The Dark Knight Rises SPOILERS

[DSET]

Originally Posted by AsOneDead

That's just using too much imagination I think. He faked his own death, I don't think he's going to be making a return ever. That's why he was explaining the whole time to Blake that Batman is just a symbol and that anyone can be Batman. Blake will be the new Batman, not Robin. And how will he become Batman exactly? He has no training, only the heart. It took Bruce 7 years to get the training and skills to become Batman. Blake's gonna be Batman just cause he was a cop and has a good heart?

I really see him as either coming back to the cave to help out Robin become batman like in Beyond. Or coming back to join the streets yet another time if hes forced to.

I didn't think of it any other way until I started reading the threads. I don't know maybe its just me but I don't see it as being over for Bruce by a long shot at the end of this film.

To me the whole 8 year gap is meaningless unless you use it as a theory to believe that Bruce will yet again return in whatever form to the batman saga.
Thats why I don't think its using too much imagination, because hes given us an example of it happening once already.

[DSET]

Originally Posted by Vracula

Probably poke his eye out with a batarang. If bruce with all that training and discipline ended like Dr house after a few years , blake will be dead in under a year from falling of a roof trying to creep up on gordon lol.

If even we cant envision him being able to be batman
I don't think Nolan could.

Which could mean he envisions him being trained by Bruce wayne himself.

I dont think hes just gonna exile from gotham while Blake is suffering and struggling to become the new batman.
To me I see the Batman Beyond set up possibly intact.

[DSET]

Originally Posted by AsOneDead

That's just using too much imagination I think. He faked his own death, I don't think he's going to be making a return ever. That's why he was explaining the whole time to Blake that Batman is just a symbol and that anyone can be Batman. Blake will be the new Batman, not Robin. And how will he become Batman exactly? He has no training, only the heart. It took Bruce 7 years to get the training and skills to become Batman. Blake's gonna be Batman just cause he was a cop and has a good heart?

Couldn't that be just the point we need to lead us to believe that Bruce will in fact be there to train him.

regardless
isnt this all moot?
the movie ended at that point
Why should the future of the batman saga
affect the film we just saw?

Did it matter if the top fell or not in inception?
either way it was a fun ride.

[DSET]

Originally Posted by Vracula

How did bruce end up so ----ed up , with no cartilages and ----, i understand he fell off with dent that might explain the limp, but the man was a wreck. And then come back strong after a broken back and climb the pit like spiderman without his robocop prosthetic.

Yeah i spent the entire time waiting to hear what crippled Bruce, I guess chalk it up to long standing injuries.
You gotta believe the mojo shaman man in the cell helped him cure his injuries.

[Vracula]

Originally Posted by DSET

Yeah i spent the entire time waiting to hear what crippled Bruce, I guess chalk it up to long standing injuries.
You gotta believe the mojo shaman man in the cell helped him cure his injuries.

Hoping so , but the movie was so awesome i dont really care. Im a fan boy of the series u guess lol.

[premium_substit]

Wait a minute, Batman's still alive? I thought they just made it look that way for the kiddies (I admit I needed to see that too ). But I just got a really eery feeling at the end. A part of me was like "awesome!" it had a sort of batman beyond vibe (even if the guys middle name is robin or whatever), where it could seem Bruce would train him.. (plus it all fits - bruce has aged etc - and we need a new batman)

but no, the real feeling I got from this, as much as I hate to say it, is that Batman is dead..

You have to remember at the end of the movie we are most likely seeing things from Alfred's perspective/imagination - his point of view. Earlier in the movie he spoke about how he'd go to parris and imagine Bruce is sitting there with a family and they wouldn't say anything but just look at eachother in acknowledgement - well that is what happened at the end (the exact way he'd imagine it - granted this time it was bruce but maybe that is his way of coping knowing he's at peace). So to me, that is Alfred's point of view. Not to mention, Alred was really distraught at the end of the funeral (sure - they could have faked the funeral so bruce could have a clean slate elsewhere, but to me it seemed alfred was genuinely devastated).

