Batman sequel "The Dark Knight Rises" topped movie box office charts this weekend with nearly $64.1 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, a 60 percent drop from its debut last week in the wake of a fatal shooting in a Colorado movie theater.

The reduction in ticket sales for the movie starring Christian Bale as the comic book crimefighter trailed the performance of its 2008 predecessor "The Dark Knight," which fell 53 percent in its second weekend to earn $75 million.

The drop also proved weaker than this year's huge summer hit, "The Avengers," which opened to roughly $207 million in its first weekend and fell about 50 percent to $103 million.

On July 20, a gunman burst into a movie theater at a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., and opened fire, killing 12 people and injuring 58. It has been difficult to pin down just exactly how the massacre impacted business for the movie, which cost the Warner Bros. studio around $250 million to make and tens of millions more to market.

But overall, "Dark Knight Rises" played well through the week and now has amassed $289 million total U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, and other films with huge opening weekends have fallen off more than 60 percent in the past. The domestic box office for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II," for instance, fell 72 percent from $169 million its first weekend to $47 million in its second.

Among other titles in theaters, animated children's film "Ice Age: Continental Drift," about animals on a global adventure, retained the No. 2 spot on box office charts by earning $13.3 million at domestic theaters.

"The Watch," a new comedy in theaters this week, brought in $13 million to land in third place. The film stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill as men who start a neighborhood watch group and battle aliens.

"The Dark Knight Rises" was released by Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc. News Corp's 20th Century Fox film studio distributed "Ice Age: Continental Drift" and "The Watch."

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Comedian Dane Cook took the stage at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles Thursday night and joked about the massacre at an Aurora, Colo., movie theater less than a week after it happened.

The shootings left 12 dead and 59 hurt at a midnight screening of the new Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises."

"So I heard that the guy came into the theater about 25 minutes into the movie," Cook says in a clip on YouTube. "And I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie, but the movie is pretty much a piece of crap ... yeah, spoiler alert.

"And I know that if, ya know, none of that would have happened, I'm pretty sure that somebody in that theater, about 25 minutes in, realizing that it was a piece of crap, was probably like 'ugh, (expletive) shoot me,'" Cook said.

A mix of groans from the audience turned into laughter and cheers before the audio clip ends.

Some commenters on YouTube tear into Cook for joking about the incident so soon, if at all.

"What a hack. He's trying to legitimize himself by do edgy, 'dark"' stuff, but he doesn't have the goods. Stick to your frat boy-slaying crazy dude persona, Dane," writes ChillyCheezItz.

Others defend the comedian and his right to joke about what happened.

"In his defense he was talking about the movie sucking ... Find humor in pain. I love his comedy. Always have always will," says TheSteffeec.

Last week, Playboy model Tricia Evans beat Cook to the apparent punchline with a tweet on the same day as the shooting. "I hear the new Batman movie is really 'to die for!' Too soon?" she wrote. Deadmau5, the electronic dance musician, was among those who later blasted Evans in a tweet of his own. A debate over the merits of her comedy ensued and Playboy finally stepped in to make sure no one thought the magazine was writing her material.

Backlash over Cook's joke also comes on the heels of another comedian feeling the heat for what he said during a stand-up act. Daniel Tosh, of Comedy Central's "Tosh.O", apologized earlier this month after getting slammed for a rape joke directed at an audience member, also at the Laugh Factory.

Last summer, actor/comedian Tracy Morgan famously went to great lengths to calm the storm after joking about how he would "pull out a knife and stab" his son if he was gay.

Update, 5:53 p.m. ET: Cook issued an apology on his Twitter feed, saying that he regrets telling the joke.

"I am devastated by the recent tragedy in Colorado & did not mean to make light of what happened."

"I made a bad judgment call with my material last night & regret making a joke at such a sensitive time. My heart goes out to all of the families & friends of the victims."

What's your take on Cook's joke? Should some subjects be off limits? Is it just too soon, or should people lighten up? Discuss on Facebook.

