Love it or hate it, the superhero genre has a fan base that can’t seem to agree on anything except for one undeniable truth: The Dark Knight trilogy reigns supreme as the greatest superhero trilogy of all time. At the helm of this cinematic masterpiece is none other than the visionary filmmaker, Christopher Nolan – but will he ever direct a cape film again?
After bidding farewell to the caped crusader in The Dark Knight Rises back in 2012, fans have been curious if the acclaimed British director would return to the superhero genre, and now we have a definitive answer.
During a recent interview with HugoDecrypte on his Paris promotional tour for Oppenheimer, Nolan was asked if he had any desire to direct another superhero film. With a quick and decisive response, he had only one word to say:
No.
Nolan’s response carries significant implications beyond a simple reply. Christian Bale, the star of The Dark Knight trilogy, was noticeably absent from The Flash (with good reason), which featured several Batman cameos.
In a previous interview, Bale made it clear that he would only consider returning as Batman if Christopher Nolan personally invited him. With Nolan’s recent assertion, it seems all but certain that Bale will not be reprising his Batman role.
Fortunately, Nolan’s responses to the other rapid-fire questions got us pondering what his next project could be.
Q: Will you still be making movies in 10 years?
Nolan: Yes.Q: Could you make a TV show?
Nolan: No.Q: Would you like to make a Star Wars movie?
Nolan: Pass.
Among the many questions Nolan addressed, these three caught our attention. First of all, it will come as a great relief to Nolan fans to know that the acclaimed director has no plans to slow down – as recent box office performances show, the silver screen needs someone of his skills.
Unlike Tarantino, who’s gearing up for his final film of his career, Nolan has at least three more projects up his sleeve before he hangs up his director’s hat (if he sticks to his usual pattern of releasing a film every two to three years).
Secondly, it turns out that Nolan has no intention of venturing into the realm of television like his brother Jonathan, who is best known for Person of Interest and Westworld. This piece of information is particularly relevant when we consider Nolan’s response to the question of whether he would ever direct a Star Wars movie.
Although he didn’t give a definite yes, his decision to sidestep the question suggests that he might be open to the idea if the right opportunity came knocking. But don’t hold your breath if you expect to see Nolan take the reins of any TV projects in the Star Wars universe. Unless “Pass” means passing on directing Star Wars content, in which case, oh well!
Nolan stepped in to direct The Dark Knight trilogy at a time when the Batman franchise was losing steam among its fans. 1989’s Batman and its sequel, Batman Returns, are considered to be among the best Batman films in the franchise. Unfortunately, the films that followed, namely Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, failed to live up to fan expectations.
The Star Wars universe is in a similar predicament at the moment. The sequel trilogy started with a bang, earning over $2 billion worldwide for The Force Awakens in 2015. But as The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters in 2019, excitement had dwindled, and things haven’t improved since then.
It’s a well-known fact that Nolan is a huge Star Wars fan, but with Interstellar under his belt, a grand space epic in its own right, it’s understandable why he’s not exactly jumping at the idea of directing a Star Wars project. Still, if there’s anyone who can draw Star Wars fans to theaters, it’s him.
Oppenheimer hits theaters on July 21, and for those already aboard the Barbenheimer train, you can make it a double feature by booking tickets for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie on the same day.
