Christopher Nolan Has Left The DC Comics Building

Christopher Nolan pretty much revolutionized blockbuster cinema with his Dark Knight trilogy, which took a cinematic icon (Batman) and made him the center of an epic saga filled with great acting and compelling stories. Nolan was kept onboard for the first DC Comics feature after The Dark Knights trilogies conclusion, Man of Steel, though here he was solely a producer. Steel had lots of Nolan's influence, but none of that influence felt personal. Instead, Zack Snyder just seemed to be mimicking the "darkness" and "brooding" of The Dark Knight trilogy without realizing those weren't the sole elements that made those movies successful.

Man of Steel managed a solid $668 million worldwide gross last year, paving the way for tons more DC movies in the future, including Batman v. Superman and Justice League. Christopher Nolan won't have a hand in future endeavors in that universe though, as Comingsoon.net reported from his brother, Johnathan Nolan. Johnathan notes that while they could come back in the future, for now they have no plans to embark on more DC cinematic features.

That news really isn't surprising to me, simply because it felt like Nolan did Man of Steel as a bit of a favor for Warner Bros., and not much more than that. If early photos from the film are any indication, Batman v. Superman will see Zack Snyder retain the gritty aesthetic of Man of Steel, the kind of aesthetic that feels like a cheap knock-off of the kind of beautifully realistic environments depicted in The Dark Knight trilogy. Nolans smart to jump ship here; he can keep on innovating and experimenting while Snyder keeps trying in futility to replicate the past.