The Dark Knight Rises Ending Explanation (Analysis) MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!!

Just an explanation of the ending of the Dark Knight Rises, it focuses on whether or not is Bruce Wayne still alive? Some people believe Alfred imagines Bruce alive at the end of the movie
How does Bruce Wayne survive the bomb at the end of the dark knight rises
Is Batman alive at the end of the dark knight rises
how does batman survive the nuclear bomb
who fixes the autopilot
why is Bruce Wayne's necklace the missing item from the will
How does john blake or Robin get the coordinates to the bat cave
how does the bat symbol or bat light get fixed for police Gordon
who gives robin coordinates
batman bruce wayne alive proof

[@stevenvega8770]

Perhaps batman vs superman film is what happens during Bruce Wayne's absence from gotham before the Dark Knight Rises came out. Thus creating valid evidence that when he takes the bomb over the bay superman actually saves him. Or maybe the young cop is just ben aflec in the future as batman. ..?

[@calv1nl0v3r]

Steven Vega That was Robin, as in Batman's sidekick. However, that was likely just a reference, because in the Dark Knight universe he has no sidekick.

[@stevenvega8770]

OneLifeLeft True. Should be interesting to see how the new film pans out.

[@shomusbiologyofficial]

Bruce Wayne Died in that case but batman never dies...Because he's not an ordinary people...he is a symbol.. remember Wayne said " As an ordinary people I can be underestimated, can be destroyed but as a symbol I can be everlasting"

[@OmarESPN]

Selina did have the pearls on, Alfred didn't know that Bruce and Selina had a relationship, he never saw the too together caring for each other.

[@aaronlovemoney]

Spoiler Alert! Alfred did meet Selena. The part where he told her to go inside a room and leave some food and when Bruce Wayne was searching up her to find her information because she stole some Jewelry.

[@junkmail1111]

btw man the video was just distracting i couldn't look at the video I had to look somewhere else and listen to you speek, your reasoning was good but what does playing COD have anything to do with TDKR?

[@denizdazin4455]

Thats actualy a pretty nice explanation and its 100percent possible!!!!

[@Gaider]

1) The necklace - taken by Bruce, or stolen by Serena on his demand. 2) Fixed autopilot in the BAT - message that Bruce planned something like this. 3) Bruce gives Robin the Batman legacy (Batman is just the symbol, anyone could be the Batman) because he knows he has it in him to be a hero like him. 4) Fixed bat signal - message to Gordon, that batman is still there to be called (Blake) 5) Bruce shows Alfred that he is still alive and does what he wanted (what his parents wanted)

[@thatfatguyeatingapie]

1. Uses the "surprise for his journey" Tom Conti gave him to pay his way to America with smugglers. Uses the underground railroads mentioned in BB to arrive at Wayne Manor in mainland Gotham. Crosses the ice using sure footing to get to Gotham island. 2. It's a different Bat. Bane didn't use this Bat because it had faulty/no stabilisation software so it is effectively useless. 3. Sure footing taught to him by Ra's al-Ghul in BB. Simple really.

[@bestpredator]

Good analysis. Thx

[@kusali11]

yeah the movie seems to cover a large time period in a mater of frames at times, if that's an accurate way of putting it. So Crowofdebt, it does seem plausible that the cockpit view and the clock have a greater time gap. Maybe Nolen will show it in the extended DVD, maybe that's what they are driving for.

[@ShaBellaa]

Just to save you some time 1. Bruce Wayne ejected himself before the bomb explodes 2. Batman/Bruce Wayne is alive 3. Answer 1 4. Wayne fixes the autopilot prior to telling Fox the air craft flies fine even without it 5. Bruce Wayne most likely has the pearls in his possession 6. Robin John Blake gets the coordinates to the bat cave because Wayne left it to him in the bag he left in the Will 7. It can be inferred Gordon had it fixed because he has a feeling there will be a new Batman 8. Answer 6

