‘Dark Knight Rises’ trailer prompts speculation

Meriah Doty

There is a lot of buzz around the latest trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises," which promises an "epic conclusion" to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Like any good teaser, the slickly-edited 2:19-minutes of film inspires interpretation. And the theories are flying.

Searches on Yahoo! for "dark knight rises trailer" popped up 189 percent in the past 24 hours, and mostly thanks to males. "Dark Knight 3" ranks third in April searches for summer movie blockbusters, following "Avengers" and "Total Recall."

Here are our top five questions the "Rises" trailer raises:

1. What's the story with Gotham police officer John Blake?

"Did they kill him?" Blake (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) asks Catwoman in the trailer, presumably referring to Batman. Blake is seen throughout the trailer, indicating his role is more important than that of a mere street cop. Some have speculated Gordon-Levitt is the new Robin recruit, others are saying he may be subbing in for Batman himself (if true—OMG!), and others yet wonder whether Blake takes the codename "Azrael" as part of his effort to help Batman.

2. Whose side is Catwoman on?

"Storm coming," Anne Hathaway (as Catwoman) says to Christian Bale (as Bruce Wayne) while they're dancing at some terribly important black tie affair. Is she warning him or taunting him? It's not entirely clear though it seems at some point Catwoman becomes, at least, concerned for Batman when she says, "You don't owe these people anymore. You've given them everything." Also, at the end, she catches a ride with him, on seemingly amicable terms. (BONUS: A related question that struck our bat brains is this—Does Catwoman know Bruce Wayne is Batman? Unclear.)

3. What's with Bruce Wayne's facial hair?

Ever notice that Batman, when in costume, is always clean shaven? We have. But in the trailer, we see Bale sporting facial hair, looking quite disheveled, while presumably being held captive by Bane. Perhaps we can assume Wayne/Batman is held for a long time. Judging by the length of the combination mustache-beard, at least a few weeks.

4. How does it end for Batman?

Our Batman-adept managing editor Matt McDaniel, noted that in the original comic book series, Bane broke Batman's back and the caped crusader had to be replaced. Some are wondering if Batman actually dies. If either of these ideas wind up being true, it could support the theories on Blake (Gordon-Levitt) becoming Batman.

5. How cool is Batman's flying "car"?

Very.

We know you. You have your own theories and questions. Post them below!

Watch 'The Dark Knight Rises' Theatrical Trailer 2:

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