Batman Begins Trailer: The Controversial Nickelback Song

What Music Was Used in the Batman Begins Trailer?

The Batman Begins movie and the entire Dark Knight trilogy , as directed by Christopher Nolan has captured audiences - making the Christopher Nolan Batman franchise one of the most influential releases, and the stories were hailed as a modern take on Batman films or even Batman Movies - giving us a more dramatic, dark look at the characters. However, the iconic Batman series and its film trailers did offer one surprising moment in movie marketing - as they used a Nickelback song for their trailer.

In particular, the Batman Begins trailer for Batman Begins movie used “Someday” from the rock band - Nickelback. Many critics and fans who follow movie trailers will attest to this use being controversial, as Nickelback’s popularity wasn't as popular or widely-respected. However, the trailer used a specific Nickelback song for this release. This decision seemed misguided considering those who knew DC comics or who were looking forward to a film like Batman Begins would often anticipate that it would be dark, and have a more serious tone - not be as overtly dramatic as that was seen as the trend across teen-focused programming at the time.

Why Was The Nickelback Song In the Trailer For Batman Begins So Controversial?

Harley Quinn and the Joker from Suicide Squad with the blurred posters of 2021's The Suicide Squad and 2016's Suicide Squad in the background Image

When Warner Bros made the decision to release the Batman Begins movie - it did bring an expectation to audiences of seeing an impressive superhero movie - a release that would show off just how dark, dramatic and grounded Batman would become within the DC world. However, the choice of music didn’t reflect that - even when it considered the release being a new beginning. This was to help reshape how those who were familiar with the franchise ( those who were dedicated to DC Comics ) would see Batman on the big screen, but it's considered one of the greatest movie marketing failures.

The Nickelback song was very lighthearted, contrasting the Batman film's darkness. One can see how this led to a critical look - at how Christopher Nolan's decision was going to shift how the characters were seen as being gritty and intense. As this era continued (especially in the later part of the 2000s, when Warner Bros' release had a larger audience for superhero Movies and for a variety of DC comics properties). The use of music continued to play a larger part - it’s a key component that would drive interest. The decision to choose the wrong kind of music could easily deter a fanbase - it may seem like an oversight or, perhaps even a mistake.

What Other Batman Movies Does Christopher Nolan Have?

batman alfred and joker in christopher nolans dark knight trilogy Image

Christopher Nolan is known for directing one of the greatest Batman trilogies - "Batman Begins" is considered the opening chapter for those movies that continue the journey with “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises. These films show how Nolan has not only mastered the art of creating a visual style that has continued to be praised, especially as he also offers his perspective and expertise through the use of story-telling - which is a driving force behind how he conveys characters - making them believable and authentic - especially with how he works with the main cast and brings together an ensemble group for the films.

Those who have enjoyed his work also understand his attention to detail, in terms of those films, as they blend with a realistic perspective for how a world might look in the face of a dark, sinister and a very influential figure in the world like Batman, or, in this case, a villain as menacing and powerful as The Joker (as portrayed by Heath Ledger), but there is an exception when considering his work. There is one standout for this particular series. His "Dark Knight" trilogy - the reason he's considered to have made an immeasurable impact.

Was Batman Begins A Good Movie?

Batman Begins , has consistently earned strong critical acclaim, which even included awards. For those familiar with Batman's cinematic releases - it's considered one of the best in terms of the way Batman has been portrayed - giving us an understanding of Bruce Wayne as a person, while also understanding how his transformation has occurred into a protector and protector for Gotham.

Batman Begins is one of the main reasoning points behind how Nolan's take on the franchise had such a strong impact. The Batman Begins trailer, did a pretty good job of attracting viewers and audiences - but for many - they may have considered it "average", as it's now recognized as one of those iconic pieces in cinema that many consider a "classic", often lauded for how Batman was shown - giving him a darker, gritty perspective, and how Bruce Wayne becomes transformed as he fights to end those villains, such as the Scarecrow, who come to terrorize Gotham, but those Batman Begins reviews often point toward its incredible strength - serving as an integral moment to appreciate.

Does Batman Begins Have Strong Marketing Content?

As those familiar with movie trailers know it can often make a film or, in some cases, deter those from going to the theater or streaming. With film trailers being one of the key marketing techniques used by studios, one of the most popular ones was the use of the Nickelback song. This gave a lot to talk about.

It was, at the time, one of those contentious choices as fans have had very mixed feelings regarding movie marketing. While a "well-produced" and "memorable" trailer - is seen as an integral component to attracting viewers, a few can argue that a few trailers like those seen for Batman Begins were just "misleading" as those familiar with the trailer and the Batman Begins movie.

Is Suicide Squad A Good Movie?

Suicide Squad , - a film that attempted to build off the successes that Warner Bros achieved with a new look and characters, such as those featured in the "Justice League." The film attempted to do an innovative thing as it incorporated an ensemble of villains - those that would often face off against DC comics heroes.

Those who have enjoyed Suicide Squad have a varied perspective on whether or not it truly achieved that - its main appeal has often been described as being due to the Suicide Squad trailer, a piece of movie marketing that used "Bohemian Rhapsody" as the main track, it was aimed to deliver on a grand-scale production and also to attract those audiences who enjoy superhero movies and the world around it. While it generated buzz - it’s an example of how it’s difficult to get the right tone, in a sense, it felt a bit off - as many fans of those movies might find it a bit "out of touch" and a lack of depth that was seen in some other films and even with those films like Batman Begins.

How Did the TV Spots Affect Batman Begins?

There were several releases of TV spots, or those "TV Spots" for the Batman Begins release. Even though those marketing experts sought to make them a valuable piece - in terms of those efforts made to make those short snippets highly attention-grabbing - and with the goal to attract more audiences, especially given how many people watch television - making them more prone to seeing trailers for new and popular films. However, many critics will make a key distinction - those "TV Spots" (in particular, the use of Nickelback) did not match the movie’s dark and intriguing atmosphere that would draw audiences into Batman's universe.

Those that did see the release, might also mention just how well Christopher Nolan’s vision and production, as the creator for the film, did in delivering that world - giving audiences those same powerful themes that would go on to be one of the most memorable releases in Batman’s cinematic history - and it even went on to establish one of the greatest movie trilogies.