After this month’s much-anticipated release of “The Dark Knight Rises,” Christopher Nolan says he will officially be done with the Batman franchise.
“We’re finished with all we’re doing with Batman,” he told Entertainment Weekly during promotional interviews for the upcoming final chapter in the trilogy. “This is the end of our take on this character.”
Rumors have surfaced that Nolan, who is known for mind-bending screenplays like “Memento” and “Inception,” is looking to helm a “Justice League”-type film, but the 41-year-old director denies such reports.
Nolan is, however, linked to next summer’s Superman relaunch, “Man of Steel,” which may explain why fans guessed he might have a hand at a big-screen project for DC Comics’ superheroes: the Dark Knight, Superman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern.
“Batman will outlive us all, and our interpretation was ours,” he said. “Obviously, we consider it definitive and kind of finished. The great thing about Batman is he lives on for future generations to reinterpret, and obviously, Warners will have to decide in the future what they’re going to do with him.
“We’ve had our say on the character. . . . I’ve got no plans to do anything more, and certainly, no involvement with any ‘Justice League’ project.”
Nolan’s latest will premiere on July 20, and see Christian Bale reprising the role of Bruce Wayne, as well as veteran “Dark Knight” actors Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.
Joining the cast will be newcomers Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.