[@marcowargamer]

responses to the vid: 1) there's no reason he could not change his fantasy a bit; 2) Alfred DID meet Selinar; 3) the fact he set the autopilot does not prove he used it; 4) Selina could have stolen the necklace again; 5) BLAKE FIXED THE SIGNAL, 'cause he is going to be the new Batman / Robin (it'd make sense he did that, to follow the steps of the master) - it makes more sense than Bruce fixes it and THEN leaves Gotham. 6) there's no evidence that the 5 sec was a lot after we see him there

[@marikomagnus]

Personally I believe Bruce died in the end, for the following reasons: 1.: The autopilot had been fixed, but he couldn't rely on a navigation system described by engineers as "ancient". 2.: You don't quit being Batman because you don't get over your parents' death as explained by dt. John R. Blake. The only thing that would have kept Bruce from going back is death. 3.: The bat-signal was replaced by Bruce at some point after Bane took over, when it became apparent that the city needed the hero it deserved. The first time Gordon is seen on that roof is in the end of the film. It doesn't necessarily mean that the signal was new. 4.: The cinematography regarding the Florence shots (all of them) is different than the dark, gritty one used in the rest of the film. It gives us reason to believe that the lively colour is the distinction between reality and Al's imagination. 5.: His last will and testament was changed when Blake told him to be Batman again. It was apparent when they read it that whoever wrote it did not know he would lose most of his fortune. Of course, none of this disproves the theory that he could be alive. What it does is blatantly destroy the possibility that the ending was unambiguous.

[@sosabewilden1948]

But they didn't formally meet he just told her to take the tray up to his room

[@marikomagnus]

yeah, so?

[@saamrehman8755]

this guy says that it was alfred's imagination beacause of the lighting, wtf?

[@willmartinez601]

1. Autopilot was fixed (probably the biggest hint right there) 2. Repaired Bat Signal that Gordon finds and smiles over it. 3. Blake finding the bat cave. 4. The missing pearls that are later revealed to be on Selina. 5. Alfred's reaction to Bruce being alive isn't really a reaction you make when you're imaging things.

[@Miami3811]

her own personal gain). Also, Alfred did meet Selina while at the ceremony at the beginning. He told her to go give Wayne his meal. He might not know of whatever relationship they had, but he definitely knew her. The ending lets you decide what's best. Whether it be Bruce being dead, alive... Robin being robin, nightwing, batman. That's the beautiful part, it's up to you. Nolan is an amazing director and he showed George Lucas isn't the only guy who could put together a trilogy worth tearing u

[@jarrodlenne4685]

How did you make that video

[@Ahkwha]

THANK YOU! I barely seen it once and I already knew that he was alive. Bruce Wayne used that device that was meant for Selina (she uses it too) for her to have a fresh new start.

[@SilverShamrock71]

yep but if you take that short montage of scene's out and just leave the florence coffee shop scene in, then the ending is ambiguous and it works a lot better than knowing for certain he's alive, or maybe making the clues he's alive a bit more subtle... i reckon this was down to the studio not nolan, a director's cut version could be interesting when the dvd comes out..

[@Shawn4815162342]

The entire theme for the film was "Batman could be anyone. It doesnt matter who he is, it's the symbol he represents." The ending showed the rise of the next Dark Knight, the Beginning of a new Batman. Nolan doesnt have to make another film and no one has to pick up where he left off, it simply shows that when the current Batman can no longer handle the responsibility (whether too injured, too old, or too stressful) there will always be someone to step forward and continue the fight.

[@44excalibur]

I heard something about the MTV interviews but I wasn't sure if those were confirmed. Thanks! I at least thought Nolan's ending would have been somewhat obvious to anyone who is familiar with Nolan's work, or has read Frank Miller's Batman graphic novels.

[@Thaibiohazard123]

1. Tony Stark didn't escape by himself , he just fought his way out and then he was found in the middle of desert by military , and what you said there still don't answer how does he get in the city , and if he found a secret way out that Bane hasn't noticed , why doesn't he tell Blake to go that way ?. 2. "The Bat" I mentioned is the name of the aircraft he uses 3. I don't know , but I'm pretty sure you won't survive if you wear a Kevlar armor set.

