Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy remains one of the best works of his career. From impressive practical stunts to its gritty tone, the trilogy focuses on the human side of the superhero, making it one of the best live-action adaptations of the comic books. The trilogy began with Batman Begins in 2005, which went on to become a major success. 

However, Nolan almost did not return to direct the second film for one big fear. Here is what happened after the success of his first Batman movie.

Christopher Nolan initially did not want to make another Batman movie after Batman Begins (2005). The movie starring Christian Bale was a massive success, grossing more than $350 million worldwide. In an interview on The Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, his brother Jonathan Nolan opened up about that period, revealing that Christopher Nolan may have hesitated to return because he did not want to be categorized as a superhero movie director.

"Chris was on the fence about making another one," Jonathan said. "I think he didn't want to become a superhero movie director. He was very proud of 'Batman Begins.' To me, it was like ... we built this amazing sports car, and I'm like, 'Let's take it for a drive. Don't you want to make one more?'" 

Fortunately, Christopher Nolan agreed to return for the sequel, The Dark Knight, which took on a grittier and darker tone, as his brother shared on the podcast. Jonathan Nolan also co-wrote the screenplay, bringing a unique approach that helped shape the film into more of a crime thriller than a traditional superhero movie. Nolan’s second Batman film became the highest-grossing movie of 2008, and the brothers returned for one final superhero film, The Dark Knight Rises.

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Following his critically and commercially successful experience with superhero films, the director has since explored a wide range of genres and hopes to continue branching out in the future, including exploring horror.

Christopher Nolan may have heard the fans’ calls for a horror movie. The director has also expressed interest in making a full-fledged horror movie. Interestingly, The Odyssey, which Nolan has said contains elements of horror, may only encourage him to explore the genre further.

"It very much whets my appetite for more," Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter. 

However, Nolan’s horror film could only happen if he stumbles upon the right story for it. He further spoke about how the story is the heart of a horror movie rather than its visuals and even praised the recent horror hit Obsession for its storytelling. So, while a romantic comedy may be a difficult genre for Nolan to tackle, the director seemingly has his eyes on horror, which makes the possibility of him venturing into the genre particularly intriguing.

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Can you imagine The Dark Knight without Christopher Nolan? Let us know in the comments.