But in the context of Bruce Wayne's personal arc in the Dark Knight films, a film exploring his relationship with an apprentice would offer Nolan a chance to examine Wayne's ability to become a mentor akin to those who aided him and his ability to come to terms with the lack of proper parental figures in his life. That alone would be a topic worth exploring in a film. There is an entire discussion to be had about how ethical it was that he took these children under his wing and whether or not Bruce Wayne was acting in the best interest of those children. That's not even mentioning Barbara Gordon, who became Batgirl and still very much had a living father in her life. They all became Robin at one point or another.

There was Dick Grayson, who eventually became Nightwing Jason Todd, who went on to become the Red Hood and Tim Drake. In the comics, Batman is surrounded by an entire list of apprentices, all of which Bruce took part in raising for a time. As fun as it was as an ending, it was a terrible place to leave Batman's story because it was so close to bringing Bruce Wayne's transformation home. The Dark Knight Rises left off hinting that Blake would either take on the mantle of Batman or the comic book superhero that partially inspired his character, Robin. The Joker and Gotham's underworld taught him what he needed to become before Bane taught him how to become it.īatman transformed from a vigilante into an idea and a symbol of hope for the city, culminating in his heroic demise - as far as the general public knew - and his retirement, passing his legacy on to one of his noblest allies: John Blake, who uncovered the Batcave and presumably all of Bruce's equipment.

Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul taught Bruce to embrace his fears and strengthen his resolve in Batman Begins, allowing him to transform from a tragic but spoiled member of Gotham's elite to a committed defender of the average citizen. Each installment in the trilogy explored a different facet of Batman and allowed Bruce to conquer his weaknesses.

The scarecrow and his servant