Batman FAQ

The Dark Knight is currently pushing for the second biggest blockbuster of all time in the United States (competing with Star Wars IV and Titanic) and has made over $700 million worldwide. So it’s doubtful that there are many people who haven’t seen it at least once. You may have walked out of the theater with amazement, but with a few questions. Here, then – with spoilers included, are some answers.

1. Oh my gosh, that was awesome! Will there be a third one?

The short answer is: Yes, probably. When director Christopher Nolan and his writers worked on Batman Begins, they had no plans for a second installment. They ended the first film with the suggestion for the Joker, but the filmmakers didn’t have a story in mind until much, much later. There is no pre-planned story arc. So while they have tossed around ideas for a third film, there won’t be one for at least a couple of years.

2. Is Two-Face really dead?

Granted, when he flipped his coin, it landed on the good side. And we never saw a casket at the memorial. So if they really wanted to, they could plausibly bring him back. But according to the screenplay, his neck snapped when he fell, which is followed by “DEAD” in capital letters.

3. Wait. so, Two-Face is dead? Why? He was so awesome! They shouldnt’ve killed him off!

Two-Face was a great character, and it’s a shame he didn’t get more screen time. But when you think about it, you’ll realize that they couldn’t put him in a third film. Harvey Dent was meant to serve as a character foil for Bruce Wayne; he was meant to show us another side of Bruce’s struggle. He also achieved his vengeance. There isn’t much more story to give him, other than perhaps a minimal role like the Scarecrow’s appearance in the second. In a full role he might do nothing more than continue to arbitrarily shoot people and flip his coin, which would serve no real purpose and probably make people complain about redundancy.

4. Well, if Two-Face won’t be the next villain, then what will they do? They can’t use the Joker since Heath Ledger’s dead.right?

No one will argue that Heath Ledger’s performance was nothing short of iconic and legendary. However, the Joker’s role in the story also served to show the ethics of Batman’s purpose, and it’s questionable how much more can be done with that theme without getting repetitive. Not to mention that the Joker was literally left hanging and is probably in Arkham Asylum. It’s isn’t implausible to suggest that the Joker could have at least a small role in a third film, perhaps organizing things from behind the scenes. If Nolan and company decide to bring back the Joker, be confident that they and the new actor would do it in a way that will not diminish Heath Ledger.

5. Then what would they do for a villain?

Writer David S. Goyer has mentioned the Riddler as an elusive serial killer with puzzles (such as Zodiac or Seven) has been discussed. But there’s a vast villain gallery in Batman lore for the filmmakers to draw from; anything from a Killer Croc assassin to Catwoman a la “super-spy” is possible. And don’t forget that it’s possible to bring back Scarecrow and even the Joker, either as a background mastermind or in a minor cameo that wouldn’t require us to see his face.