With the release of BATMAN BEGINS in 2005, Christopher Nolan changed the face of comic book movies—ushering in the modern era of superhero cinema just a few years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe would explode onto the scene.

But the road to Gotham’s rebirth was long and uncertain. Following the critical and commercial failure of BATMAN & ROBIN, Warner Bros. struggled for years to figure out how to revive the Batman franchise without repeating the mistakes of the past.

Enter Christopher Nolan: the rising auteur behind indie thrillers like MEMENTO and INSOMNIA. He wasn’t the obvious choice to reboot one of DC’s most valuable properties—but he turned out to be the right one.

In this episode, we explore how Nolan got the job, how BATMAN BEGINS evolved during development, and how the film’s grounded approach reshaped the genre for the next two decades.

Coming Up:

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop, with special thanks to Todd Davis.

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