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

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Verger

Banned
I wish she had.

The reasons are, well, yeah her looks, but not just in terms of prettiness, she also gave off a sort of "innocence" vibe about her. I also felt that she and Bale did manage to have good chemistry on screen.
-Rachel-Dawes-Batman-Begins-Screencaps-rachel-dawes-13403529-1022-420.jpg



Maggie Gyllenhaal on the other hand definitely felt liker a more "seasoned" character, and I dunno if I can explain it well, but to me she lacked that "spark" that Holmes had on screen. I also didn't really buy the chemistry she had with either Bale or Eckheart. Contrary to some of the more vociferous comments out there I don't think she was that much less pretty than Katie overall despite how many thought so. But she did look "older".

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By the way, why did Katie not return to Batman? I kept hearing rumors it was because of Tom Cruise and Scientology, any of that true?
 

Dead

well not really...yet
Honestly, neither of them put on all that great of a performance. It was just a shit role to begin with.
 

Betty

Banned
Yes it would have been better, although Maggie is a better actress.

By the way, why did Katie not return to Batman? I kept hearing rumors it was because of Tom Cruise and Scientology, any of that true?

She wanted to appear in another film called Mad Money to work with people she admired.
 

kurahador

Member
I would prefers it for continuity sake. It would also made her
demise
alot more shocking and sad.

They should've at least try finding someone who looks like her as replacement at least.
 

Verger

Banned
Funny how things change. I could have sworn that when and immediately after the movie came out nobody like Gyllenhall as Rachel. I certainly remember a hell of a lot more negativity about her.
 

Acorn

Member
Funny how things change. I could have sworn that when and immediately after the movie came out nobody like Gyllenhall as Rachel. I certainly remember a hell of a lot more negativity about her.
Eh people get pissed at character switcharoos generally.
 

Pau

Member
I don't think that could have saved the character.

Maybe they could have made Rachel into Two-Face. (But that would have meant missing out on Eckhart's performance.)
 

shem935

Banned
It was just weird to see the switch in general. Would have preferred seeing a return of Holmes just for the fact that it wouldn't be as jarring watching the two back to back.
 

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
one is a GREAT actress, the other is a nameless face. And Maggie's face is perfectly fine as it is, not even counting her strikingly good body she graced us with in THW
 
Would have preferred Katie. Magpie is a better actress, but not so in TDK. All she did was turn Rachel into this weirdly smarmy character.

Honesty would have preferred the continuity so that I felt something when Rachel was turned into confetti.
 

Fury451

Banned
Would've been better if Maggie was already in BB to be honest.

Exactly.

But I almost view them as two different characters, so the events of the film had little impact, because of the casting incongruence, so yes, her staying on would've been better.
 
one is a GREAT actress, the other is a nameless face. And Maggie's face is perfectly fine as it is, not even counting her strikingly good body she graced us with in THW

People keep saying this, as if that matters in this instance, and to apparently say she actually gave a good performance in The Dark Knight, or that the character didn't become even more of a throwaway the second time. She in no way elevated that character.

So, yeah, I would say continuity would've absolutely been preferable to that.
 

LakeEarth

Member
Also, the people involved with Batman Begins were pissed that every interview with Katie Holmes during the BB press tour was 100% about Tom Cruise. War of the Worlds came out around the same time, so her interviews were doing more for BB's direct competition.
 

Pikelet

Member
I don't mind them changing the actress, though I'm not a fan of bland characters that seem to exist primarily to motivate the main character via dying or being in peril.
 

3N16MA

Banned
Gyllenhaal is the better actress but none of that matters because the role did not require her to use much of her talent. It was perfect for Holmes and TDK would have been better if she stayed.
 

Quick

Banned
The recast didn't really bother me when I was watching it, and I thought Maggie Gyllenhaal did a great job on a role that unfortunately didn't shine much in the series. For continuity's sake, sticking Katie Holmes would've been better, but ultimately Maggie Gyllenhaal should've just been Rachel from the start.

Maybe Nolan would've written the role better knowing Maggie's resume and her abilities. No offense to Katie Holmes, of course.
 

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
People keep saying this, as if that matters in this instance, and to apparently say she actually gave a good performance in The Dark Knight, or that the character didn't become even less of a throwaway the second time. She in no way elevated that character.

So, yeah, I would say continuity would've absolutely been preferable to that.

it's not her fault her character was a throwaway, but she did give a fine performance imho, much better than Holmes did
 
I don't think either of them are especially good actresses. Although, Maggie Gyllenhaal has gotten better. Her brother as well...I smell a conspiracy.
 

wmlk

Member
Both of them can be filled by other actresses for all I care. Rachel serves a very specific and uninteresting purpose in TDK.
 

3N16MA

Banned
hugocésar;171639932 said:
I don't think either of them are especially good actresses. Although, Maggie Gyllenhaal has gotten better. Her brother as well...I smell a conspiracy.

They're the same person.
 
I hope her agent is fired.

It doesn't really matter, it's not like The Dark Knight did anything for Maggie's career, nor Batman Begins for Katie. I can understand going with something she may have felt was more interesting(or fun) for her to do as an actress, but I can't imagine she gets many interesting opportunities, so settling for that shit it is.
 
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