The Dark Knight Rises movie is an in-depth exploration of fate, fear and hope. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan wrote a clever screenplay to close their Batman trilogy. Our ending theory attempts to debunk the clues in the movie ending.Batman fans are divisive as to whether Bruce Wayne lives or dies. We intend to explore the major clues to determine what we believe is the best outcome. If you haven't watched the movie yet, read The Dark Knight Rises ending theory at your own risk.
Movie Spoiler***
We believe Bruce Wayne died in the atomic blast. The majority of viewers reject this notion. Do you believe the protector of Gotham City is physically dead? Believe Bruce Wayne actually survived the atomic blast? Bruce Wayne died in the atomic blast. We base our The Dark Knight Rises theories on the most common arguments that put the following plot clues to the test:
• Bruce Wayne repaired the autopilot
• Selina is wearing the missing pearl necklace
• Bat signal is repaired
• John Blake is given a bag with Bat treats
• Clean Slate
• Alfred sees Bruce and Selina at an Italian cafe
The Nolan brothers wrote an epic movie script. The plot clues give us hope that Batman survives the atomic blast. We can choose to believe in underlying themes such as fear, hope, fate, and retirement. Most moviegoers believe Bruce Wayne is alive, so our ending theory is thus the minority in proving his death. According to several viewers, Christopher Nolan confirmed Bruce Wayne survived in The Dark Knight Rises movie. These commenters never provided a link to lead us to the Nolan interview.
We highly doubt that Christopher Nolan discussed his TDKR movie during the opening weekend. The plot clues (autopilot, pearl necklace, bat signal, bag, Clean Slate, and Italian cafe) give us hope that Bruce Wayne survived the atomic blast. We intend to challenge the plot clues to make a theoretical conclusion. We believe Bruce Wayne died in the atomic blast.
Bruce Wayne repaired the autopilot - Fox discovered that Bruce Wayne (maybe a contractor) repaired the autopilot 6 months ago, which preceded the introduction of the atomic bomb into the plot. One commenter believed Bruce Wayne contracted out the autopilot repair job. It is possible Bruce Wayne authorized the autopilot repair 6 months ago to ensure the Bat plane was good working order. What is significance of the autopilot? How does Bruce survive an atomic blast with an autopilot?
The autopilot is like cruise control. Most planes have an autopilot feature intended to fly a plane without a pilot. The autopilot flies a plane straightforward, but the function disallows any sharp maneuvering. Thus the majority think Batman set the autopilot to carry the atomic bomb, and then he escaped in another Bat pod. We consider the autopilot repair a contrived clue to create hope.
Selina is wearing the missing pearl necklace - Bruce told Alfred that a maid took his mother’s pearl necklace. He refused to call the police, knowing that there was more to the robbery than the pearl necklace. ). Bruce tracks down Selina at Miranda's party to reclaim the pearl necklace. The two share a kiss, and then Selina leaves with Bruce's sports car. Selina admitted to selling his fingerprints (cause). Bane's crew use Bruce’s fingerprints (stock market gamble) to fraudulently impact his fortune (effect
Alfred picks up Bruce. He pokes fun at Bruce, questioning his Master Bruce going home alone as rather shocking. We know that Bruce is a bachelor, so wining and dining many women come with the privilege of being wealthy. If we remember correctly, Bruce never mentions recovering the pearl necklace. It is implied that Bruce recovered the pearl necklace. In Bruce Wayne’s last will and testament, the pearl necklace is stated as missing from the Wayne estate.
In the Italian café scene, we see Selina wearing the pearl necklace. What viewers forget is that Bruce Wayne finally escapes the pit. It is possible Bruce travels back to the Bat Cave to retrieve another Bat suit (Bane busted up his mask)? Could Bruce have taken his mother's pearl necklace with him? Most people take sentimental items on their journey. We believe Bruce Wayne retrieved the pearl necklace. The Italian cafe scene represents an illusion of reality, likely showing Selina wearing the pearl necklace in a fantasy or a dream.
