More than a decade and a half has passed since “The Dark Knight”, the second in the “Dark Knight” trilogy, enthralled moviegoers all over the world. Many think it’s one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. Christian Bale’s performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman and the late Heath Ledger’s award-winning performance as the Joker are thought of as the best live-action performances of the famous comic book characters. Below is a look at the film’s legacy and games and other merchandise it has inspired.
The legacy of the Dark Knight
It takes a special film to smash box office records daily and change the Oscar awards nomination process. The Academy’s failure to nominate the movie for Best Picture triggered a furious backlash and discussion about the merits of superhero movies. Some felt there was a bias in the Academy against them.
Breaking the mold
One of the film’s biggest legacies is how it changed superhero movies. “The Dark Knight” moved away from the “save the world”-type narrative common in superhero flicks and went for a “grounded in reality” approach. It was more a crime-thriller drama than a superhero piece, a style that became frequent in later movies of the genre.
Encouraging a media craze for “geek entertainment”
The success of “The Dark Knight” impacted the wider media, who couldn’t get enough of “geek entertainment” and “geek interests.” The film was helped by the unfortunate death of Heath Ledger before its release, which catapulted it into the mainstream headlines and generated hype and curiosity — and was an overwhelming success. The media loved it and became eager to report on anything “nerdy” entertainment-wise or interests-wise.
Leading to games
The movie world learned big from George Lucas’ decision to accept a reduced fee for directing the “Star Wars” movies in return for sequel rights and merchandising rights. Although he struck the deal with the movie company because he wanted creative control over his work, the decision earned him $20 billion in merchandising, plus $4 billion when he sold Lucasfilm. Today, other movies, including “The Dark Knight,” inspire games and other merchandise for fans who want to engage with their favorite films.
The Dark Knight online slot (Playtech)
The film was so popular it spawned two different but identically titled “Dark Knight” slots, one by Microgaming and one by Playtech. You’ll find “The Dark Knight” in many online casinos in Canada so you can engage further with the film. The Playtech version is a six-reel slot that offers four different progressive jackpots, high bet sizes, and 50 paylines. As expected, characters such as Bruce Wayne, the Joker, Batman, Two Face, and more are symbols. The Joker and Batman are bonus symbols too and give you re-spins. There are also Gotham City, Dark Knight, and Agent of Chaos free games.
The Dark Knight online slot (Microgaming)
Microgaming’s version is a dark 5-reel progressive slot and places a serious Mega jackpot up for grabs. Even the base game of this well-invested slot offers lots of surprises in the form of free spins, cash awards, and reels of scatter symbols that can combine with multipliers. Bruce Wayne, the Joker, Commissioner Gordon, and other characters are high-value symbols, and there are various special features, such as free spins, additional types of wilds, a free spins accumulator, and more.
The Dark Knight Rises (Playtech)
Playtech also created a slot based on the third movie in the Dark Knight trilogy. This online slot features five reels, 564 ways to win, and a progressive jackpot. Players can win up to 25 times the original payout, thanks to the slot’s multipliers, and the game features a free spins bonus which also contains multipliers and wilds. Lucky players can also enjoy several free games features.
Remembering and engaging with the film in other ways
The popularity of “The Dark Knight” has inspired a dizzying array of merchandise to accompany it. Comics and novels of the titles were produced alongside the three movies to expand the lore around Batman.
Then there are statues, including small figures and collectibles. Of note are Hot Toy “Cosbaby” versions of characters. Fans can also buy action figures and DC Multiverse figures. “Builders” can entertain themselves with Lego minifigure versions of characters or with Lego versions of the Batmobile. Hot Wheels fans can buy Batmobiles.
That’s just a small selection of the toys available. There are board games as well as online slots. Then there are T-shirts, baseball caps, jewelry, footwear, keyrings, fancy dress costumes, and more. Fans can even buy Batman-themed food and pet food products.
“The Dark Knight” earned itself a permanent place in the hearts of many film fans, thanks to its realistic narrative style and strong performances from Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger. The film left a powerful legacy and spawned a wide range of merchandise, including online slots, toys, games, books, and more. For many, it will always be the best superhero movie ever.