[@OmarESPN]

Awesome point!

[@STARWARSFAN921]

Nolan leaves the audience to use their imagination! 1) After destroying The League Of Shadows' temple in Begins, he somehow contacts Alfred. This is left up to your own thinking. 2) The Bat IS destroyed by the bomb, But the Bat comes off an assembly line, so there isn't just 1. 3) Remember Batman Begins, when he's training with Ra's Al Ghul on the Ice in a sword fight? Exactly.

[@alisonrose1992]

i just watched it recently and noticed another very subtle clue that he is alive. when they're giving Bruce Wayne's possessions away as per his will, the guy who read the will is doing inventory and mentions that an item is missing. he said the missing item is "a sting of pearls" so that means Bruce took his mother's necklace and, presumably, gave it to Catwoman since she liked it so much.

[@Eldarion67]

Actually inception was not open ended. To quote Nolan himself : "The real point of the scene - and this is what I tell people - is that Cobb isn’t looking at the top. He’s looking at his kids. He’s left it behind. That’s the emotional significance of the thing." I an puzzled why so many people always seek so many details to justify one ending or another. In the case of inception you totally missed the film's spirit. (refer to screenrant,com/inception-spoilers-discussion-kofi-68330/3/)

[@JoSeVeNJo]

Alfred meet seleena at the very start of the movie, and also on picture when wayne is looking for her in his computer when he goes back to the batcave for the first time in the movie.

[@PRPHDP]

I dunno if the analysis was good, but at least there were certain ideas as to how to look for those clues in the film.

[@HUSTLER1346]

@Leeman595 : Thank you! I so agree! Some at keast knows whats really going to happen!

[@56therealLT]

1. the cockpit shot and the 5 seconds on the bomb shot were not together, they could easily be minutes a part. 2. it could have been blake who repaired the signal. but bruce is more likely 3. or it could be the fact that he left it in his will for blake to pick up. 5. he smiled not frowned at all

[@jackdumanat49]

i remember in one interview nolan said he took a lot of inspiration from the "Dark Knight Returns" comic by frank miller. in retrospect the ending of the comic is similar to the movie, because batman and bruce wayne fakes his death so that he can continues a greater goal. i like to think that the movie is similar plus it does give hints about it.

[@JMLONYOUTBE]

I've seen the movie only once and this is my take on the ending: Batman dies and Bruce Wayne lives. Batman is redeemed when Bane reads Commisioner Gordon's resignation letter explaining Dent's actions. As Batman very publicly battles Bane and essentially "ends" his life by flying that bomb away, he very publicly kills Batman and goes to have a 'normal' life, continuing it as Bruce Wayne(supposedly) and passing the hero "torch and tools" to Blake(Robin), someone whom he believes can continue hi

[@hbk1803]

2) Yes he fixed the auto pilot, but fox removed the auto pilot to used it as the signal jammer for banes detonation device. so there was no auto pilot in the ship regardless.

[@SilverShamrock71]

02:08 you're wrong, Alfred absolutely WOULD imagine Selina, when Alfred and Bruce are discussing Selina near the start of the film (after she stole the pearls), Alfred says, "fascinating, you two should exchange notes over a coffee." to which Bruce replies, "so now you're trying to set me up with a jewel thief."

[@StimsLuap]

@mdmanny07- Simple, they thought he was really dead. It wasn't until Alfred saw him again that he knew he was alive. Same with Gordon seeing the signal and Fox seeing the logs when the autopilot was fixed.

[@willmartinez601]

1. Yeah he did, but this is Batman after all and i'am sure Nolan would get out of the Realistic tone to keep Batman alive. We don't see him for at least five seconds before the bomb explodes 2. Why would Alfed repair the Batman signal? Where did you get that? Who said Alfred knew how to repair the Bat signal? 3. Alfred hardly knew Blake, and what he was capable of. 4. Even if Alfred did imagine Selina, i doubt it would have been with the pearls on. 5. When? He nod and smiled right at Bruce.