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Cole Bennetts / Getty Images

Kim Ledger.

The father of Heath Ledger is calling for America to tighten its gun laws in the wake of the deadly theater shootings in Colorado.

"It's terrible -- the whole circumstances," Ledger's father Kim told Australia's Herald Sun newspaper. "I think what America should be doing is restricting the availability of ammunition or revisiting their gun laws, that's what they should be doing."

The elder Ledger's comments came in response to Friday's shooting at a Cineplex screening "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., in which 12 died and dozens were injured.

Heath Ledger, who died from an accidental drug overdose in January 2008, played the Joker in the previous film in the Warner Bros. franchise, "The Dark Knight."

Ledger's father made clear that "we can't blame Heath or the character" for the incident.

"It's (The Joker) fictitious. I don't know what this does to the character," he said. "I think that's the least of my worries. I'd be more worried about the families and other people involved in the tragedy.''

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The shooting that left 12 moviegoers dead at a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo., a Denver suburb ranked the ninth safest city in America, left many disturbed, but didn't stop the most committed fans from seeing the movie. Attendance, however, did appear to slip, as many moviegoers are having to convince themselves that going to the movie is still a good idea.

Mario Tama / Getty Images

An NYPD officer keeps watch in front of an AMC move theater where "The Dark Knight Rises" is playing in New York's Times Square on Friday.

"I bought the ticket on Fandango on my phone and then I heard about the shootings," said Cameron Justice, 23, an emergency hospital technician, who saw the film at Regal Cinemas in Seattle. "I was definitely hesitant about showing up today, but I thought, what are the chances of it happening a second time? But it definitely makes me a little nervous."

When Justice arrived at the movie theater 15 minutes before his 9:30 a.m. showing, he was taken aback by the theater’s emptiness. "There’s no one in there. I thought I was going to be too late for a good seat."

The theater saw just a few more people trickle in before the film began, but other show times and theaters saw much larger turnouts. For others like Justice who bought their tickets in advance, the shootings have slighly spoiled the movie.

"I already know it is going to be a good movie, just a huge movie," said B.J. Rochinich, 28, in Pittsburgh. But "(the shooting) put a negative vibe on it."

For those who chose to attend on Friday, the general sentiment appeared to be "there are crazies everywhere," and an individual’s action shouldn’t change their day.

Joe Ludwig, 28, saw the movie at a Regal Cinemas in Willoughby, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, without hesitation. "I’m not going to let some lunatic rain on my parade," the criminal justice student said. "I think there’s a better chance of winning the lottery than ever getting shot in a theater."

"You think when people go to movies there’s a commonality and everyone is there for a good time," said Dylan Ludwig, 19. "When I was younger I saw all the 'Harry Potter' movies at a midnight showing. It was fun. You don’t think about someone coming in to a theater and shooting people. But I guess things can really happen anywhere.  Now, this shooting just gives me another thing to think about and another thing to worry about. I love going to the movies. It’s all very sad."

Stephanie Suriel, 21, of Brooklyn, N.Y., went to see the film at an AMC Theaters in Times Square and felt the same way. Although her mother was concerned about her seeing the movie, she had no qualms. "I’m not nervous at all because I really want to see this movie," she told The Associated Press.

Not all attendees have been quite so audacious though. While many still want to see the movie, they’ve attempted to take precautions.

"I think security is an issue," said Allison Paytosh, 26, who works at a community college near the cinema in Seattle and has "grown up on 'Batman'." "The reason why I came here is because there are multiple levels, so I think it’s a little bit harder for someone to get into the theater through back doors," she said.

Whether or not that would deter a shooter is impossible to know, but Regal Entertainment Group, the world’s largest cinema operator, issued a statement about its security policy following the shooting at the Cinemark Theater in Aurora, with whom it is unaffiliated. "The security and safety of our guests and staff is always our number one priority. As is our custom, we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our security needs as necessary."

