Credit: DC / Warner Bros.Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy remains the most influential iteration of the Caped Crusader. Informing subsequent big-screen adaptations, such as Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), the epic, three-part blockbuster crime saga has become the benchmark for Batman in film.
Collectively, the three films, Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), which follow Bruce Wayne’s journey as the iconic hero during which he faces numerous villains like The Joker (Heath Ledger) and Bane (Tom Hardy), grossed just under $2.5B worldwide and, were each met with positive reviews from audiences and critics.
Known as The Dark Knight trilogy, the Nolan trilogy, or the Nolanverse, it remains the most grounded Batman series on the big screen.
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Though it’s incredibly unlikely director Christopher Nolan will ever helm another installment in the beloved series, especially seeing as 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises eloquently wraps up Bruce Wayne’s story by forcing him to fake his own death so that he can live a normal, peaceful life far from Gotham City and retire The Batman, thus allowing Robin John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to take up the mantle, many diehard fans of the trilogy don’t even realize that there’s already a fourth entry in the series: Batman: Gotham Knight.
The 2008 direct-to-video Japanese-American animated anthology series series, produced by Japanese animation studios Studio 4°C, Madhouse, Bee Train, and Production I.G in association with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, takes place between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and is comprised of “six interlocking films”: Have I Got a Story For You, Crossfire, Field Test, Working Through Pain, In Darkness Dwells, and Deadshot.
While no actors from the films reprise their roles, whether Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox), or Gary Oldman (James Gordon), the late legendary Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy returns to the fold. Watch the official trailer for Batman: Gotham Knight from DC:
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As for whether the six films are canon, this is often thrown into question by fans as there are some elements that put them at odds with Nolan’s trilogy.
Some of the producers also confirmed around the time of release that the plot from the anthology series is “not necessarily integral to the main story told within the films.” But while Batman: Gotham Knight is not essential viewing in conjunction with The Dark Knight films, there’s still plenty of enjoyment to be had.
Several familiar characters also span the six films, including Alfred Pennyworth, Anna Ramirez, James Gordon, Lucius Fox, Joe Chill, and Scarecrow. The films also feature characters who don’t appear in The Dark Knight trilogy, such as Deadshot and Killer Croc.
You can watch Batman: Gotham Knight on Paramount+.
The Dark Knight trilogy is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Have you already seen Batman: Gotham Knight? Would you like to see a fourth live-action entry in the Nolan trilogy? Let us know in comments below!