The Dark Knight trilogy, created by Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, and Warner Bros. in the early 2000s, became widely acclaimed for its portrayal of Batman's origin story and his fight against crime. Recognized as one of the best trilogies ever made, it held a record for 15 years until it was broken by Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie's film, Barbie, in 2023. Not only did Barbie surpass The Dark Knight's record, but it also became the highest-grossing movie ever produced by Warner Bros.

On July 18, 2008, Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale released their highly praised film, The Dark Knight.

Starring a talented ensemble cast including Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, and Gary Oldman, the movie received rave reviews. Following its release, The Dark Knight earned an impressive $24.6 million on the Monday after its release, setting a new record for Warner Bros. However, this record was surpassed 15 years later when Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, earned $26 million on the Monday following its release, surpassing The Dark Knight's record.

The Dark Knight Rises, released in 2012 and directed by Christopher Nolan with Christian Bale reprising his role as Batman, earned $1.085 billion at the global box office that year. However, Barbie surpassed this record as well, earning a remarkable $1.38 billion worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing film ever produced by Warner Bros.

Christian Bale, known for his portrayal of Batman, expressed his willingness to return to The Dark Knight franchise if Christopher Nolan had another story to tell. Although their collaboration ended with The Dark Knight Rises, Bail stated that he would be open to reprising the role if Nolan had a new narrative to explore.

The Dark Knight Rises received critical acclaim and garnered a rating of 8.4/10 on IMDB and 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. It remains one of Christopher Nolan's most popular films. Both The Dark Knight trilogy and Barbie are available for streaming on Max in the U.S.