While a few moviegoers would like to see added security measures, such as metal detectors or frisks upon entry, most believe life must move on.

Anthony Clay, 24, of Cleveland, has been a Batman fan since he was a kid and had "no hesitation" about seeing the movie on Friday afternoon.

"Anything can happen anywhere," he said. But he does think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have police or some type of security in the lobbies of theaters, not just for "The Dark Knight Rises," but all the time. "Seriously, it’s crazy to me that I would even say that, but things are crazy everywhere. It seems like everybody is going nuts."

Anita Avila, 28, an optician in Seattle said, "I just think it’s tainting the movie itself. I love midnight showings. I’m not going to stop going to midnight showings just because one idiot went crazy." She added, "We were more anxious about seeing the movie!"

Additional reporting by contributors Joan Raymond in Ohio and Meghan Holohan in Pennsylvania.

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Updated at 9:20 p.m. ET: Questions about security at the nation's movie theaters arose Friday in the wake of the Aurora, Colo., shootings that left 12 dead and 58 injured at a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises."

A spokesperson for The National Association of Theatre Owners, the organization that includes more than 30,000 movie screens across the country, said that it would ultimately be up to individual theater companies to make decisions about new or permanent security policies.

Justin Lane / EPA

A police car is seen reflected in the door of a movie theater showing the new film "The Dark Knight Rises" in New York on Friday.

"At this moment we’re just responding to what happened and we’ll be talking to our members and it’s up to individual members," NATO’s Gary Kline told NBC News. "At this time we’re extending our prayers to the families and victims and awaiting more information." In the meantime, NATO says that members "are working closely with local law enforcement agencies and reviewing procedures."

Cinemark Holdings, which owns the Century 16 Movie Theaters where the shootings took place, issued a statement which expresses gratitude toward local law enforcement, but no specifics about security changes. "Cinemark is deeply saddened about this tragic incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and loved ones, our employees, and the Aurora community. We are grateful for the quick and professional reaction of all local law enforcement and emergency responders. Cinemark is working closely with the Aurora Police Department and local law enforcement."

As details about the shooting and the motives of the suspect, James Eagan Holmes, continue to emerge, former FBI profiler and NBC News analyst Clint Van Zandt said that most, but not all, theaters will be forced to do something substantial to ensure the safety of their patrons.

"You can say the first time that it’s a tragedy no one would anticipate. From a liability standpoint and an insurance standpoint they’re going to be required to implement something," Van Zandt said. "But I don’t see every movie theater ready to make that move. It’s so intrusive that on the chance of one event you won’t move to that. But I guarantee you every theater organization is going to be forced to have a discussion about it, make a decision."

Slideshow: Shooting at Batman screening in Aurora, Colo.

Launch slideshow

Even though there will be heightened security at some theaters this weekend, it should be noted that there are always security measures in place, even if they aren’t immediately visible.

"In our theaters all our team members are trained in standard security measures. Some are visible, some are not," said Terrell Mayton, Carmike Cinema’s head of marketing. "We have law enforcement in uniform and plain clothes agents. We pay very close attention to it (security) but now everyone is looking again at their security, there’s no question about that. But part of security is what people don’t know."

The Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement saying it would provide high-visibility patrols at major theaters, as well as other sporting events, concerts and crowded venues and that its presence woul include both uniformed and undercover officers.

"I am outraged by the cowardly attack on innocent movie patrons in Colorado last night" said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck." Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those innocent victims. Since Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, it is important that we all remain vigilant and do everything we can to prevent incidents like this from occurring in our communities."

The New York Police Department was quick to issue a statement announcing that future screenings of "The Dark Knight Rises" would have an increased security presence. "As a precaution against copycats and to raise the comfort levels among movie patrons in the wake of the horrendous shooting in Colorado, the New York City Police Department is providing coverage at theaters where the 'The Dark Knight Rises' is playing in the five boroughs."

