One of the movies in Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy earnedDCnothing at the global box office, but it deserves far more credit than it has received. This is especially considering howbeloved the Dark Knight franchiseis overall, withThe Dark Knight, in particular, being widely regarded as one ofthe greatest superhero movies ever made.
Batman is one of the most prolific superheroes in both cinema and TV shows, with the Michael Keaton-ledBatmanarguably being a progenitor for modern adaptations. The character has also been one of the most successful, with impressive global box office results propped up by largely favorable critical responses.
Batman’s future in the DC Universeis still shrouded in mystery, although the character has already appeared in animated form inCreature Commandos. This isn’t the first time that an animated Batman has appeared as canon in a largely live-action franchise, however, nor is it the only one that has been particularly well-received.
The Dark Knight Series Are Batman’s Biggest Movies Of All Time
Two Of Them Grossed Over $1 Billion
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight franchiserevolutionized the superhero genre when it launched withBatman Beginsin 2005. After the likes ofBatman ForeverandBatman & Robindelivered one of the campiest renditions of the Caped Crusader yet,Batman Beginsredefined the character in a grittier, more grounded reality akin to the likes of “Batman: Year One.”
In fact, despite earning just a fraction of its successors, Batman Begins was the second-highest-grossing Batman movie at the time, behind 1989’s Batman, which earned $413 million globally.
Batman Beginsearned a relatively modest (by today’s standards) $356 million worldwide, according toThe Numbers, but earned rave reviews and an Oscar nomination.The warm reception helped to reignite enthusiasm around Batman, regardless, setting the live-action Dark Knight trilogy in good stead to break $1 billion globally with both sequels.
$356,770,593
$1,010,086,005
The Dark Knight Rises
$1,082,228,107
The Dark Knightthen entered a league of its own, becomingthe first superhero movie in history to earn $1 billion worldwide. This accolade would be bolstered byThe Dark Knight Risesin 2012, which earned slightly more thanks to the franchise’s unassailable reputation.
2012 was a particularly successful year for superhero movies, as the MCU’sThe Avengersalso broke the $1 billion mark.
In fact, despite earning just a fraction of its successors,Batman Beginswasthe second-highest-grossing Batmanmovie at the time, behind 1989’sBatman,which earned $413 million globally. Now,Batman has become one of the most bankable characters in superhero cinema, with 2022’sThe Batmanearning $773 million globally.
Nevertheless, this unprecedented success is somewhat tempered by an often-overlooked extra installment, technically the franchise’s second, which earned just $0 globally upon release.
Batman: Gotham Knight Is Still Part Of The Franchise Even If It Didn’t Release In Cinemas The Same
It Earned $0 Worldwide
Batman: Gotham Knightisan animated anthology movie that is technically canon to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight series. The Japanese-American movie takes a unique approach to the Dark Knight’s newly established cinematic story, with six animated segments produced by separate animation companies, including:
Batman: Gotham Knightcanonically takes place between the events ofBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knight,fleshing out the titular hero’s story and activities in Gotham after making his heroic debut and before encountering his greatest enemy yet, the Joker. Unlike the prequel and sequel movies, however, it wasn’t given a theatrical release.
This means thatBatman: Gotham Knightearned precisely $0 at the global box office. In fact,as it was a straight-to-TV movie, it suffered relative obscuritywith only the most die-hard Batman fans being aware of its existence. This is a shame, becauseBatman: Gotham Knightis a criminally underrated installment in the franchise.
Batman: Gotham Knight Is Criminally Underrated
It Is A Unique Supplement To The Dark Knight Franchise
Batman: Gotham Knightwas largely well-received by fans and critics upon release. It provides a fascinating exploration of Batman’s activities in Gotham, supplementing the limited depiction that could be included in the space of a standard live-action movie. What’s more is that the titular hero is voiced by a bona fide legend inBatman’s media legacy.
Now that the DCU gets underway in earnest with both animated and live-action installments, more credit should be afforded to Batman: Gotham Knights.
The late Kevin Conroy made his mark as the voice of Batman in the celebratedBatman: The Animated Series(where he starred opposite Mark Hamill’s Joker) and went on to voice the Caped Crusader in various other animated adaptations, includingJustice League UnlimitedandBatman: Mask of the Phantasm. His lending his voice to this production consequently gives it more gravitas.
Batman: Gotham Knightis also one of the more unique takes on ananimated version of Batman. The fact that it depicts six stories in different animation styles keeps it fresh and distinct from the recognizable animation style associated with the likes ofBatman: The Animated Series.
This also helps to distinguishBatman: Gotham Knightfrom animations geared towards younger audiences. Fans of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight franchise might be surprised at howthe animated anthology doesn’t sidestep the more mature themes depicted in Nolan’s live-action film series. In fact,Batman: Gotham Knighteven goes a step further in its depiction of bloodier violence.
Ultimately,Batman: Gotham Knightsis an unmissable supplement for fans of the live-action Dark Knight seriesthat helps to bridge the gap betweenBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knightwith a distinctly fresh format. Now that the DCU gets underway in earnest with both animated and live-action installments, more credit should be afforded toBatman: Gotham Knights.
