“If I had a chance to go back…absolutely”: Fallout EP Jonathan Nolan Will Go Back to Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight 4 in a Heartbeat That Fans Have Been Waiting for Years Now
It’s been over a decade since The Dark Knight Rises hit theaters in 2012, completing Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed Batman trilogy that starred Christian Bale. While the trilogy seemed to wrap up Bruce Wayne’s story, fans have still held out hope for years that Nolan might return to continue the franchise that he helped redefine for a new generation of viewers.
In a recent interview, Fallout director and Chris Nolan’s brother, Jonathan Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplays for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises revealed he would jump at the opportunity to revisit the franchise. He believed that it would be a dream for him if they revived The Dark Knight universe for a fourth film.
Nolan looks back on the decade he spent working to bring a realistic version of Batman to the big screen alongside an extraordinary cast that included Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and more.
What Could The Dark Knight 4 Be About?
In a recent conversation with SHOWSHA, Nolan recalled,
“That period of my life, it was about 10 years of my life when I got the call to go work on Batman Begins [in] 2003 to putting out The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, and it was epic. The chance to work with Christian, Heath, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, the extraordinary cast in those films, and on an American icon like Batman – it was something really special. So if I had the chance to go back and work on that again, returning to that universe – absolutely I would do it!”
For the fans who have been longing for a fourth entry in Nolan’s Dark Knight saga, Jonathan’s comments will increase their enthusiasm. While his brother Chris has shown no interest in returning to the superhero genre after concluding his critically acclaimed take on Batman’s story, the possibility of Jonathan Nolan leading a follow-up installment could potentially lure his brother back.
But the bigger question is: what would the plot of The Dark Knight 4 be, especially after Bruce Wayne’s retirement from being Batman as shown in The Dark Knight Rises? That film seemed to set up Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, John “Robin” Blake, to potentially take over as a new Batman.
However, it’s hard to imagine DC and the Nolans not finding a way to bring back Christian Bale himself, even if just in a supporting or a cameo role to help a new character like Blake. Moreover, Bale himself has expressed openness to returning to play Batman again if the Nolans were involved behind the scenes.
Also read: Netflix Data Confirms What All Millennials Knew About The Dark Knight All Along
The Multiverse Possibility of The Dark Knight 4
With the worlds of DC films and television becoming more interconnected and establishing a multiverse under James Gunn and Peter Safran, The Dark Knight 4 might exist as its own separate continuity, similar to how the upcoming Robert Pattinson’s The Batman sequel will be separate from the new DC Universe’s core storylines. Or Nolan could find an innovative way to tie The Dark Knight trilogy into the larger DC multiverse with its fourth installment.
Regardless of how it’s executed, one thing is clear – fans have been waiting years for Christian Bale and the Nolans to make their comeback to The Dark Knight franchise they helped redefine. If Jonathan Nolan’s recent comments are any indication, they may finally get their wish.