According to The Associated Press, a sampling of theaters across the country showed the addition of some additional security measures in the wake of the shooting.

Two police officers were stationed outside the AMC theater in New York's Times Square, which had showings of the film beginning every 20 minutes, the AP reported. Later in the day, the officers gave way to a police cruiser that was parked out front with an officer in it.

At the Regal Gallery Place multiplex in downtown Washington, the AP reports that moviegoers trickled into an 11 a.m. showing and theater employees searched patrons' bags and purses while taking their tickets. And at the United Artists Riverview Stadium 17 in Philadelphia, a steady stream of people headed in for morning showings and staff members said that there was extra security, but that that was normal for big movies -- and not because of the shooting.

AMC Theatres told Deadline Hollywood that it will reinforce its security measures, not allowing any guests into theaters “in costumes that make other guests feel uncomfortable and we will not permit face-covering masks or fake weapons inside our buildings.” AMC said, “we’re reinforcing our security procedures with our theatre teams, which we cannot discuss in detail for obvious, safety reasons. Local law enforcement agencies, our landlords and their and our local security teams are stepping up nationwide to ensure we provide the safest environment possible for our guests ... .”

The fact that a gunman was able to open fire in a public place left lingering questions about not only the prospect of bag searches and metal detectors at theaters, but whether movies themselves might be to blame. According to witnesses, the shots fired in the theater coincided with a particularly violent scene in "Dark Knight Rises" -- so much so that initially it was difficult to discern that the gunshots were indeed real.

"I have dealt with too many people over the years who have told me they got the idea from a movie, TV, or having someone else having done it," Van Zandt said. "So do movies make people commit acts of violence? The answer is in the vast majority of cases, no. But there’s a lot of people with a rich fantasy world ... All they need is a little push and for those people movies of violence, assault and things like that can be that push ... We’re searching trying to ID this guy’s motivation and there are multiple factors."

According to statistics published by the Poynter Institute, 1.23 billion movie tickets were sold in North America in 2011. And as Van Zandt says, "Going to movies -- it’s still a very safe thing to do."

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RottenTomatoes.com has suspended user comments on a film for the first time following a fan uproar after two critics posted negative reviews of "The Dark Knight Rises" on Monday. 

The review-aggregating site rates films by a percentile approval rating. As of Wednesday morning, "The Dark Knight Rises" stood with a 94% approval from critics and 96% "fresh" rating from the audience. But two reviews appear to have set fans off: Marshall Fine of Hollywood and Fine wrote that the film was "grandiose not grand," and the Associated Press' Christy Lemire said that the film "lacked the spark that gave 2008's 'The Dark Knight' such vibrancy."

The backlash overwhelmed the site, said Rotten Tomatoes editor-in-chief Matt Atchity, who told the AP that "it just got to be too much hate based on reactions to reviews of movies that people hadn't even seen."

In a post on the site titled "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things," Atchity explained his reasoning behind shutting down comments for the film: "As expected, we saw a mountain of comments come in about (Fine's) review, and we're policing them to make sure they're in line with our (terms of service). Broadly speaking, threats and hate speech will get your commenting privileges revoked.

"But Marshall has the right to not like the movie, and people have the right to express their disagreement with him (although if you haven't seen the movie, your arguments may be on shaky ground)," Atchity wrote. "And we have the right to pull your comment down and ban you if we think you're acting inappropriately."

Warner Bros. is both the studio for "The Dark Knight Rises" and the owner of Rotten Tomatoes (via Flixster.com), but there is no indication that the company asked Atchity to take action.

In a second twist, critic Eric D. Snider posted a review for "Dark Knight" which pranked many readers. He began with negative comments about the film, calling it "easily the most disappointing Batman film so far," then wrote "just kidding." Snider chose to post the opening sentences as his Rotten Tomatoes tease, knowing fans would see only the negative lines and get upset. Snider hadn't actually seen the film yet,  Atchity wrote, also berating the critic for linking the review to his personal site while listing Film.com in the Rotten Tomatoes teaser.

