7 Secrets Of The Dark Knight's Success

This one is essential, since even actors as talented as Ocean’s 11 star George Clooney have previously proven unable to make the bat suit a believable home (though in fairness to the Solaris star, maybe adding nipples didn’t help on that front). Sure, star Christian Bale may have, by the time he was cast, already proven himself adept at playing cool, collected paragons of privilege who hide an internal angst and a secret, strange double life from the world with his extraordinary turn in Mary Harron’s Bret Easton Ellis adaptation American Psycho.

But the Batman is only as strong as his surrounding cadre of villains and this’s where Nolan shined.

Whilst everyone is quick to single out Heath Ledger’s career-best turn as the Joker (for good reason), it’s vital to note that prior to this flick, the actor’s best known work was as the lead in teen rom com 10 Things I Hate About You, the charming hero of A Knight’s Tale, and the closeted, conflicted protagonist of tender gay romance Brokeback Mountain, none of which screamed “over-the-top supervillain”.

In casting a romantic lead as his baddie, Nolan left viewers wrong-footed from the jump, and the Joker’s unsettling inconsistent backstory was mirrored onscreen by an actor who viewers felt they’d never seen before, since he bore no resemblance to the baby-faced romantic hero under the make-up.