Batman’s had his fair share of big-screen adaptations. Perhaps you’re nostalgic for the campy ’90s films. Or maybe you’re fond of Robert Pattison’s inexperienced hero in 2022’s The Batman. Regardless of what Batflick is your favorite, there’s one we can all agree is a perfect 10/10: 2008’s The Dark Knight.
The middle entry of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy is a high-water mark of superhero movies. It’s regarded not just as one of the best Batman films around, but one of the best superhero movies ever. And for good reason! It’s got Heath Ledger’s scene-stealing performance as the Joker, impressive cinematography, a moving Hans Zimmer score, and practical effects out the wazoo. (They flipped a damn truck!)
And that’s to say nothing of Batman himself. Christian Bale embodies the character’s versatility well in The Dark Knight and the other movies in the trilogy. He’s a suave billionaire, calculated hero, or frightening symbol of justice depending on what the scene calls for. (His “Swear to me!” guttural roar never gets old.)
While Nolan and Bale won’t be revisiting the character and city of Gotham any time soon, their versions of the character will return soon, in a way. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will be released in one week, and, as the title implies, it’s pulling inspiration from all sorts of Batman stories.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight combines The Batman, The Dark Knight Rises, and more
From its announcement at Gamescom last year, it was clear Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight would honor several different versions of the Caped Crusader. That reveal trailer includes a parody of The Dark Knight‘s Joker interrogation scene, a version of The Batman‘s Penguin car chase (this time full of rubber duckys), and a joking version of Bane’s darkness speech from The Dark Knight Rises.
Legacy of the Dark Knight also honors Batman’s animated counterpart. It features a Lego recreation of Batman: The Animated Series‘ opening among many other Easter eggs. The great Kevin Conroy gets a nice tribute in the game, and Scott Snyder (writer of Absolute Batman, whose suit will be in the game) also gets a nod. All told, based on the many references and Batsuits in the game, Legacy of the Dark Knight is really embracing the “legacy” part of its title.
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It’s also embracing the legacy of Batman games that have come before. As Polygon’s Matt Patches put it after a preview session in April — developer TT games built a whole dang Batman: Arkham game out of Lego. Legacy of the Dark Knight features a big open world, stealthy gameplay, and fluid combat ripped straight from the Arkham games.
That’ll be good news for Batman fans who’ve been wanting a new open world adventure starring The Dark Knight. It’s been over a decade since 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight was released. In the interim, we’ve gotten a couple Telltale Batman games and two VR Batman games. Instead of a new Arkham game, series creator Rocksteady pivoted to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League for its next console release after Arkham Knight, and decided to ice the hero. Bold choice!
All told, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight might be the game Batman: Arkham fans have been waiting for.
Can you play Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight early?
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will be released Friday, May 22, for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is planned, but is still without a release date a this time. Legacy of the Dark Knight was originally intended to be released May 29, but was moved up a week — a rare move in an industry known for numerous delays. Now you can slot it into your weekend gaming plans a week earlier. Nice!
If you want to play it even sooner, there is a way. People who opt to snag the deluxe edition can start playing three days early on May 19. The deluxe edition will include additional cosmetics and DLC missions where you can play as The Joker and Harley, to be released later in 2026. Head to the game’s official site for full details on the deluxe edition.
