‘Fallout’ Director Jonathan Nolan Wants to Make More Batman Movies

Although Jonathan Nolan spent a decade of his life working on The Dark Knight trilogy with his brother Christopher Nolan, The Hollywood Reporter reveals that he is down to creating another Batman movie if he ever gets the chance. Many would agree that the trilogy released between 2005 and 2012 are the best superhero films ever made, which is unsurprising considering that the Nolan brothers are popular for their exemplary prowess in the cinematic scene.

Jonathan is known for creating the CBS sci-fi series Person of Interest and co-creating HBO’s Westworld. Besides the Batman trilogy, he has worked on other projects with Christopher, including The Prestige, Memento and Interstellar. His most recent work which has gained him even more praise is the TV series adaptation of Fallout, which he directed and executive produced.

Working on the Batman franchise is something that Jonathan would love to do again if possible, as he describes it as an “epic” time in his life. In his words, “Wouldn’t that be a dream? That period was 10 years of my life [from] when I got the call to work on Batman Begins, and it was epic. Working with Christian [Bale], Heath [Ledger], Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and to honor an American icon. If I had the chance to go back and work on that again? Absolutely.”

Nolan’s Famous Line From ‘The Dark Knight’ Was Inspired By Greek Tragic Figures

It’s been years since the Fallout director was involved in the superhero trilogy and, of course, he has moved onto other things. He also noted that others “have picked up the mantel and moved on with those characters”, possibly referring to Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise, which is set to release The Batman Part II in 2026. Regardless, his work in the Batman franchise will never be forgotten, not just because of his filming skills but for also being the brains behind The Dark Knight‘s well-known line, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

According to Jonathan, the line came later in the script and was inspired by “Greek tragic figures.” He explains, “So I was looking at Greek tragic figures. The first part of that line is ‘you either die a hero’ — and that part’s important, because not everybody wants to be a hero; it’s engaging in heroics that puts you in this space, where you have this binary outcome. The idea is [that] there are people who put themselves on the line and so often that wager turns on them. It’s also that old idea of absolute power corrupting absolutely. It felt uniquely resonant to the tragedy of Harvey Dent and the tragedy of Batman. The fact that it resonates with people beyond the film is gratifying. I was proud of that line.”

The Dark Knight is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

The Dark Knight

When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.

Release Date

July 18, 2008

Runtime

152 minutes