Why so serious? The Dark Knight fans celebrate its 15th anniversary

Believe it or not, The Dark Knight is 15 years old.

Fifteen years ago, the modern blockbuster changed forever as Christopher Nolan’s seismic superhero/crime epic The Dark Knight hit theaters.

The film opened July 18, 2008, making a billion dollars globally and winning Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards for the late Heath Ledger’s iconic performance as the Joker.

The Dark Knight was a tonal game changer for the way that studios approached intellectual property, kicking off a darker, more grounded take on comic book stories and beloved franchises alike.

Whether it’s the monumental truck flip or the Batman/Joker interrogation scene, Ledger’s clown prince said it best. This movie changed things.

It’s become one of the most celebrated and revered studio films of the 21st century, and the film’s many fans wished it a happy 15th anniversary on Tuesday.

WATCH: Mitchell Trubisky is the Dark Knight on Gridiron Heights

Is Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky the hero Chicago deserves? Gridiron Heights set out to find the answer.

Is Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky the hero Chicago deserves? Gridiron Heights set out to find the answer when they summarized the Bears season in a hilarious parody video that does not disappoint.

Gridiron Heights, the weekly animated series from Bleacher Report, focused their attention on the Bears’ quest to make the playoffs this week by portraying Trubisky as Batman from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKDmUeIJGGs&t=20s

The video takes the premise from the The Dark Knight Rises and ties it to the 2020 Bears season. Head coach Matt Nagy portrays Commissioner Gordon, quarterback Nick Foles portrays Bane and wide receiver Allen Robinson is Catman (but only because he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to his character).

The video is only 85 seconds long, but is packed with many funny moments including:

  • Foles (Bane) accidentally blowing up Soldier Field.
  • General manager Ryan Pace, playing Alfred the butler, admitting he won’t give up on Trubisky simply because that will mean he messed up.
  • Trubisky escaping the underground prison with other benched quarterbacks by throwing a seven-yard screen pass to the left.
  • Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray blowing up the playoff bomb set by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to “blow” their own chances at the postseason.
  • Nagy butchering the famous Batman quote, instead saying he’s the hero.

Other Bears featured in the short include tight end Cole Kmet and running back David Montgomery.

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Tristan Wirfs shows off his best Joker face

Bucs rookie Tristan Wirfs spent a date night in with his girlfriend painting, and showed he’s got some pretty good artistic skills.

The Buccaneers are hoping rookie offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs can live up to his first-round billing and help protect new quarterback Tom Brady. The Bucs surrendered 47 sacks on former quarterback Jameis Winston last season, something they are hoping to avoid with the 43-year-old Brady.

Wirfs has been hitting the field all offseason, and looks like he’s ready to start pushing bodies around on the field. But the big man also has an artistic side to him, too.

Check out some screenshots from Wirfs’ recent date night in with his girlfriend, where he showed fans his love for Heath Ledger’s Joker from the movie The Dark Knight.

Thank goodness it wasn’t Jared Leto’s Joker.

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