"This is not the first time he's done this, nor is it the first time his journalistic ethics have been brought into question," said Atchity, who added that Snider's reviews would "no longer apply to the Tomatometer."

Atchity told The New York Times that commenting is likely to start up again later this week, but that site editors are looking at other options to prevent this from happening in the future -- perhaps even as soon as the December release of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," another strongly anticipated film with a large, passionate fandom.

He noted that the site may decide to end the practice of letting anonymous users comment on reviews, or take away the comment function entirely.

"It's within the realm of possibility," he said. "I'm not sure that's page views we really want."

What do you think of the fans' angry reaction? Tell us on Facebook.

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Tom Hardy as villain Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises"

Christopher Nolan is used to having his films over-analyzed, but we doubt he was expecting this one.

Rush Limbaugh has come under the impression that the villainous Bane, played by Tom Hardy in “The Dark Knight Rises” and Batman's most destructive nemesis yet, is a dig at Bain Capital, the financial services company once headed by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney that's featuring prominently in President Barack Obama's campaign ads.

Hmm, this might be more of a headscratcher than “Inception.”

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"Do you think it is accidental that the name of the really vicious fire-breathing, four-eyed whatever-it-is villain in this movie is named Bane?" Limbaugh lamented on his syndicated radio show today.

Well, considering DC Comics' “Batman: Vengeance of Bane No. 1,” featuring the villain's first appearance, was published in 1993, you can certainly call it a coincidence (if you have to call it something, that is).

Or you could call it something else. Like...

"Ridiculous," comic book writer and Bane co-creator Chuck Dixon wrote on a Dixonverse.net message board in response to Limbaugh's comments.

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But it turns out the, er, garrulous right-wing commentator did not come up with the Bane vs. Bain thing himself -- excited bloggers on both sides of the political spectrum have drawn comparisons.

"Whether it is spelled Bain and being put out by the Obama campaign or Bane and being out by Hollywood, the narratives are similar: a highly intelligent villain with offshore interests and a past both are seeking to cover up who had a powerful father and is set on pillaging society," former Bill Clinton aide Christopher Lehane told the Washington Examiner when asked about the alleged liberal conspiracy.

"The 'Bain Romney' should at least endeavor to match the comic book Bane in at least one way: prove to be a worthy adversary," Lehane continued (with, we imagine, a bit of relish). "Bane never asked Batman to apologize--neither superheroes nor super villains nor candidates for president should ever ask for apologies from their opponents if they are to be taken serious."

Not every conservative was as concerned as the radio host, however.

"Democrats are truly living in fantasy land if they think the Bain story is anything more than a little summertime blues for Romney," offered conservative analyst Greg Muller. "The election will be a referendum on Obama socialism and the Obama economy. Wonder if the Batmobile was made in China."

What a joker.

MORE: Anne Hathaway talks wedding plans at ‘Dark Knight Rises’ premiere

And speaking of the Joker, don't tell either conservative or liberal analysts that Mark Hamill (who voiced Batman's pasty-faced nemesis in “Batman: The Animated Series” and many more cartoons for nearly two decades) told an audience at Comic-Con that Romney only "imitates human behavior."

"He's not actually human himself, so...God bless him, I'm enjoying him running for office, but I just came out as a lifelong Democrat," the “Star Wars” hero said.

And before anyone starts over-analyzing his choice of words, we bid you happy conspiracy-theorizing.

GALLERY: Pics from ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

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For Batman fans, the Caped Crusader's many gadgets are some of the most compelling elements of the long-running cartoon, TV and film series. The Batmobile has to be at the top of that list.

So, as "The Dark Knight Rises" is set to race away from other summer box office contenders, Warner Bros. is showing off a trailer for "The Batmobile," a documentary which will be available on Blu-ray and digital download this holiday season, and which was previewed at Comic-Con last weekend.

