Corona | Coming Attractions

Once again, the big news story of the day comes courtesy of Latino Review. This time the hombres at the movie website are reporting the impossible: that Christopher Nolan, the director of the Batman Begins / Dark Knight movie trilogy, will produce and be involved in a creative story capacity with Warner Bros. proposed Justice League movie.

Furthermore, the site states that Nolan will bring back Christian Bale to play Batman in Justice League, opposite Henry Cavill as the new Superman / Man of Steel. Zack Snyder, the director of WB's new Man of Steel movie, would also be a producer on the Justice League film, as well as its possible director. The script would be served up by David Goyer, story man for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

Nolan would serve as the so-called "godfather" for Warner Bros. superhero universe, something that is desperately needed as Marvel Studios maintains its financial and creative edge as Hollywood's superhero powerhouse.

Previous to today, Nolan and Bale have both gone on record to state that they were done with the Batman movie universe. The British-born director may be involved as a producer on Man of Steel but that's as far as his fingers would reach post-Dark Knight Rises. Has Warner Bros. changed Nolan and Bale's minds by offering a bigger cut of the gross profits that the Justice League movie stands to make?

Perhaps. If the movie studio has somehow managed to pull off this feat, it would certainly erase a good deal of doubt placed on a post-Dark Knight Rises Batman appearance. And if Bale returns to play the caped crusader for a fourth time it would create a question about what happened to Bruce Wayne after the closing events of The Dark Knight Rises.

Strategically, a move like this makes a great deal of sense. Marvel is light years ahead of where Warner Bros. is with public and box office interest in their superheroes. Added to the mix is the buzz now building for the new Star Wars movies. Warner Bros. needs to find a way to capture the public's imagination in Superman and Batman appearing on-screen together for the first time, and getting Bale and Nolan back in the same universe where Gotham City and Metropolis exist is the best way to make that energy happen.

One other kink remains: Christopher Nolan is supposedly commiteed to direct Interstellar next, his hard sci-fi movie. That one is a co-production between Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the studio where Nolan's production firm Syncopy calls its home.

Incidentally, early buzz about Snyder's Man of Steel movie emerged online last week, and the word is favorable.