Credit: DC / Warner Bros.“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”__ Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), The Dark Knight (2008).
Oh, how those sixteen words uttered by Harvey Dent in Christopher Nolan’s epic comic book crime thriller can suddenly be applied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And now, Aaron Eckhart has some words of wisdom for the superhero movie genre.
The sequel to Batman Begins (2005) hit theaters the same year as Iron Man (2008). The future looked bright for superhero movies back then, whether DC or Marvel, and whether dark like Nolan’s Bat-flick or more accessible like the explosive MCU opener.
Related: ‘Batman Returns’ Writer Reveals Plans for Solo ‘Catwoman’ Movie Starring Michelle Pfeiffer
Now, 16 years on, the genre appears to be in disrepair. Many feel that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has churned out far too many films and television shows than fans care to keep up with, while others think what they’re putting out is just bad. The same goes for the DC Universe.
Perhaps it can all be attributed to “superhero fatigue,” but the truth is it’s probably a mix of all three, along with the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the movie industry. Either way, Aaron Eckhart, who plays Harvey “Two-Face” Dent in Nolan’s 2008 Batman sequel, has some thoughts on current superhero movies.
Related: Michael Keaton’s New ‘Batman’ Sequel Has Finally Arrived
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant for his new film The Bricklayer (2024), the actor talked about how he thinks superhero movies have “gone back into fantasy land” and that they should take inspiration from The Dark Knight.
Check out his full quote below:
“It’s not what I would tell them. It’s what’s on film. It’s what Chris [Nolan] did. If you take what your question right there and break it up and analyze it, and you say, ‘The Dark Knight,’ which is Chris Nolan, ‘brought [superheroes] back,’ from where? Where did he bring them back from? He brought it and put it right in reality.”
He put it in truth, in reality and made it concrete and real and tangible. It was in fantasy land. And I haven’t seen a lot of those movies lately, but I think it’s gone back into fantasy land. Look at Heath [Ledger]’s performance. Look at his makeup. His makeup looked like he did it at home, right? And that’s what we want.
We want a superhero that’s grounded in reality, and we want villains that are grounded in reality. And Chris did that perfectly. I think it set a benchmark for that, so I would say just get back to truth. Truth is where it’s at.”
Eckhart certainly makes a strong argument. On the other hand, his comments are all good and well when applied to a superhero that’s already somewhat grounded in reality (like Batman), but taking the same approach Nolan did with The Dark Knight with any superhero who’s already part of a “fantasy land,” if you will, like Thor or pretty much anyone with superpowers, simply wouldn’t work. At least not as well as Nolan’s film.
Related: Every DCEU Movie Ranked From Worst to Best
But for a while, studios were taking inspiration from The Dark Knight. It single-handedly popularized the “dark and gritty” superhero movie as we know it, even inspiring the first wave of DCU films, which included Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
But now, the genre is returning to its campier roots, with recent years having seen the likes of Shazam! (2019) and The Flash (2023) shift the tone (although that had more to do with DC and Warner Bros. trying to replicate Marvel’s success with their shared cinematic universe). As for the MCU, which has never been dark and gritty, we’re not convinced this route would help it out of the hole it’s in.
Related: The 7 Worst Movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Still, there’s a lesson to be learned here, but it has less to do with style and more to do with substance.
What do you think of Aaron Eckhart’s comments? Do you think superhero movies need to become dark and gritty again? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!