“Maybe there’s so much expectation to them. But I wouldn’t want to do one if it weren’t going to be as good as the first or second. That’s not respectful to the fans.”

That line right there is exactly why Christopher Nolan is probably the greatest filmmaker working right now in the industry. He's not going to make another film just because the studio is pressuring him – he actually wants there to be a story to go with it. Not many mainstream directors are like that these days… Sam Raimi being a fine example.

And at the same time, he cares about the fans. I hope he gets nominated for Best Director, and the movie gets nominated for Best Picture. Fully deserving, even if it doesn't win.

I agree he truly is the best of our time right next to michael Mann, true to their fans but most of all true to themselves.

Kudos to Chris for respecting his work as a filmmaker and for respecting the fans by not wanting to just churn out sequels for the sake of sequels. I am a bit worried about the quality of a sequel. I remember after Spiderman 2 came out, reading an interview with Sam Raimie and he said he would only make a third Spiderman if he felt that it was warrented and provided that a great story could be written. I don't have to explain the great disappointment that Spidey 3 was.

Still, I'm on board for a Chris Nolan – Christian Bale 3quel. Out of curiosity, what does everyone think about a possible Catwoman storyline?

I mean think about it: the love of Batman's life is dead, he's in the darkest place he's ever been in, he's hunted like a criminal, and then just when he's weary of fighting crime by himself, along comes a sexy new vigilante. He accepts her, he respects her but then he realizes she is no better than Joker, Two-Face, Scarecrow or Gotham's other criminals.

Opinions, thoughts, please.

I don't know if I really want Catwoman or any of those characters in the next one. They've already been done before. The Joker was really the only exception, since he's Batman's archenemy. It could also work in the real world. I think they should try and do something that hasn't been done before in previous films, even if it's not the same series as Nolan's. Seeing Catwoman or The Penguin would be kind of boring, in my opinion.

Yeah, I can understand the need for Nolan to take the series in a complete new direction; however, since Nolan reinvented Batman with Batman Begins, I view his films as being completely seperate from the Batman Universe created by Tim Burton & Joel Schumacher. I wouldn't mind seeing Catwoman or The Penguin.

The Batman films have always been best when The Dark Knight has faced down fantastic villians. The most memorable being Joker (in both the Jack Nicholson & Heath Ledger incarnations) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfiffers version).

So, a new direction could be nice; however, I hope the villian isn't as lame as Scarecrow – was not impressed. I here that in the comics Raz-Al-Gul has a daughter that seeks revenge against Batman – that might be interesting; especially if after meeting Batman she falls in love with him. Here's hoping Nolan & Bale are back for a 3quel.

I would love to see Chris Nolan do a third story line with Black Mask picking up the piece's of the Falcone organisation in Gotham, also involving Catwomen as a thief, who in the Long Halloween/Dark Victory story is Carmine 'the Roman' Falcone's illigitimate daugther, bring back Tom Wilkinson and Eric Roberts, Falcone and Maroni together against Black Mask with the help of Catwomen to a certain degree. All the while both sides have Bats to deal with, who has the police to deal with himself, cause they dont want him around no more, or did they ever?

Black mask is wonderfully extreme and psychotic as hell and he can fit in Nolan's batworld, bring him to the screen I say.

I know it's a little messy, but it could work in Nolans carefull hands.

i say dark knight for best picture and heath ledger for best supporting actor make it happen

Unless I miss my guess, The Dark Knight will be nominated for Best Director, Supp. Actor – Heath Ledger, Original Screenplay, Visual Effects, Sound Effects, Sound Effects Editing, Makeup, Costume Design. So, it will nominated for a grand total of 8 Academy Awards (possibly 9 or 10 with nominations for Picture & Cinematography).

I can't imagine the Academy not recognizing the achievements of The Dark Knight, especially the technical & Supp. Actor awards. Come on Academy, nominate a Blockbuster, its okay.

@Alyjerk: I really like your storyline idea. They could even do something where Catwoman finds out that Falcone is responsible for killing her mother. Catwoman could be born in the Red Light district or something gritty like that, maybe see a pimp abusing some poor girl and then, something just snaps and she goes ballistic on the pimp and proceeds to go all vigilante on Falcone. Enter Batman.

Also, despite the absolute failure of Joel Schumacher's "Robin," do you think Nolan could effectively ressurect The Dark Knight's classic sidekick?

Harleen. Quinny Quinn Quinn. please.

@Quake_82:

I think Christopher Nolan has gone on record that the entire storyline he's working with now is far too early in Batman's lifetime for Robin to be included. If i remember correctly, when asked about a possible appearance by Robin in a film, Nolan replied not likely since he's "probably in a crib somewhere in Gotham".

@Josh: Just a technical thing: The Dark Knight would be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, since it was based on characters created by Bob Kane.

@Quake_82: yeah it would be best if batman has been around gotham for at least a decade, before he accepts dick grayson as his ward, it only make's sence that bruce wayne/batman is far more mature than he appears in nolan's world to take the responcibility of what is basically a father-son relationship

Im all for a Black Mask storyline. He is probably the best fit for Nolans take on the series.

All the commentary on the possibility of a sequel has been great so far! But Nolan needs to take a few things into consideration for the fans sake!

1. The Batcave/mansion need completion. These are staple parts to the Batman mythos! we saw the potential in the first, the mention of it in the second…please reveal it in the Third.

2. Even with out Heath we need to see the Joker again, and what has happened since the fall of Dent.

3. I agree that Robin would be to soon to introduce into the franchise, but there are so many villians that we can still see such as Black Mask, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Solomon Grundy, Dr. Freeze ( not the cartoony one from the previous franchise).. the Riddler( another great villian) and even the KG Beast would be a good one. Ten nights of the Beast was a great story. Thats not even touching the base of the pantheon of villians.

4. the Tumbler batmobile was destroyed…what is going to replace it.

5. Will there be a strained relation between Morgan Freemans character and Bruce due to the DK cell tapping incident?

and so many more loose ends.