In The Dark Knight, would it have been better if Katie Holmes stayed on as Rachel?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Maggie is a much better actress but there honestly wasn't anything for her to do with the character so I would've preferred Katie do the role and Maggie go do a role that's actually interesting and challenging because she was basically wasted in TDK.
 
Ofcourse Katie had better chemistry. I thought she did great for the role in BB. Had more spark to her then Maggenhaal
 
Kinda funny that the only batman movie I liked was the one where Bane was the villain

I legit questioned if batman was going to make it in the movie. Only bad part was the catwoman cast
 
My question is this: If the character Rachel herself was to be replaced by someone from the Batman universe, who would she be? Then again, I don't believe there is a character who is a love interest to Harvey Dent...
 
I think it would have been a lot better tbh.

Katie was adorable and came off as a tough woman in BB. Didn't give a fuck about taking down high profile mobsters and took out Scarecrow like a champ. Sure, her acting wasn't oscar worthy but she fit the movie and story well imo. She had great chemistry with everyone she shared screen time with.

Maggie was just....off the ENTIRE movie. I didn't buy her relationship with Dent. 0 chemistry with Bale. For some odd reason Nolan decided to hide sexyness and looked old the entire movie. She came off snarky and annoying which was the complete opposite of BB. Hell, even her 2 second picture cameo in TDKR didn't feel right. lol Plus the death scene would have had a lot more weight with Katie.
 
I would have preferred Holmes to stay, if only for consistency's sake - never cared much for the character to begin with.
 
Well, yes, in the sense that recasting a character in the middle of a film series is always jarring.

That said, I honestly didn’t notice she had been recast until years later when I watched both movies back to back on DVD. The character was that forgettable.
 
I think so. The emotional impact was completely lost on me with Maggie. I'm not saying Katie is amazing but she was established and I bought their childhood relationship. Maggie was a plank of wood with no charm and her death fell so flat it was remarkable.
 
Yes, because an actor's job is to act and it's annoying as shit when that's affected by the media's take on them. Who gives a shit if she was dating a good actor who had some issues that he couldn't take meds for due to them being against his religion? She's a good actress and damn nice to look at and it was weird having her recast. Should have just been another person.
 
The only reason I would have wanted Katie to be in TDK is to watch her get blown up. Maggie is really ugly though but at least she can act. I hate Katie Holmes and dislike Christian Bale, it made watching Batman Begins really hard.
 
Funny thing I just remembered - Aaron Eckhart (aka Harvey Dent) starred with Katie Holmes in Thank You For Smoking.


So technically speaking, I got to see Dent and Rachel bang each other in the kitchen.
 
The character was not developed properly so it didn't matter who played her. Maybe Katie Holmes just to stay consistent but in the end it doesn't matter.
 
No. Maggie Gylenhall was better than her in every way, I wish she had played the part in Batman Begins.
 
I would have preferred Katie Holmes simply for continuity's sake more than anything. Nothing pisses me off more in films than when actors/actresses change up in sequels. Neither actress gave stellar performances though, both felt the same.
 
shinobi602 said:
I would have preferred Katie Holmes simply for continuity's sake more than anything. Nothing pisses me off more in films than when actors/actresses change up in sequels. Neither actress gave stellar performances though, both felt the same.
Click to expand...

Came to post this basically word for word.
 
I think for continuity sake, I would have liked to see her return. I did like Katie Holmes take in BB, just because she seemed to represent Bruce's innocence and childhood that he lost. Granted, Rachel didn't quite play the same role in TDK and I kind of felt like Nolan didn't know what to do with her character besides represent someone to cared for Bruce and didn't want to see him be Batman (Nolan even basically ruined Alfred by turning him into that character for TDKR inexplicably).

Maggie is probably a better actress than Katie, but I didn't buy that she care about Bruce in the way Katie did in the role. That might not be her fault since in TDK, it is already moving her away from Bruce so he feels more of that distance and longing for her, which makes it tougher for him when she falls in love with Harvey.

Idk, it just reminds me how overrated TDK is as a film and the movies are as a trilogy due to the weird character arcs and choppy continuity/consistency of characters.
 
I mean, what are you supposed to do with a character who basically exists to die?

Sure in Batman Begins you could probably do something decent with the Rachel part, but in the Dark Knight you have maybe three scenes outside getting kidnapped or blown up.
 
I agree with none of the things you say. Maggie Gyllenhaal is better looking that Katie Holmes, and a better actress. I'm not really sure what people mean when they talk about on screen chemistry, but considering Holmes is bad at just about every part of acting, I'm sure Gyllenhaal is better at having that too.
 
Neither of them were that great, but I agree with others that it would have been better if Gyllenhaal was in BB to begin with.

Holmes always looked awkward in BB, especially in scenes where she's trying to escape from danger (awkwardly hitting that mobster with her purse, tazing Crane). I just never bought into that friend/relationship, especially in the final scene in front of the ruined Wayne Manor.

If nothing else, Gyllenhaal looked a bit more mature and self-assured in the role, like she wasn't being written as a young woman who was in way over her head. And at the very least, I still remember the rooftop terrace "Don't make me choose" conversation in TDK, so she has that going for her. That said, she was still stilted and wooden in parts, and barely made any impact in the film whatsoever.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

In the Dark Knight Franchise: Does Bruce have any defense against embezzlement (spoilers for the Dark Knight series)
17
1K
Raven117 replied
  • Poll
Does it count as cheating if it's another woman? ♀️
2 3
102
871
E-Cat replied
Katy Perry Says She’s Been ‘Battered and Bruised’ by Backlash: The Internet Is a ‘Dumping Ground for Unhinged and Unhealed’
2
80
1K
RoboFu replied
Nick Frost has been cast as Hagrid in the HBO 'HARRY POTTER' tv series
43
2K
jason10mm replied
The hacker known as 4chan has been hacked and possibly murdered
2 3
100
7K
Sgt.Asher replied
Top Bottom