Should Christopher Nolan Bring ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ to Comic-Con?

There's a rumor going around that Christopher Nolan will attend Comic-Con for the first time this year, and bring 'The Dark Knight Rises' with him. We can't vouch for the veracity of those rumors but here's why we think that would be a good idea.

First of all, we have to emphasize that this report at Comic Book Movie is very speculative, and comes via a questionable third party outlet. But according to "sources" at Warner Bros. Pictures, Nolan -- who has never appeared at Comic-Con for either of his two previous Batman films or 'Inception' -- may make the trip to San Diego to promote the release of his final Caped Crusader epic. Said trip, according to these same sources, would include a panel discussion and a special screening of the movie, which opens less than a week (July 20th) after the convention ends on July 15th.

Why hasn't Nolan shown up at the massive fan celebration before? We don't know his personal feelings about it, but timing has been a factor in the past. 'Batman Begins,' 'Inception' and 'The Dark Knight' all opened before Comic-Con took place, which has traditionally been closer to the end of July. With the show moved this time to the middle of the month, Comic-Con will take place for the first time before a Nolan/Batman film opens.

Another possible factor in Nolan's presumed reticence may be his notorious secrecy about his work. The director prefers to keep his films under wraps as much as possible so that audiences can savor every single surprise (which we applaud), while Comic-Con to some extent is all about dishing out goodies to whet fans' appetites.

Having said all that, whether there's any truth to the rumors or not, we think it would be a terrific idea for Nolan to come to the show and even hold the premiere of the film in San Diego, possibly on the third night of the con (Saturday, July 14th).

Why? First of all, the con is so close to the movie's release that secrecy really won't be a factor if the film premieres there. It's likely that much of the press will have seen the film by then, and a few reviews may even be published at that point. A few days is going to spoil far less about the movie than, say, if the con was held a month before it opens.

Second, it would be a nice tip of the hat from Nolan (and his cast, some of whom would also presumably attend) to show up and thank the fans who have made his Batman films into a multi-billion-dollar franchise (along with the far more personal 'Inception'). The man is known for being somewhat publicity-shy, but he's become revered among fans for delivering not just two great Batman films (and, we hope, a third), but two of the greatest superhero films of all time. He would receive a hero's welcome and the excitement and buzz surrounding his arrival would give Comic-Con a nice jolt after what some perceived as a lackluster 2011 show.

Of course, most films come to Comic-Con to generate awareness, and if there's anything that 'The Dark Knight Rises' doesn't need, it's that. But it might be a terrific gesture on the part of the filmmaker and the studio to celebrate the conclusion of this precedent-shattering trilogy with the fans for whom it has meant the most. Your move, Mr. Nolan.