10 Movie Franchises That Brilliantly Reinvented Characters
6. Bruce Wayne Becomes More Than Just A Hero - The Dark Knight
Batman Begins may give a gritty reimagining, but The Dark Knight is the film that cemented Batman as the greatest superhero. The film is a masterpiece led by impeccable character work. Bruce Wayne and Batman are faced with obstacles that mold him into something more.
Batman Begins gives the why and how of the character, explaining where his morals and skills come from. It challenges the character to become the Batman, but the film was still clouded by the past versions of the character and crucially, it never transcended the superhero genre.
In contrast, that's exactly what the Dark Knight did.
The Dark Knight takes what we know about Batman and puts it to the test. His never kill rule is severely challenged, and the Joker puts every obstacle he can in the way. Looking past the movie itself, the character of Bruce Wayne becomes more refined and nuanced. Christian Bale turns in a solid performance that leads this new version.
Chris Nolan's reinventing of Batman in this film turned him into the Dark Knight. Often imitated, but never replicated, the Dark Knight leads this confused world, and what he can't control, he saves. Batman Begins may have had the origins, but The Dark Knight brought the reinvented superhero to the masses.