"For me, as for a lot of people my age, you can't really remember a time before the Batmobile," "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan says in the teaser. "You've always been aware of it and always found it to be something pretty exciting."

The film features interviews with many who have been connected to the superhero over the years, including directors Joel Schumacher ("Batman Forever" and Batman & Robin") and Tim Burton ("Batman Returns.)

Actor Christian Bale is asked what it was like to drive the car. "Very noisy," Bale said. "It's like having Ozzy Osbourne screaming in your ear."

The current "Dark Knight" star is only outdone by TV's "Batman," Adam West, who says, "I did things with the Batmobile maybe that shouldn't have been done."

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Spoiler warning: Possible clues to events in "The Dark Knight Rises" follow. A goofy sidekick who spews eye-rolling catchphrases has no place in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises.” Although the campy Dick Grayson (aka Robin) doesn't fit with Nolan’s gritty franchise, fanboys and fangirls still ceaselessly search through featurettes, trailers and TV spots for the slightest of clues that Robin will be a part of the series’ finale.

While it is indeed possible that the Boy Wonder could show up in “Rises,” he’d be altered so substantially to fit the film’s dark, epic tone that he’d be nearly unrecognizable as his comical comic book self. The young, acrobatic sidekick was a more serious character during the so-called Golden Age of Batman from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Yet, soon thereafter, he was given a campy demeanor, “Holy (fill in the blank), Batman!” exclamations and a jubilant youthfulness that has defined his character to this day.

Cue Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the baby-faced star of “(500) Days of Summer.” His "Dark Knight Rises" role as police officer John Blake could be Robin’s daytime identity  -- at least, that's what Mark Hughes’ Forbes piece claims. Yet Hughes’ contentions are on less than solid ground. Among other things, he believes the bat-shaped chalk symbols shown in the featurette are drawn by Gordon-Levitt’s character; and, because of their vague resemblance to the Nightwing emblem (another of Robin’s identities) and the fact that, when flipped upside down, the chalk looks slightly like a robin, John Blake therefore must be Robin. “Mind. Blown.” he writes.

Likewise, a well-circulated freeze-frame from the trailer shows fans of the fictional Gotham Rogues football team holding a “Rogue” sign with the “R” in the same shape as the “R” on DC’s “Robin” comic books. For many, this is ironclad evidence of Robin’s existence in the “Rises” world. Empire Online, however, was quick to note, “most of (the extras) brought their own props and costumes,” so the sign could be just one individual's design choice.

Then again, Gordon-Levitt seems like too major of an actor to simply play an idealistic cop, a relatively minimal part.

It’s generally agreed that if Robin were to show up in “Rises” he would be in the form of his Golden Age self: a useful, responsible assistant to Batman and his fight against evil -- embodied by Tom Hardy’s Bane in “Rises.” A dorky, catchphrase-rattling Robin wouldn't fly.

While it’d be essentially impossible to fully develop the Robin mythos in one movie (even one pushing three hours, as "Dark Knight Rises" does), his introduction here would allow Warner Bros. to create a spin-off franchise.

If there’s one sturdy clue that Robin might show up, it’s the fact that his character can be later mined for profit in subsequent films.

"The Dark Knight Rises" hits theaters on July 20.

Do you think Robin will appear in "The Dark Knight Rises?" Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Warner Brothers

Warning: Possible spoilers for "The Dark Knight Rises" ahead.

COMMENTARY: Director Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman has always been darker, grittier and more realistic, but now he and his fellow series creators have told Empire magazine that "The Dark Knight Rises" may come to a definitive end. Will Batman have to die to bring closure to the trilogy?

The director’s brother, Jonathan Nolan, certainly makes it seem that way.

“It’s the right way to end it -- to blow the whole thing up!" he told Empire. "It’s better than trying to spin the thing out indefinitely and make it into the Bond franchise.”