Bat signal is repaired - The Bat signal is a small clue. Does Bruce Wayne fix the Bat signal? Is Bruce Wayne the only person capable of fixing the Bat signal? Could another individual repair the Bat signal? John Blake? Alfred? (we know this sounds far-fetched) Catwoman? Fox? We know we're reaching to find another person, but these questions are asked to identify another person with the skill to fix the Bat signal. Maybe Selina repaired the Bat signal to honor Batman for helping her to rebuild her life. We think another person repaired the Bat signal.
John Blake is given a bag with Bat treats - Detective John Blake visited Bruce Wayne in the setup. He told Bruce of his childhood story. Blake indicated the orphan kids looked up to Bruce, including himself. The orphans dreamed that one day they could be like Bruce. Bruce gave the orphans hope to reach their dream. Blake also alerted Bruce his organization stopped funding the orphan program.
Bruce had no prior knowledge that Wayne Foundation ceased funding the program. Alfred informed Bruce that Wayne Enterprises’ profits funded the program. In the past few years, Wayne Enterprises' profits have declined below projections. Blake alerted Bruce that we need him (Batman). In this moment of time, Blake probably gained Bruce's trust. He also saved Gordon's life in the sewer. We are sure Bruce Wayne learned of Blake’s heroic actions. It is implied that Gordon somehow relayed to Bruce that Blake saved his life.
Bruce Wayne left Blake a bag as a precaution. Bruce sensed that a reliable backup plan must be put in order (Bane?). The bag represents a plan B option to preserve the fate of Gotham. Bruce designated John Blake as the next protector of Gotham. He made this decision prior before the pit prison. If Bruce Wayne as Batman died, then Blake would assume his role. Blake proved his worth long before Batman told him to wear a mask. We believe Bruce Wayne began preparing the bag in the setup and possibly after the pit escape. A recent commenter is suggesting Bruce Wayne prepared this bag once he survived the atomic blast. We disagree with this notion.
Clean Slate - Bruce Wayne is interested in Clean Slate as a bargaining chip to recruit Selina. Bruce Wayne realizes that Selina wants to escape her criminal history. Batman hopes Selina stays behind to help him fight Bane. However, she accepts Clean Slate to clear the tunnel. Selina is viewed as a selfish woman. She is like most black widow characters we see in classic Film Noir movies. Batman operates on strong moral values. He serves and protects Gotham to fill a void (losing his parents to a senseless crime). Selina clears the tunnel, but has a change of heart to rescue Batman in time. She fires a cannon at Bane, killing him in the process.
Causality is working again to show that fate is taking its course. If Selina drives through the tunnel, then Batman dies. Predetermined events put Bruce Wayne/Batman on course to meet his fate. It is possible that Catwoman repaired the Bat signal to honor Batman for giving her a chance to redeem her life (Clean Slate + taking atomic bomb to sea). It may sound far-fetched. We believe Clean Slate only applies to Selina.
Alfred sees Bruce at an Italian cafe - Alfred is having a fantasy. He is emotionally distraught. Alfred reveals his grief, telling the Bruce parents he let them down. In the turning point, Alfred shared his cafe fantasy with Bruce. He always wanted Bruce to find happiness. On his yearly holiday, Alfred imagined a happy Bruce sitting with his family. If Bruce continued down the Batman route, Alfred feared that something bad would happen to him.
In dreams, a person can see anything their minds project. It doesn't matter who we dream about. You can dream about imaginary people. Dreams are not what they seem. The Italian cafe scene is brightly lit, whereas we see dull visuals throughout the movie. We can suggest Gotham City is dark and dangerous, but the Italian café is reminiscent of his dream.
In the shot, Bruce Wayne is at the center of attention. Selina is just a nice fixture, an object of affection to populate the fantasy. The common excuse we hear most is that Alfred can only dream about women Bruce knows to validate the dream case. This idea is not exactly true. According to dream experts, lucid dreaming enables a dreamer to control the dream space. We're not suggesting Alfred is having a lucid dream. However, our theory is that we see Alfred’s point of view, indicating that his dream or fantasy represents his hope to see Bruce happy.