[@Wolverine9261]

Nice video, but why the unrelated Call of Duty footage?

[@PlayersWithGame]

1. Even with autopilot, he's still in the cock pit with 5 seconds left. 6 miles of explosion. Nolan took a realistic approach to these movies. 2. It does not say who repaired the signal or when. it could have been alfred realizing the world needs batman, or bruce could have repaired it before the end scene. He did set up that fire on the building before that you know. 3. Also could have been alfred or bruce again before the end scene. 4. Idk haha 5. He kinda frowned at the last second.

[@chikixx2011]

am i the only one actually watching and realizing that this guy's gameplay is awesome and that hes really good at it?

[@OmarESPN]

Yes! The shots in the beginning were not shot together!!

[@sideswipekill44]

Now this might be far fetched but in the flying sequinces in the movie the bat looks the same in all but the last one when he drops the bomb whats diffrent is if you look closely there are two yellow circles assuming this is thrusters warming up he could have went super sonic and any if he didn't you can travel over 60 miles in one minute in a hover craft/helicopter.

[@gannning1987]

right, I got that, but he must have had at most around 7 seconds to get away... how did he do it?

[@jlecampana]

And I actually agree to that, I was merely pointing out the fact that careful analysis and comparison to previous Nolan work, could give the TDKR's ending a twist, And I believe it's cool that you can have more than just one meaning for a movie, that denotes Outstanding film-making.

[@Dpalm310]

guys this is the most factual point to bruce being alive. at the end when bruce's property was being sorted out (mansion, duffle bag for blake) the guy in charge of giving away the property asked "did you find the missing property yet?" his scretary said "no" he then replied "well find it, we cant have a missing item like a string of pearls missing on the manifest" those pearls were on selina when alfred saw them at the caffe. BTW Alfred did meet selina (she was pretending to be a maid)

[@johnsonli3370]

That was an animated series called "batman beyond". Besides at the end of TKDR, it felt like Blake (who was revealed to be Robin) will take over batman once he discovered the bat cave.

[@SilverShamrock71]

also in the close up shot of Batman when he's in the bat flying out over the harbour, he looks calm and resigned to his fate, he's not frantically setting the auto pilot and ejecting...

[@Shawn4815162342]

What everyone has to remember is: Nolan wanted to make the most realistic Batman movies possible. Realistic villains, gadgets and action. Batman and some incarnation of Robin have been in the comics since 1940. If those were realistic, Bruce Wayne would be over 90 years old. In Batman Begins, they are celebrating Bruce's 30th b-day, so by the end of DKR, he'd have to be around 40. So when he finally gave Gotham everything, he realized his time as Batman was over and passed the mantle to Blake.

[@jnicho25]

When Alfred is talking to Bruce, he says something along the lines of "I'll nod at you and you'll nod back, we wont say a word, and I'll know you've made it." In the last scene of the movie, Bruce smiles and nods at Alfred and Alfred grins and nods back, finishes his tiny little drink and gets up and leaves. Bruce made it - Batman lives on.

[@SilverShamrock71]

not trying to say that it means he imagined the scene at the end, because the exposition concerning the auto-pilot and the pearls in the preceding couple of scenes clearly signifies that Bruce is alive.. But without that exposition, it works great as an ambiguous ending. I sense the studio's influence with the twee, "Hollywood" ending that didn't really fit with the character of the three films...

[@marcowargamer]

the entire movie works like that - a scene is assumed to take place right after the previous one unless we are told differently. You see Batman and Selina inside the Bat. The movie cuts to the Bat plane taking off. Can you prove that that happened immediately after and not, say, a week later? no, you can't; and yet, the fact that you understand the two events as sequential is evidence that that is how the language of film works. Scene are interpreted economically unless we are told sifferently.

[@hbk1803]

3) he was still in the ship with 5 seconds on the bomb. now that was a nuclear bomb with a 6 mile blast radius to wipe out an entire city. even if he had ejected from the aircraft he still would have been killed regardless. there was no way of him surviving. Alfred saw what he wanted to see.

