Key Takeaways:
– Christopher Nolan nearly stepped down as director after Batman Begins.
– He was persuaded to continue by his brother, Jonathan Nolan.
– The initial plan for the trilogy final was to have the Riddler as the villain, with Leonardo DiCaprio eyed for the role.
Christopher Nolan, acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy director, at one point considered ending his journey with Batman Begins, it has been revealed. His brother, Jonathan Nolan, shared during the Armchair Expert podcast his struggle to convince Christopher to stay on board.
The Nolan Brothers and Superhero Conundrum
Jonathan relayed that Chris, despite taking immense pride in Batman Begins, was ready to move on post-production. He expressed his worry about getting typecast in Hollywood as a director specializing exclusively in superhero movies. Although he found the origin story captivating, he wasn't sure what else he could bring to the Batman saga.
This apprehension led to a decisive meeting with Jonathan and producer Charles Roven. Jonathan recounts how they debated ways to reinvent the story's genre, morphing it from an adventure film into a crime or mob movie. This strategy was proposed to help retain the original characters but shift the narrative's essence.
Jonathan's Persuasion Changes the Course
Jonathan explains how he pointedly told Chris to face the challenge and continue the project, suggesting that the story had greater depths to explore. Admitting he had a minor stake in the script and plotline construction, Jonathan expressed his excitement at the project's potential. He firmly believed that the script devised with David Goyer's involvement was exciting enough to warrant further development.
Indeed, his persuasion paid off. His brother eventually decided to continue directing the later parts of the trilogy, successfully escaping the potential pigeonhole of being typecast a superhero movie director.
Potential Riddler in The Final Film
On another note, Jonathan confirmed rumors in his interview with Josh Horowitz of them deliberating to choose the Riddler as the final movie's villain. This part was even touted for Leonardo DiCaprio by the studio.
However, the character was eventually dropped from the film. The reason was that the Riddler was considered too similar to the Joker, a character portrayed by Heath Ledger in the previous installments of the trilogy.
To create an impact, they realized they needed to shift their focus towards another direction. Despite the intriguing thought of DiCaprio donning the role of the Riddler, they decided to shelve the idea, fearing it would overlap too much with Ledger's brilliant portrayal of the Joker.
Christopher Nolan's eventual continuance proved fruitful, resulting in the universally loved trilogy we know today. Both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises went on to receive wide acclaim for their unique storytelling and cinematic brilliance.
In the end, it's fascinating to contemplate how different things could have been. The films could have seen a different director and possibly a completely different resolution had Christopher Nolan decided not to take the helm beyond Batman Begins. Thanks to Jonathan's intervention, film history was made, leaving fans of Batman and cinema at large, with a remarkable trilogy and unforgettable moments.
