A Sequel to The Dark Knight Rises?

I know Christopher Nolan has been pretty damn adamant about The Dark Knight Rises being an end to his trilogy, and even an end to Batman… but I don’t really believe him. I’ve had a creeping suspicion that TDKR will actually break open the whole Bat-verse in a very big way. I know this seems like it goes against everything Nolan has said, but just let me explain why…

Batman might just be the most popular character on the face of the planet right now, and even more so than the comics, video games, and TV programs, Nolan’s films are the reason. So why, at the peak of their success, would the WB let the greatest franchise they’ve ever possessed (yes, even better than Harry Potter) slip through their fingers? I know some of you might think this isn’t a decision that the WB has any control over. After all, Nolan will be the guy in charge (whether as director or producer), and he’s an ‘artist’ first and foremost. So if he feels like there isn’t anything left to tell in his Batverse, he’ll move onto the next project.

BUT… and this is a pretty big “but”… Batman isn’t the central figure of Nolan’s trilogy, which means two very important things. One, Batman is just a tool in Bruce Wayne’s arsenal, and the true story is about Wayne himself, his redemption and how it’s so desperately connected to the fate of Gotham. Just think back to The Dark Knight, the entire plot reinforces the concept that Batman is greater than any one man, and that he is a tool to incite fear and order. And secondly, since this trilogy is in fact about Wayne, Batman can transcend it. The Bat can continue on into further films without cheapening trials of Gotham’s golden boy, which were so brilliantly portrayed by Christian Bale.

Having satisfied the needs of that story, Nolan can start on a new one, with a new Batman. Now, this might be the biggest leap in my argument, but I’m willing to place money on the fact that Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character (John Blake) will inherit the mantle. Just think it over for a little bit, and you’ll see that it makes sense.

From a creative standpoint, I’ve explained HOW and WHY there’ll be a sequel to TDKR, but there’s another very important reason… Warner Bros. is creating their own cinematic superhero universe and one of their most frequently discussed goals is the creation of a Justice League movie. Nolan’s Batman films are so immensely popular, that I simply can’t imagine the WB could ignore them and just start anew. No, instead, they’ll use them as stepping stones to launch the rest of their lineup. Of course, I don’t think it will be nearly as obnoxious as Marvel’s assembling of The Avengers, but the WB will follow the same concept. They’ve had a hiccup along the way, with Ryan Reynolds’s ill-fated Green Lantern, but the studio has learned from that mistake. Instead of starting with an all new creative team, they’ve enlisted both Nolan brothers to head their reboot of Superman, and there’s every reason to believe that those two will herald in the entire DC universe.  Make no mistake, there WILL be a Justice League movie, and the WB will try everything it can to ensure Nolan is somehow involved.  If you don’t believe me, just look at the leaked reports of a Flash film.  Hell, even Wonder Woman is being thrown through the pre-production rounds again.

It just makes perfect sense that these most recent Batman films will continue on and that they’ll spurn on an entirely new generation of DC superhero flicks. What do you guys think? Make sense? Am I full of it? Sound off!