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Why the Batman Movie Franchise Shouldn't Have a Reboot

With Nolan envisioning Batman 3 as a end to his story, the speculation is that the series has to be rebooted - again. Why not just reimagine it?
As we know, Batman 3 (working title) will be Chris Nolans last Batman film, and he has been quoted as saying that it will 'be an end.' Some have speculated that it will be an ending such as Bruce/Batman defeated or dead. Yet some still see it as hyper-realistic and only as such. I don't believe either to be the case.

Even with Nolan considering this as an ending it's probably more of his way of saying "I have a particular story arc that I'm telling, anything outside of this arc is not important, we can get to the next story arc when we get there."

As for the current Bat-series being hyper-realistic and it's current inability to flow into a possible JLA universe, so what? Like others have stated, a new team will come in and pick up with Batman where Nolan leaves off and will take it in the direction DC desires. I'm not saying it needs to turn into Batman & Robin, but we need to see Batman's transition into a larger world and his enemies, allies, and city all need to show it.

The great thing about the Batman franchise is that it's never the same, and in a good way. Like the comics we get to see all sorts of incarnations of Batman.

This may be the age of the re-boot, but let's not stay in this stage or nothing greater will ever be accomplished.
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22 Comments

This will be the end of Nolan's Batman arc...yes. But with Nolan now producing a Superman reboot, I'm hoping that he will be able to carry "his" Batman into a team-up style movie, whether that be Batman/Superman or even better a Justice League film.

I really hope they don't reboot or even re-imagine the character. I think they can make this work. Especially since Nolan is involved in more than one franchise now.
ecksmanfan - 7/13/2010, 9:17 PM
JLA movie can serve as an epilogue.
Then wait another 8 to 20 years to reboot
TheUnknown - 7/13/2010, 9:42 PM
@ecksmanfan: As much as I would love to see that, Nolan has alrady made clear that he sees them both in their own universe, not together.

@TheUnkown: That's a wide range, either way, by then a new generation of CMB fans will need a reboot for sure....unless they do their homework and heek up with the series, ha. Bond did petty well that way.
Amalgam - 7/13/2010, 11:50 PM
i thionk you are right. the next director and scriptwriter will introduce him to the expanded dc universe
Denn1s - 7/14/2010, 3:35 AM
Well If there's a new director after Nolan I doubt all of the cast will stay especially Christian bale , so it will technically be a reboot.

InSpace - 7/14/2010, 5:04 AM
@inspace...i agree wit u fully

why cant nolan's batman be in JLA? well..he had trouble kicking the ass of the League and kicking the ass of joker and his dogs! people, this is clearly a real world setting and not one for superheroes and science fiction! it's one of reality and science and tech...if nolanbats cant beat joker and dogs easily, can he go toe-to-toe with darkseid, or other super powered characters? no he cant! comicbatman wasnt superpowered but he was a cb character nonetheless and could still fight villains...this nolanbats is not a cb character...it's a realworld interpretation of the character...hence why nolan made him so...cuz he knows this BATMAN IS NOT FOR A JLA UNIVERSE!
nolan will end his shows and dc will need a new batman...cuz they wanna make $$...and what better way than to get a dedicated director to make a cb batman with his rogues etc and tie-him into JLA...hence more $$$...
Anil Rickly - 7/14/2010, 6:31 AM
they will make a batman more loyal to the comics...it's just a matter of time...and it will not link to nolanbats...it will be a reboot..a la TIH under Letterier
Anil Rickly - 7/14/2010, 6:32 AM
i don't even know why people are still talking about a unified JLA movie. Whether or not Nolan's Batman will fit into a unified JLA movie is a pointless debate now. Even if they DID reboot Batman, Nolan is now in control of Superman, and he said Supes would take place in his own world with no other heroes. (sound familiar?)

so even if they DO reboot Batman, now we have the same exact problem all over again with Superman.

I've said it before, and i'll say it again. Nolan is not the man for the job, simply because he doesn't want to unify the heroes. To me, that means they got the wrong guy...

let him go make more movies like Inception or something. leave the CBM's to someone else for god's sake.
CorndogBurglar - 7/14/2010, 10:27 AM
why are all the editorials these days jus like larg-ish comments? can't we have a decent sized article?
Shocker - 7/14/2010, 12:35 PM
@Mike- I'm pretty sure it's just to piss you off. It seems to be working...=>
ecksmanfan - 7/14/2010, 2:29 PM
Sorry Mike. It's my first editorial. I'll keep that in mind.
Amalgam - 7/14/2010, 8:17 PM
i hope that there wont be another reboot, unless it was in a five or six year wait. i dont think that a reboot will be nearly as good as this franchise.
ShadowOfTheBat - 7/14/2010, 9:42 PM
well i wouldnt mind a reboot eventually down the road like maybe 10 years from when the 3rd nolan batman is done. just because i want them to go back to the comic roots where joker gets the way he is by falling into a tank of chemical waste. tho we saw that in burtons, i want to see a more modern version of a batman film more like the comics. and so we can also get a robin in there. and yeah so we can see him with the rest of the justice league
odie00 - 7/14/2010, 10:22 PM
I think the the Nolan Batman could work outside the "real world setting". As much as I love Batman separate from the superpowered world, if you treat Superman, in The Man Of Steel as a first contact with aliens type scenario then all of the world (including Batman)would be in an adjustment stage. Same thing goes for Green Lantern, Hal Jordan gets the gift of a ring from another world and has to learn how to deal with this new power, trains on Oa and returns to the "real world". Batman could totally work in a world with SuperHeroes if done right, it just can't be treated as "Oh yeah, superpowers exist"
NightBat - 7/14/2010, 11:45 PM
@nightbat...this nolan batman isnt developed as one who can fight supervillains...he can defeat criminals but nolan clearly made him inferior to a cbm batman, so that he can nail home that this batman aint a cbm batman...it's more realworld...hence why nolan's batman can no way be used in JLA or outside the real world...that real world is what he was made for...

