batman lets another person die.
3 Bruce Didn’t Have The Bat-Family
Fans of Batman love the Bat-Family almost as much as the Dark Knight himself. While Robin and Batgirl made appearances in previous Batman movies, and even Ben Affleck’s Batman had a Robin at some point, the Bat-family was completely absent from the Nolan films.
Fans are hoping that in the next iteration of the Batman franchise that the Bat-family will once again join forces on screen.
2 Batman Gave Up On Gotham
Bruce loves Gotham. It is his city and he sees it as his sacred duty to protect it and all its citizens. Batman rarely leaves Gotham, when it is generally because he has been forced out by a villain.
In The Dark Knight, Bruce loses Rachel Dawes because of the Joker, and one of his closest allies is turned evil. These losses drive Bruce to abandon Gotham for 8 years. The only reason he comes out of his reclusive ways is to deal with the threat of Bane.
1 Batman’s Suit Allowed The Most Mobility
In most of the other Batman suits, Bruce can barely move properly in the suit. The worst part is that he can’t even turn his head. This is addressed in The Dark Knight and gave Bruce his most mobile on-screen suit.
While this may seem like a small thing, for Nolan’s more practical and grounded Batman series, having a suit that could actually move the way Batman does was very important.
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