Christian Bale Explains The Ending Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

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We didn’t think the ending of The Dark Knight Rises was ambiguous, but since it’s a Christopher Nolan movie, some people interpret it as only Alfred’s dream *Inception BWOM*. The script made a big to-do about Lucius Fox saying the Batwing’s autopilot was broken, leaving us to momentarily believe Bruce Wayne was in the Batwing when it exploded. (Some days, you just can’t get rid of Bane’s bomb.) So when Alfred sees Bruce and Selina Kyle at a cafe in Italy, similar to the dream he described earlier in the movie, some people interpreted that as something Alfred only imagined. Now Christian Bale has cleared things up.

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Entertainment Weekly asked Bale about this scene, and he didn’t hesitate to help out those confused by what was probably the least confusing thing about The Dark Knight Rises.

“[Alfred] was content with me being alive and left because that was the life he always wanted for him. I find it very interesting and with most films, I tend to say ‘It’s what the audience thinks it is.’ My personal opinion? No, it was not a dream. That was for real and he was just delighted that finally he had freed himself from the privilege, but ultimately the burden, of being Bruce Wayne.” [transcribed by /film]

We’re inclined to agree. Why would there be a trilogy with one of the most realistic mainstream depictions of a superhero, only to cap off the whole thing with a dream sequence presented as reality? Unless… oh my God. What if Bruce Wayne never became Batman and it was a dream he was having during a meeting the whole time? *BWOM*


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Sidenote: If anybody wants to complain about the lack of a spoiler warning in a post with “explains the ending” in the headline, kindly go live in a sewer for six months and emerge no less pale, skinny, or bearded than you were before.