[@SilverShamrock71]

or just make the clues more subtle... I think it would be a good "art house" touch, or maybe art house wouldn't really work with the typical target audience for a batman movie, they probably need absolutes and need every last detail spoon fed to them, or at least that's what WB studio executives believe...

[@Legspin18]

Bruce wayne fixed the light in order to show Gordon that he was still alive. He never meant to be Batman again. When Alfred was telling him about his vacation and how he wished Bruce would move on, he said that he hoped to see Bruce with a wife, maybe kids and no more risking his life on Batman. Alfred's wish came true because Bruce faked his death to move on and live a life with selina, letting Blake become Robin and have him be the hero of gotham, but in the comics, Blake becomes nightwing.

[@Maximumart]

@marcowargamer By your logic, Bruce instantly teleported from LSI HOLDINGS to being on top of the skyscraper in hong kong with day turning to night also instantly. Oh and it also took about 1 second for batman to pull joker up by the grapple after he fell about 500 feet. So how are we supposed to only interpret each scene in sequential real time, that defeats the objective of a story spanning months being told in under 3 months, time is suggestively "moved on" throughout the whole film

[@Ryanzsongs]

Batman comes back after 7 years in this film. You soon learn that Alfred doesnt want Bruce to bring back the batman. The ending is made to look as though batman has died, but in fact Bruce Wayne still lives. Bruce wanted people to believe that the batman was dead, so that he could honour Alfred and not be the batman anymore.

[@MATHEMATICSizFUN]

Part 2: John Blake can use the technology and Bruce's equipment to make a character of himself. In the end of the movie, John Blake is seen to go into the bat-cave, but it doesn't show him look at Batman's suit/cowl, so for all you know Bruce might've just made a suit for John Blake.

[@MrNothingButAir]

Those are not plotholes. 1. He's batman. He has skills of a ninja. he can sneak around anyone. Also remember in batman begins when bruce went to train in the league of shadows. he had no idea where he was either but he got out and found his way 2. I dont remember a scene where they show the Bat after the bomb exploded 3. again he's batman. He's a ninja so i'm not surprised at all that he can stand on ice.

[@alisonrose1992]

the reason he faked his death is because he, like Selina, wanted a fresh start since he saved Gotham and doesn't "owe" them anymore. He fixes the bat signal because he was passing the Batman baton to "Robin" so he can become the new protector of the city. in his will, he also bequeathed to Robin a bag that had the coordinates to his old bat cave.

[@barbeej12]

After three movies you guys just don't get it. Batman is a vampire. He appears and disappears many of times without anyone seeing him. When he meets with Gordan after the Joker bank robbery, when he disappears out of no where after meeting Harvey Dent and Gordon on the top of MCU, and when he magically disappears before the bomb goes off. Yes! Batman was a vampire, just watch how he appears and disappears while nobody sees him coming or going.

[@TheAesalon]

Nice to hear someone talking sense. I think all the evidence supports Bruce being alive, like you said if Alfred was to imagine Bruce with anyone it would have been Rachel. One thing I wonder about is that The Bat was virtually intact, as seen back in the workshop. If it had been in bits there would have been no point to rebuild it, so maybe Bruce didn't use the autopilot like he said he wouldn't to Selena. However he could have dumped the bomb into the sea, allowing The Bat to get away.

[@poopyisftw2]

In the scene with the Auto Pilot he said that Bruce fixed it 6 months ago people would have lost little memory and then add the clean slate that he and Catwomen had i think they might not recongnize him because they did say any info about them is all gone when they use it

[@Thaibiohazard123]

I love the whole series but as a Nolan's movie , Rises is a big let down to me here's some plot hole that disappointed me 1. How did Bruce manage to come back after escaped from the pit ? , he doesn't even know where exactly he is , and Bane has already control the in and out of the city , how does he get in ? 2. If Bruce use autopilot to survive , why The Bat is not destroyed by the bomb ? 3. this is pretty funny , but how can he stand on thin ice without breaking it ? (when he met Gordon)

[@Steski24PS3]

Alfred did meet Selina, he sent her to deliver Bruce's food in the beginning. He also then see's an image of her on the Bat-computer when Bruce is looking at her information.

