Dark Knight Rises: What's Next For The John Blake Character [Spoilers]
***"Dark Knight Rises" spoilers appear below, so please be forewarned. ***
Will "Dark Knight Rises" be the very last time that John Blake, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, will be seen? With the recent movie ending as it was, chances are no. However, the trilogy does apparently mark the end of the god-like Christopher Nolan era of the franchise, which begs the question: if another film were made, what could be next for the open-ended character of Detective John Blake?
Many Batman fanatics have been buzzing as of late on what direction the John Blake character could potentially go. Based on both popular public opinions, the following three scenarios appear to be the most logical:
(1) In order for the franchise to continue where Christopher Nolan has allegedly left off, many fans wouldn't be opposed to a John Blake return as Batman in the very next future flick; which would pick up from the end of "Dark Knight Rises." With Gordon-Levitt having pretty darn good acting chops, the transition for Blake's character development could clearly pay off.
Interesting to note, Warner Bros. has already stated that a reboot of the successful franchise must come to fruition for something like that to happen. However, that would involve coming to terms with a differently constructed story without any ties to any of Nolan's.
(2) Putting the Blake character into a "Justice League" movie flick was a scenario discussed. However, this could potentially cause confusion and conflict. Therefore, whoever would write the character into the story would need to confront the relationship Blake had with Bruce Wayne first; which in turn may make the story more complex.
(3) If Bruce Wayne were not in the picture, then clearly John Blake would do well filling the shoes of Batman in a "Nightwing movie. That is, if Gotham needed a new Batman in the story. Many of the fans have shown favoritism toward Blake in a "Nightwing" film over any other character possibilities.
If there was a film of this sort made, chances are it would be spun by a different director in a vastly unsimilar direction. While Christian Bale has publically said that he will not return for another run at the Batman franchise, Levitt-Gordon has not. Hence, Gordon-Levitt as Blake in the spotlight is still feasible.
In closing, the possibilities are endless for John Blake. Only time will tell us who Warner Bros. will slate as their next director for the flourishing Batman franchise. Although nothing is written in stone on the film front, it would be unintelligent for the studio not to continue to capitalize on the cash cow of the silver screen.
