6 Common Misconceptions About The Dark Knight Rises

6. Bruce Is A Recluse For 8 Years

One of the most frustrating arguments lauded against the film is that "Bruce just hid in his mansion for eight years." It's easy to see how the timeline of the film got misconstrued; it takes place eight years after The Dark Knight, and at the start of it, Bruce has seemingly gone mad, grown a creepy beard, and has locked himself away from the world. But, if you listen closely to what other characters say at the start of the film, you'll see that he hasn't been reclusive for that entire eight year gap. After Bruce put away the cape and cowl he turned his attention to doing philanthropic work as Bruce Wayne, rather than dressing up at night and fighting criminals. He attempted to start a clean energy project, creating a fusion reactor. According to Miranda Tate, he worked on that project for five years before inexplicably pulling the plug, then disappearing from public life. So, just for the record: Bruce hangs up the cape, tries the energy project for 5 years, then becomes a recluse for three. He didn't become one because he quit being Batman; he tried saving Gotham as Bruce but failed and that's why he gave up. It's an important distinction because many just assume that since he's not Batman anymore, he hides for 8 years and that's some big knock on his character. When in fact, that's not the case at all.