[@tashazikri]

No he doesn't die because the clues in the movie indicate he doesn't die - the fact that Alfred sees Bruce Wayne in the end scenes in the Florence cafe with Selina Kyle (It's not a dream sequence as Selina Kyle is there with Bruce.). And the scene where Morgan Freeman's character 'Fox' discovers that the BAT's autopilot was fixed 6 months earlier by Bruce Wayne - This was another immediate clue that he had survived

[@cbrianmcguire]

If he was dead I am sure that Christopher Nolan would also be dead

[@J0113]

Good, short summary!

[@JuliaMiggsOoT]

Will there be a movie with batman and robin I frickin hope so

[@D0Msmagic]

Firstly, Alfred did say he pictures Bruce there because whoever is sitting at that table looks a bit like Bruce. Also the end scene is a metaphor of Alfred saying he pictures Bruce in a better place than all the fighting and everything. Batman does die and it's likely that Blake will become Nightwing.

[@VikingAztec07]

1.- he is alive, because "blake" is called Robin, not Batman 2.- my explanation or theory is.... the man with S in the chest saved batman for next points: a) only superman can live at that explosion b) Superman 2013 is directed for the same directors of batman trilogy c) i want to believe that DC and Warner not want to stay back to Maver and theirs Avengers. of course, that only my Theory

[@PokemonMasterAuron]

This is really a straight forward ending, on top of all the other evidence that Bruce is alive, when he was hooking up the bomb to the bat, selina said "what are you gonna do? Steer it over the bay and jump out?" And batman said "no autopilot" which I thought was a great line, cause at first you think oh he's saying there's no autopilot, but what he's really saying is "no, autopilot." The comma makes all the difference.

[@44excalibur]

This isn't Inception; Alfred is NOT imagining Bruce and Selina at the cafe. Bruce knew that Alfred would go there and was waiting for him to let him know that he was all right. He's only the world's greatest detective! Bruce fixing the auto pilot was similar to rigging the sonar equipment to self-destruct at the end of The Dark Knight, showing that he's always thinking one step ahead of Lucious Fox. Stop overthinking and over-analyzing this. As Freud said, "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

[@zackwwedge]

And, the Rorschach inkblot test says that "people see what they want to see", and Alfred wanted to see Bruce at that cafe, so he definitely imagined it

[@marcowargamer]

btw Alfred didn't tell him which cafe, and there are many in Florence!! Bruce'd need to visit a lot of them and sit there for a long time before he can set up the scene Alfred had imagined. Is this what you do when you want the world to believe you are dead? especially after Ducard figured out where you were even when you were hiding in a Chinese prison (see Batman Begins): "The world is too small for someone like Bruce Wayne to disappear, no matter how deep he chooses to sink."

[@NALKA83]

Just because nolan was the director of INCEPTION, doesnt mean that every movie of him ends with the same finale (dream,illusion/reality confusion). In fact the last 5 minutes of the movie are full with clues and hints that indicates that Bruce is alive, there is no reason to think otherwise The end of the movie is crystal clear.

[@TheMoneyJob]

In the 2nd movie I think they hinted that "Even Batman knows he can't do this forever" and Alfred wanted Bruce to leave the life he has in Gotham even before he became Batman. The ending showed he is alive and he is now starting a new life.

[@44excalibur]

Yes, but Alfred only saw Selina once, at the beginning of the film, and then left Wayne manor shortly thereafter. Alfred had no knowledge of the events that transpired later on, such as Bruce and Selina's relationship developing, to there was no reason for Alfred to "imagine" Bruce with Selina in that cafe. That, combined with Bruce having lied about the auto-pilot not working when he actually fixed it months earlier.....does Nolan have to yell it though a megaphone? Bruce is alive at the end.

[@barb0720]

Batman can never die, he is a symbol. Bruce Wayne faked his own death and found peace/happiness/a new identity with Selina Kyle. He also left the Batcave keys to John (Robin) Blake.

