Which is The Dark Knight of the MCU ?

Other.

None.

The Dark Knight isn't a good movie.

I think the first Ironman movie.

There is no “The Dark Knight” of anything really. There’s no Dark Knight of the MCU, no Dark Knight of SONY, no Dark Knight of the DCEU, no Dark Knight of FOX.

TDK is completely unto itself. There is nothing like it. And other cbm’s should not be compared and/or held to it’s standards

What even is “TDK of the MCU” meant to mean? Like a film held in the same regard? Or a film with similar themes or tone? Because I don’t think any MCU film is held in quite the same style or type of regard by the general public.

Technically it's a TV show but if we are talking more similar and high quality art it's Daredevil.

@a_fine_edition: The meaning of the phrase is up to personal interpretation.

I made this post right after writing the comment quoted below (which displays my thoughts upon its meaning:)

“The term “The Dark Knight of something” has an unclear meaning. Like is TDK of the MCU TWS or IW? It has more thematic and stylistic similarities to TWS and they are both the 2nd movie in a trilogy, however IW is (in mine and most opinions I think) the best MCU movie and is closer to the TDK in narrative scope.”

A big question is what element of TDK is most important to follow in order to be the MCU’s TDK.

@zafros13: ah I see. Well in that case I’d argue TWS is more similar, at least to me. Infinity War is a non-stop action set-piece, with every few moments to sit back and analyze characters. It works because we’ve spent so much time with all the characters and we already have a grasp on what they’re like and what their motivations are.

At the same time, Joker and Thanos have similar narrative purposes and are a heavy focus of both films. Sometimes I feel like TDK is more of a Joker movie than a Batman film. Thanos is interestingly enough the protagonist in the sense he gets the most accumulative screen time and arguably the most development over that time.

Now I’m actually conflicted. I feel like TWS has a more similar tone, but IW has similar focus on the villains.

Daredevil bro. I’d argue it’s better than TDK.

I’d say Infinity War because the villain does a great job stealing the show, though it’s in different ways.

To those who are saying TDK isn’t a great movie, what on earth are you talking about? Nolan is a better director than any of the MCU “hired hands” as Tarantino put it, and he uses practical effects. The script is good, the story is good. The movie is executed well.

If you mean a film that is held in the same regard as the undisputed best, there are none.

In terms of similarity in genre and tone, the closest is The Winter Soldier.

No MCU film comes close to TDK. It's like comparing McDonalds to a top gourmet restaurant.

There isn't one

Winter soldier

TDK is better than any MCU movie and Nolan is a better director than anyone who has ever worked for Marvel.

Iron Man, TWS, IW, and Daredevil.

TWS

And the thematic similarity I brought up earlier between TDK and TWS is that they are both 9/11 influenced movies.

TWS imo is still Marvels’s best

None. This description is the Dark Knight of my soul like maybe how some gamers might not care for hearing how everything is the Dark Souls of games.

I prefer movies to be compared to those in their genre such as The Dark Knight being compared to other action, crime, dramas like Heat.

Right, I can understand that based on the TDK’s heavy crime-drama style. I just think the community often falls into this trap of trying to use the TDK as a base or template for other cbm’s, when (imho) there aren’t any other cbm’s that are the culmination of everything TDK got right and nailed to have the prestige it’s had for well over a decade now. I will say there’s probably a very small hand full of cbm’s that maybe come close, but I still don’t find them to be TDK’s equal, let alone it’s superior. And I don’t think it’s fair to other cbm’s to hold them to TDK standards either, because when we do that we get very dismissive of those movies when in reality they were probably really good solid cbm’s.

THis.

You think there's a need for being able to acknowledge standards to strive for greatness while recognizing that there's certain type of stories that aren't ambitious enough to elevate and unify people with such cultural significance but maybe knowing the rules to break the rules and enjoy the imperfections and can appeal to more idiosyncratic/niche sides of us or others in a more intimate manner?

@playa1258 said:

My thoughts exactly.

There is no TDK for the MCU. Closest would be TWS but no cigar.

@infinitehope: I think for writers and directors, striving for greatness should always be on the table. Creative should always be striving to make their project and story no matter who or what the character(s) are the best they can be. If they want to use movies like TDK or Empire Strikes Back or The Godfather as bulletin board material to strive for, then awesome. But imo they shouldn’t go into attempting to copy the exactly what those films are. Like always reach for the stars, but do it your own way, and that’s usually when the best stuff is created. And I think we as fans shouldn’t hold cbm’s to unrealistic standards of films like TDK to determine their level of worth. They should be consumed and judged on a film-by-film basis, and if it happens to be as good or better than TDK then awesome, but not everything needs to be “TDK” level or have that label to be enjoyed or considered great.

@batstroke2000: Best answer

@mazahs117: Great post. Thanks!

A similarly between TWS and TDK I noticed is that in the climax there is an A plot and a B plot. The A plot is a fight between Antagonist and Protagonist to save everyone. B plot is a conversation in a room of people debating ethics.

Depends on what you mean, is the best movie of the MCU? Then its IW, but IW is leaps and bounds better than TDK so its not really TDK of the MCU.

Is it a movie of comparable quality? Then TWS is a fine answer.

Logan

@ready_4_madness: that is not in the MCU

Lol seriously? IW is nowhere near TDK. No MCU movie is.

@zafros13: I know that it’s not MCU but that’s Marvel’s TDK. I don’t think the MCU has an equivalent to TDK

I don't hold TDK as highly as many in this site do. I think its a good movie but BB is better, and so is IW.

There is none.