Now proof to say Batman is alive is that Fox enquired about the auto-pilot and found out Bruce had done it 6 months earlier. So we are left to assume he could still be alive, but could he really escape that explosion? There wasn't that much of a time frame between where the jet left the city, and we didn't see him eject.

I'd love to think he were still alive, and honestly I think they've left this 1 to the imagination.. but I just got a creepy vibe at the end as well which I feel like Nolan wanted us to have for a reason.

For me the question is not if Batman abandoned Gotham, but if he is still alive. But original poster is right. If batman were stil alive, he'd be in Gotham, else it is out of character. Just another fact to back up the latter unfortunately


have been waiting for a spoiler thread lol

[DSET]

I think Nolan just left it open to interpretation. I actually think he wanted to kill him but he wasn't allowed so this was the next best option. And whoever picks up the torch next will decide his fate.

To me its not at all concrete that hes dead.
Especially since he was sitting there with Selina.

How much of Selina did Alfred actually see at that point, hardly any. They didn't have to show Selina or a woman they could have just showed a close up of Bruce and a hint of a woman but they didn't.

Plus I cant believe that all those things that were happening were imagined.

I see him as alive and well.

[VaultMan]

Originally Posted by premium_substit

You have to remember at the end of the movie we are most likely seeing things from Alfred's perspective/imagination - his point of view. Earlier in the movie he spoke about how he'd go to parris and imagine Bruce is sitting there with a family and they wouldn't say anything but just look at eachother in acknowledgement - well that is what happened at the end (the exact way he'd imagine it - franted this time it was bruce but maybe that is his way of coping knowing he's at peace). So to me, that is Alfred's point of view. Not to mention, Alred was really distraught at the end of the funeral (sure - they could have faked the funeral so bruce could have a clean slate elsewhere, but to me it seemed alfred was genuinely devastated).

Now proof to say Batman is alive is that Fox enquired about the auto-pilot and found out Bruce had done it 6 months earlier. So we are left to assume he could still be alive, but could he really escape that explosion? There wasn't that much of a time frame between where the jet left the city, and we didn't see him eject.

I'd love to think he were still alive, and honestly I think they've left this 1 to the imagination.. but I just got a creepy vibe at the end as well which I feel like Nolan wanted us to have for a reason.

Ive seen this twice already, and loved it both times. And like you I thought to myself after the first viewing that maybe Alfred was picturing Bruce in Italy with him, enjoying life. The evidence that seems to point to this being reality and not Alfred's vision is
1) the string of pearls was missing from the executor's list of valuables at the reading of the will, which we already know Bruce took back from Selina. He gave it back to her at the end.
2) Alfred never met Selina, so if he wouldve pictured Bruce with a woman, it wouldnt have been Selina, while wearing the string of pearls, which she had on in the final shot.

Just my theory.

Finally, he's the Batman. Certainly the Batman in comics wouldnt be blown up in that fashion...thats too easy a death. Its the Batman for chrissakes...he doesn't go out like that....

[VaultMan]

Originally Posted by DSET

I think Nolan just left it open to interpretation. I actually think he wanted to kill him but he wasn't allowed so this was the next best option. And whoever picks up the torch next will decide his fate.

To me its not at all concrete that hes dead.
Especially since he was sitting there with Selina.

How much of Selina did Alfred actually see at that point, hardly any. They didn't have to show Selina or a woman they could have just showed a close up of Bruce and a hint of a woman but they didn't.

Plus I cant believe that all those things that were happening were imagined.

I see him as alive and well.

Good post. You beat me to it by moments

[premium_substit]

Yeah that's sort of how I feel.. I feel like Nolan wanted to kill him, but obviously you can't kill Batman (in this case it's the studios ), so there are stops in place to suggest batman is alive and well as you say, but I do still get that vibe from Nolan - it's clever cinema..

This is one director's commentary I'll actually be really interested in listening to once blu comes out.

Nice theories guys, good points - I will try keep faith lol