At Bruce's private memorial (Wayne gravesite with parents), Alfred is emotionally broken, shedding tears to reveal guilt that leaving Bruce to meet his dark fate is his fault. There is no way possible we see Alfred avoiding Bruce. Alfred imagines Bruce as happy, accepting his new life is in a better place. Commenters propose that Bruce Wayne faked his death to retire, fleeing to Italy with Selina to start a new life. Can Bruce Wayne leave Gotham behind? What happens if another major event influences Bruce to return back home again? Will people lose trust in Batman?
We simply don't have the time to watch Alfred grieve. His grief is implied exposition that fills a void. Alfred is a noble man that is highly regarded as Bruce’s protector. Past movies such as Gladiator, Armageddon, The Woman in Black, and The Sixth Sense convey happy endings. What happens to the protagonist in these films? In these movies, the protagonists sacrificed their lives to save another.
Alfred is either dreaming, imagining his last thought (Bruce's finding happiness), or is fantasizing that Bruce is finally happy. A protagonist can find happiness through death. Gordon reads a quote from a “The Tale of Two Cities” passage to honor Bruce Wayne. If you are familiar with the book, there is one character that dies understanding their meaning in life. We believe the Italian cafe is conveying a dream or a fantasy.
Last thoughts:
It is too risky for Batman to hope the autopilot saves Gotham City. Bruce realized a rope restricted him from reaching the ledge. Once Bruce strengthened his physical body and mind, he abandoned his subconscious fear to make the last jump without a rope. Despite the autopilot option, we believe Batman chooses to fly the Bat plane up until the end. Bruce Wayne makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Gotham.
One commenter claims that Batman abandons the Bat plane, and then calls to the second Bat to pick him up. Meanwhile, the Bat plane, without a pilot, flies the atomic bomb out to sea to explode. The majority of Batman fans are giving autopilot too much. A 6 megaton atomic bomb holds the power to wipe out an entire city.
Bruce understands that jumping without a rope puts the fate of Gotham in his hands. Batman flies the atomic bomb away, sacrificing his life to save Gotham. He is flying the Bat plane, which a shot shows him inside the cockpit with about 5-seconds remaining on the bomb timer. This shot is an accurate to put Batman on course to meet his fate. The rope foreshadows the flying sequence, while the ledge represents the intended target Bruce must reach. We believe that Batman deposited the atomic bomb in the sea to save Gotham City.
Do you think Bruce Wayne would risk Gotham City on autopilot? When Bruce repaired the autopilot, he knew nothing about any atomic bomb. Bane, Dr. Pavil Miranda and Fox knew about the atomic bomb. Bruce suffered inside a pit prison with a broken back. He watched Bane overtake Gotham City on a television set. The autopilot function symbolizes hope.
Once Bruce Wayne escaped the pit, he probably went back to the Wayne Manor to don a new Bat suit, retrieve a few gadgets and his mother’s pearl necklace, and then flew out of the Bat cave with the Bat plane. Bruce finds sentimental value in his mother’s pearl necklace. Through the pearl necklace, Bruce preserves good memories as a young boy. Bruce Wayne accomplished the third jump to show us that his fate is to save Gotham. He didn't make the jump on hope.
Batman beats Bane to a pulp. He demands the remote detonator. Batman never contemplated flying the atomic bomb outside of Gotham. He is not thinking about retirement. Batman hopes to find the remote detonator in time. Miranda stabs Batman in his back with a knife, sharing her childhood pit story to seek revenge. After Batman and Catwoman chase Miranda through the city streets, Miranda crashes on the lower level. She admits to sabotaging the energy core to prevent anyone from deactivating the atomic bomb. Miranda reveals her revenge plot, and then dies. Batman realizes he must act quickly to remove the bomb.
Batman ties the atomic bomb on a line. We see the rope symbol again.
Selina begs Batman that he does not need to make the trip. This is the second time Selina tries to persuade Batman (not sure if Bruce or Batman) to abandon the rescue plan (prior to giving instructions to clear the tunnel). Batman accepts his fate to save Gotham. He knows what he must do. Selina realizes that Batman is predetermined to save Gotham City, accepting his decision to remove the atomic bomb. She kisses Batman.