[@PlayersWithGame]

When they first found out about selina kyle, he said they should exchange notes over lunch. He was trying to set the two up because he wanted bruce to be happy. Whats more likely, batman survives a nuclear explosion or alfred imagine bruce being happy after he died like he did every day for seven years

[@jamols09]

Gordon later finds that the Bat-Signal has been repaired. fox discovers that Bruce programmed the autopilot on the aircraft six months ago. Alfred witnesses Bruce and Selina alive together at a café in Italy, while Blake inherits the Batcave.

[@PlayersWithGame]

1. Just saw the movie, it went him in cockpit, 11 seconds, him in cock pit 5 seconds, and there was no figure seen ejecting from the bat. 2. Could have been blake or alfred or bruce before the bomb, in the case that he died. 3. Yeah there are a few possibilities to that 5. At the last second it seemed his smile dropped. I feel it could go either way, I'm just saying using what I've seen 2 times and logical inferences he's dead

[@NALKA83]

To me is obvious that Bruce is alive. 1. the auto pilot is fixed 2.the missing jewels of inheritance. 3.coordinates for blake. 4. the bat signal 5. alfred actually see bruce. 6. this is not inception is THE DARK KNIGHT.

[@56therealLT]

1. also when someone dies of explosions in the recent nolan movies, like rachel or the mayor. they usually show the explosion about to engulf them in flames and then it cts to an outward view of the explosion. 2. he wouldnt 3. right, it was left for blake as part of bruces will, which is why he goes to pick up the duffle bag, something along the lines of he left he pre-death. 4. why not, all he knows of her is a pearl theif. 5. yea the ending is clearly not open ended, bruce alive. batman dead.

[@KoOkiEzRoCkz]

@haigna i highly doubt your theory, although it is a rather solid one :P then again Bruce fixed the autopilot himself as said in a record at Fox's lab

[@44excalibur]

No, Alfred did not see what he wanted to see. Alfred had no reason to imagine Selina being there as he only met her once and had no knowledge of her importance to Bruce. Lucious Fox discovered that Bruce had fixed the auto pilot on the BAT months earlier, so why did Bruce lie about it not working unless he planned to fake his death? And Bruce no longer wanted to die, that's how he got out of the pit. He didn't have anything to live for after Rachel died, but now he does. Selina. Wake up, man!

[@xtmt1234]

I think you are taking what he said out of context. In the interview Christopher Nolan mentioned that its an open ending particularly regarding to whether John Blake will become the next Batman or Robin etc. He never mentioned any ambiguity around Bruce being dead or alive etc. and its pretty clear that Bruce survives at the end if you watch it carefully! All evidence points to it!

[@MuseToYourEars]

Also, when Bane says at the start it would be "extremely painful" the guy says "you're a big guy" and then Bane says "for you"... I thought initially he was saying he was a big guy for him, but really I think it means it would be extremely painful for him... Gotta love Chris Nolan and his writing skills =)

[@ryanthompson7123]

I do agree with your observations. But I have one comment. After Selena escapes Wayne Manor with the necklace, Bruce goes to investigate her in the bat cave. Alfred goes down there and Bruce shows Alfred, Selena Kyle. So yes, Alfred has seen her before

[@trynthsniping8619]

When have u seen an eject seat that go's up 56 miles

[@44excalibur]

If Frank Miller didn't kill off Bruce Wayne -- and he had plenty of chances, mind you --why did you think Christopher Nolan and David Goyer would? Remember how The Dark Knight Returns ended? With Bruce faking his own death and preparing his replacement/replacements, saying, "This will be a good life; good enough." Goyer knew how he was going to end the series from the beginning, just like Frank Miller did. Both writers gave Bruce a happy ending with Catwoman -- Selina Kyle, or Carrie Kelley.

