10 Comic Book Movies Everyone Tried To Copy
2. The Dark Knight
Ever since Spider-Man's rapid ascent at the box office, many film studios were seizing their superhero properties to try to find a way to make money off of corny one-liners. It seemed that the time for the real superhero narrative had faded away, but Christopher Nolan had a few more plans for Gotham's greatest warrior.
Though it had only been a decade since Batman and Robin made a mockery of the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight saw everything getting back to the gritty realism of superhero films. Rather than being about aliens, monsters, or murderers trying to take over the world, this entire movie felt like a crime drama that just so happened to have a man who dressed like a bat.
In addition to the more gritty aspects, the brilliant performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker made many studios re-frame their villains as disturbed individuals instead of generic madmen.
Since its debut, Nolan's opus of a grounded superhero has made many studios put a more realistic spin on their comic book properties, with the Ultimates-inspired Iron Man being released just a few months apart from Nolan's masterpiece. With even more movies coming down the pipeline, The Dark Knight is the instant where comic book movies became more than just strong people with masks on.