Christopher Nolan and Batman

Today, the official teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises was released. The Dark Knight was one of my favorite movies of all time; not simply because I'm a fan of the Batman (I'm willing to admit this moreso than any other nerdy obsession) - but because it's a great movie. It could've been about a rogue cop and his insane nemesis...and I think I would've loved it just as much. The fact that it was a Batman movie was really just icing on the cake.

And this is Christopher Nolan we're talking about - my favorite filmmaker. And it's not just about his Batman work. I think Memento might be my favorite movie - it's phenomenal in every way I can think of. It makes you think, and the creative way it's structured makes it exponentially better than it could have been traditionally.

His other movies are genius too. I loved The Prestige, and the way the narrative plays with you. You're taught to love and hate both characters, and you're torn between which of the rivals you want to win in the end. Even a movie like Insomnia takes a relatively generic cop movie and finds a way to do more with it.

And don't get me started on Inception - a movie I've obsessed about recently as it's been on HBO on a virtual loop. The movie gets deeper and stronger each time I see it, and it's just beautifully done. There's so much attention to detail, and each time I see it, I see or appreciate something new about it. And it makes you think...not just about how you interpret the ending...but how it can relate to our own wishes and dreams. And it's amazing that, after The Dark Knight...I was able to appreciate a movie that Nolan made when he could've been making another Batman.

But he did. And even though the movie is a year away, I'm still really excited about the third Batman film. Nolan, so far, has done no wrong, and I can't anticipate a scenario where he doesn't meet expectations. Even though my expectations will probably be through the roof (Dark Knight was one of the few movies that surpassed my expectations in theaters).

Something about the trailer bugs me, though. Plastered through the video are references to this being the end. The conclusion. That this is it.

And that makes me upset. Bale is the perfect Batman to me. Nolan is the best director, with an amazing perspective on what makes this world make sense. And the supporting cast (Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman) are also very good in their roles.

This universe is Batman to me. Because, somehow, it's not a comic book world anymore. It somehow makes sense that a billionaire would train to be the world's greatest fighter and dress up in a bat costume. It doesn't draw you out of the world with crazy CGI, ridiculous gadgets, or over-the-top villains. This Batman makes sense.

And in my perfect world, he'd keep doing it. He'd make a Batman movie...take some time off...and make another movie...then come back to Batman. Bale and Caine and Oldman could do the same thing - Bale could make a Terminator movie or The Fighter or whatever he wants in between playing Bruce Wayne.

And I understand that they can't or won't. That artists don't want to do the same thing over and over again, no matter how popular it is, how much money it makes, or how critically acclaimed their work has become. That, sometime, it has to end.

What sucks is that Nolan and Bale could leave...but Batman will not go away. The Dark Knight broke all kinds of records, and the hype for the new movie will continue to build for twelve more months. This is a property that Warner Bros. will not allow to go quietly into the night.

It happened before. Tim Burton's Batman was popular, and the sequel was also quite popular. Then, Burton left, and Michael Keaton left with him. But instead of letting the series die off, the studio gave the idea to someone else. And we all know how that worked out.

Don't get me wrong - I wasn't a huge fan of the Burton films, which were more "gothic" than "dark". All in all, I think the Nolan films are light years ahead in almost every way. But the Schumacher films were a disaster, and they almost killed the franchise for good.

And I can't imagine someone else taking over the films. Or, better yet, who would take over the role of Batman. The role of Gordon. The role of Alfred. Roles that have been grabbed by actors and not let go.

Part of me hopes that the Batman series is put to rest after Nolan is done with them. Let Batman rest for a while, and then come back at it in another decade for another generation to give someone else a chance. Maybe Batman can appear in Justice League movie (or series of movies). Or maybe they can try and film The Dark Knight Returns.

But, of course, my main hope is that Nolan reconsiders. That he realizes that this is a character that he knows well. One that he can do. And one that the group doesn't want to let go. Maybe he makes a fourth or even a fifth film.

Because, honestly, the man could make a million of these movies, and I'd still be hoping for one more.