@odie...i agree with u 190%...a batman reboot once nolan finishes his brilliant trilogy will go miles ahead of tying into a JLA world...and also give us the stories and villains from batman comics...basically, it's the previous batfranchise...done right!!!
Anil Rickly - 7/15/2010, 7:56 AM
I agree with you because in all seriousness, every time they make the first Batman movie, they always have to start at his roots "How Bruce became Batman". I think every person and his grandmother knows how the story goes so there is really no reason to reboot the Batman movies back from the beginning. It would be better to just start off a movie of Batman after everything and just introduce new characters, heroes, and villains.
TheGeekMan - 7/15/2010, 9:43 AM
@Anil Rickly, I totally agree with you, I was more or less just trying to figure out how it would work if WB made the decision to go in that direction. Also it looks as if this is still "Year One" or "Year Two" of Batmans career....nevermind I can't agrue on something that I agree with you on haha, it's just that I think Batman is still learning all of his "tricks of the trade"

@odie00, I've always wanted to see Batman ripped straight from the Neil Adams and Jim Aparo pages along with all his rogues and a Robin done right (even though I'm more of a fan of a Batman without a Robin). A Justice League movie with the "Big Three" would be awesome but you're right, if they want Batman, they're gonna have to wait. If not, alude to the fact that he exists but just have all the "superpowered" characters in The League?
NightBat - 7/15/2010, 10:26 AM
absolutely agree

Batman Begins captured the origin just right, told the story of the downfall of Gotham, the characterizations of Ra's and Jonathan Crane were great and the stories borrowed were perfectly woven together (The Man who falls, TLH, Year One)

TDK... just perfect. Joker, Dent, and the mass chaos surrounding Gotham and Batman's first defeat were awesome.

After B3, the new crew should carry on from that point and make new stories/characters of their own. No need to reboot.
cchriswake13 - 7/15/2010, 3:11 PM
Hey, give Batman a chance, he is just getting started!

He hasn't yet reached the "dark Night" stage where "collateral damage" is acceptable.

I see him and "The Punisher" in Marvel as similar characters, albeit very different back stories.

The world that Mr. Nolan has created is perhaps one of the best ever for a DC hero. Real world, real acting (no matter Bale's personal issues) etc. Believable, etc.

I think there is a big "push" from fans to do what Marvel/Disney has done and create a "Universe" for DC on the Big Screen.

Frankly that has vnever really been a DC "thing.

BUT it has always been an intrinsic Lee/Kirby Marvel constant, starting with the "Fantastic 4"

The stories featured not only "reflective moments" from previous issues, but cross overs as well. Really helped sales and continuity.

DC was always more "separate (i.e. several names for NYC "Gotham, Metropolis, etc.) and really treated JLA as an almost separate entity with little "tie-in" to the ongoing issues of DC comics.

DC were character essays, Marvel was a team approach.

To really "work" each of the DC heroes needs to be "on their own" the back stories are more "loner" type of people who single handed defeat bad guy(s).

Marvel adopted the "team approach" in 1963 with the Fantastic Four (ironically based on the JLA success at NC / DC).

Thing was, Stan and Jack stuck with the "Universe" and kept expanding it,i.e. Avengers, until the point where they had cross over after cross over. Titles like Marvel Team Up, Defenders, Invaders, Avengers East, West, X-Men, yada, yada.

Marvel characters seem to thrive on the comradery, DC (with the exception of JLA) seem to be more of central character themed.

In Marvel, even the "bad guys" switch nemesis(s). Doom fights Mr. Fantastic one minute, Iron Man the next.

That is what made Marvel work.

That is what made DC work.

don't mess with what works!
UatuTheWatcher - 7/16/2010, 5:37 AM
Nolans batman can't be in a justice league though....the characters like green lantern just don't work with batman......evn if you did make the good guys work they have bad guys that are giant aliens. those definetly wouldn't work with nolans batman....i love the nolan batman films but i'm also kind of glad that the next one is the last and we can see a reboot with the possibility of a real justice league team up on screen.
metropolisman - 7/18/2010, 11:08 AM
I wouldn't mind a reboot, maybe it could be accurate to the comics....just sayin'.
SHAZAMbizznitch - 7/18/2010, 5:55 PM

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