Gordon approaches Batman to tell him he is a hero. He admits never knowing his identity. Batman replies back that anyone can be a hero, even a man who puts a coat on the shoulders of a young boy to tell him the world is not about to end (not exact quote). It is then that Gordon discovers Batman's true identity. The "coat and hero" quote helps Gordon to reflect back on an important moment early in his police career.
In a flashback scene, Gordon is consoling a young Bruce Wayne to provide him comfort after his parents were murdered. Batman revealed his identity to Gordon because he knew they would never cross the same path again. Bruce wanted to thank Gordon for boosting his spirits during his darkest moment.
As previously mentioned, Bruce Wayne's predetermined events are in no way an accident. He is destined to save Gotham City. Batman flies the atomic bomb out to the sea. We see the atomic bomb hit a light post. When we see the skyline buildings explode, we know that Batman is flying the Bat plane to meet his fateful end.
Batman is not relying on hope (autopilot) to save Gotham. The 5-second bomb timer shot is accurate. We see Batman in the cockpit flying the Bat plane at a fast speed. There is no way Bruce Wayne survives the atomic blast. Batman is mortal man. He can die in real life.
We see a Batman statue constructed to honor the hero. His death gives Gotham hope. We see the atomic bomb explode, lighting up the horizon to shine a new beginning on Gotham. Detective Blake tosses his police badge into the river, showing that he has given up fighting crime as a peace officer. His disappointed look conveys – Bruce Wayne disguised as Batman – gave up his life to save people who nothing about his sacrifice. John Blake tells to Gordon that they don't even know who saved them. Gordon replies back that it is the Batman that saved us (not exact quote).
In our opinion, we think John Blake wanted Gordon to mention Bruce Wayne. Paying tribute to Bruce Wayne would honor the real man who saved millions of people. John Blake travels on a journey to find the Bat Cave. Bruce Wayne left behind the bag of Bat goods to guide him.
Bruce Wayne left the bag as a secondary measure once he learned of Blake's integrity (visited his home) and possibly discovering that he saved Gordon (implied). We see Blake slide with a rope tied around his waist, slide into the Bat Cave through a waterfall entrance. Bats begin to fly around Blake. He walks further in. In amazement, the platform begins to rise underneath him. Enter Robin John Blake, who we think will become Nightwing.
Bruce Wayne/Batman sacrificed his life to save Gotham, a city that filled his void after his parents died. The Alfred cafe scene is not reality; it is a dream sequence to convey Bruce's happiness through Alfred's mind. Bruce Wayne's fate has always been to save Gotham. He realized that abandoning fear, and accepting fate over hope, would save Gotham. There is no way that Bruce Wayne could save both Gotham and his life simultaneously. Faking his death with autopilot is thus impossible. Nolan never introduced us to another surprise Bat pod.
Saving Gotham City from an atomic bomb is much harder than jumping out of a hole. Batman would never take a risk to fail Gotham. He has one chance to get it right. Bruce Wayne probably reflected back to his third jump, knowing that choosing to go without a rope (putting fate in his hands) is the only way possible to safely remove the atomic bomb out of Gotham City. Ask yourself these questions:
Would Bruce Wayne risk Gotham City on a Bat plane malfunction?
Should saving Gotham City be that easy?
Would Bruce Wayne trust autopilot a third time? (failing twice with a rope)
Would Bruce Wayne rather make the sacrifice to fly the plane? (without a rope)
Bruce Wayne's fate guided his life to save Gotham City. Unfortunate events are determined as causality (cause and effect). His anger, pain, and fate guided his journey. Bruce Wayne died in the atomic blast, albeit the legend of Batman lives on in the city he saved from atomic annihilation. John Blake is handed the torch, now assuming his fate to become the next protector of Gotham.
What do you think about our The Dark Knight ending theories? Please share your ending theory. Thanks.
Best comments that use great movie facts to show Bruce Wayne dies:
Logan
Jasonm921