[@Th3D3adOutl4w]

If you look carefully you can see a cloud going through the bomb cloud and it comes out and apparently its superman grabbing batman out of the bat

[@44excalibur]

3. Blake had no knowledge that he was going to be the next Batman until after he was given the bag from Bruce(minus the necklace) and he arrived at the Batcave at the end....AFTER the new Bat-signal was made. So how and why would Blake have fixed it? Weakest argument ever, just like "duhh...maybe Selina stole the necklace again." Give Nolan some credit, please! 5. MTV interview confirmed Bruce lived at the end. "there's a line that Nolan as a storyteller refused to cross: killing Batman."

[@gunnersaurus17]

The viewer sees what Nolan wants and allows the viewer to see: He didn't show Batman ejecting since that would spoil the ending and negate the emotions of both the characters and the viewers thinking that Wayne was dead, and the joy in realising he wasn't. The earlier scene with Alfred in Venice was not to fuck with the viewers, it was foreshadowing. The whole point of the ending was that Bruce gets out-he gets the life that Alfred always wanted him to have. I don't see how it was open ended!

[@kasperknutsen7239]

I don't think the little police-guy named: Robin, wouldfind the batcave in the ending if batman was dead. His name is also robin, i think he's finding batman later and joining him. Then they can fight crime together like the old batman and robin

[@foxking18]

Bruce didn't die, he just gets his happy ending. where he can move on from the batman. i think he fixed the batsignal prior to leaving gotham. as well as the coordinates for blake thats was in the bag he picked up when his name was revealed. as much as id like him to become nightwing, most likely he becomes batman because 1) its a batsignal replaced 2) gotham will always need a batman.

[@Clewz13]

He's not coming back to Gotham, Gordon didn't freak because he fixed the lamp, he probably just fixed it in memory, yes he is alive but if you thought about it logically, where did Batman jump out, he'd have to swim back or he would get killed by yore blast. THERE!

[@HpArtcraft]

I understand your meaning, but I'm still convinced he's dead. I have very valid reasons as well. My main problem is that why would Alfred absolutely break down "I failed you, you trusted me, and I failed you," and then when he sees Bruce alive, he doesn't even blink, or smile, or even care, it's as if it isn't real. Also Nolan is known for his open endings. And also there was another dream, (holy shit he's back, no wait it's a dream) sequence where Liam Neeson comes back.

[@willmartinez601]

I don't recall frowning, i recall nod and smiling. Something you don't really do in dreamland. Yes it wouldn't be crazy for him to sacrifice himself, but that dosen't mean he did it and once Alfred left and told him the truth about Rachel, i think he realized he wasn't as done with the world as he thought. As for his other visions, they were different and didn't even have Bruce or Selina in it. Take it how you want, but the more i see it the more i believe he's alive. It isn't Inception.

[@marcowargamer]

did you, uh, read my comment" "the entire movie works like that - a scene is assumed to take place right after the previous one unless we are told differently." Unless we are told differently. The sequence of the events showed in the example you cites does tell us than more than a second passes. Still, you do not imagine it took 4 or 5 days for Batman to pull up Joker. It is always the shortest amount of time logically possible unless we are told differently.

[@MATHEMATICSizFUN]

Are you kidding me? John Blake was never mentioned as a robin in the comics; so he can't be the robin who became Batman. Second, Christopher Nolan's John Blake knows that the original Batman died a hero, and he has to respect it. In TDK, there were those copy cats, who Bruce clearly dislikes; so John Blake wouldn't destroy the mantle of Batman by becoming Batman. The Bat-Signal was fixed to show Gordon that Bruce is still alive. The Bat-cave to show Blake that Bruce is still alive, and that...

[@magicman13]

Possibility does NOT equal plausibility. That's the whole point. Just because it is possible for Alfred to select Selina out of innumerable possibilities does not make it plausible.

[@NostalgicFantasy]

Everyone is missing the point of these movies , from Batman Begins to The Dark Knight Rises , Bruce has talked about batman being anybody its just a symbol . Throughout the movie Batman drops hints to Blake about him being his successor .That's what the ending is Bruce obviously fixed the bat signal before he left , anticipating that Blake will take his place as batman. Blake isnt Robin his name is Robin a nod to the comic book character. He will take the role of Batman or Nightwing.