Annlyel James 
The Dark Knight Rises feels like a massive blank space of potential that will never be rectified.
The Dark Knight trilogy can easily and understandably be stated as the best trio of superhero films ever made. They are dark, gritty, perfectly cast and a work of art in cinema. Most trilogies never reach the level that these three Batman films managed to achieve in such a seemingly effortless way. But, as we’ve seen from the newest DC Comics movies, it isn’t as easy as it seems to make a stoic yet epic film featuring a DC Comics character.
Recently I watched The Dark Knight Rises (the final installment in the trilogy) and because I haven’t seen the movie very often it was a blast to watch. But what is always the most upsetting about the film isn’t its storyline or its characters. It’s the implications of the film’s ending that will never come to fruition that makes the movie’s resounding finale all the more frustrating.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, throughout the movie, is an ally of Batman’s and at the end, we discover that he’s going to become Robin. He is undoubtedly the coolest rendition of the Batman sidekick that we’ve ever seen, considering that he isn’t the classic teenager that the Robin character always appears to be.
Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman, in the end, is officially partners with Bruce Wayne/Batman which makes an exciting prospect for the future. She too is the greatest version of the feline hero. And then everyone loves Christian Bale’s Batman who we learn didn’t sacrifice himself at the end of the movie but is instead still very much alive and kicking.
The implications were clear. The next movie was undoubtedly going to feature a super team featuring Batman, Robin, and Catwoman going against another terrible foe worthy of their ultimate attention and it would’ve been so incredible. But alas, it was not to be, and the end of The Dark Knight Rises feels like a massive blank space of potential that will never be rectified.
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Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