Batman’s possible death, however, is inherently problematic. Superhero stories don’t end in tragedy. Batman is stronger, more courageous and has all the right gadgets and sidekicks. If he cannot defeat evil, then what does that say about the rest of us? Imagine if Voldemort defeated Harry Potter or if Frodo and Sam hadn't destroyed the Ring. If even the greatest, the anointed fail, then certainly that means we are helpless to the evils of the world.

Still, some tales are meant to be tragic. What if Romeo and Juliet had run off and lived out their days in love and happiness, or if Humphrey Bogart’s Rick had stayed with Ilsa in “Casablanca”? Tragedy in film helps position the moral compass of society, exposing the natural vulnerability and flaws of people through on-screen characters.

To see misery unfold unrelentingly on screen or in text is one of the greatest forms of catharsis we can experience.  For a hyper-affluent, handsome, righteous hero like Batman to die would be a blow to the good-triumphs-over-evil trope that is so thoroughly ingrained in Western cultural and religious traditions. The good figure -- the Christ figure -- must always rise after being beaten down; yet, as anyone struck by tragedy knows, this is not always the case in real life.

Batman’s death would be the only satisfying conclusion to this trilogy that has seen its own fair share of heartbreak with the death of Heath Ledger, who played The Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

Still, his death would upend the first rule of superheroes: They are beyond human and therefore out of reach of death’s mighty grasp. Batman as a symbol of good over evil is forever immortal. The character Bruce Wayne's fate, however, is up in the air.

But is his death absolutely necessary for a satisfying ending to Nolan's series?

“You’ve given them everything,” a distressed Catwoman says in the trailer, whereupon Batman forebodingly replies: “Not everything. Not yet.”

"The Dark Knight Rises" hits theaters July 20.

Should Batman live or die in "The Dark Knight Rises"? Vote in our poll, and share your ideas on our Facebook page.

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While it may be common knowledge that this summer’s blockbuster release, “The Dark Knight Rises,” will deliver the conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman trilogy, the latest trailer suggests it may also prove the demise of DC’s legendary comic book hero.

Released on Monday, the third trailer for the film is thematically centered on the fate of its star character, Batman (Christian Bale), and the insurmountable threat of Bane (Tom Hardy), the evil villain who may, at last, be able to surpass the protagonist in strength and intelligence. Of course, as Bane surmises, he plans for something far worse than death.

“Your punishment must be more severe,” Bane warns through his pseudo gas-mask.

Set eight years after the conclusion of “The Dark Knight,” Nolan’s highly anticipated adventure movie, out July 20, looks as mesmerizing in theoretical discourse as it does in high impact action sequences, with scenes cutting from shots of blown up bridges to children living in fear. Now featuring, for the first time ever, a flying Batmobile, the trailer indicates “a storm is coming” to Gotham City, and amidst falling snow, societal tyranny, and a shambling Wall Street, Batman appears to be abducted by Bane, his whereabouts unknown to even his closest alliances, his masked tossed into the river.

“I won’t bury you,” Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s butler (Michael Caine) says in the teaser. “I’ve buried too many members of the Wayne family.”

This latest clip also highlights the new roles of Anne Hathaway, as Catwoman, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as Gotham cop John Blake. Playing the film’s anti-hero, Hathaway’s character subtly gives her own premonitions of what’s to come in the ambitious battle with Bane, while Gordon-Levitt emerges ghost-faced and without answers in Blake.

Most telling may be the final words uttered by Batman to Catwoman at the end of the two-minute piece.

“You’ve given them everything,” says the lady of the hour.

“Not everything,” Batman replies. “Not yet.”

Following the release of the trailer, fans tracking the film’s every move exhibited excitement online.

“Someone put me in a medical coma until dark knight rises is released,” tweeted musician Pete Wentz.

“MIND=BLOWN Going to be the best movie ever!!!!” wrote Logan Neubarth on Twitter.

Sam Johnson added, ”Genuinely have never been more excited for 'The Dark Knight Rises!' Gonna finish off the greatest trilogy ever made!”

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