The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the second film in his Batman trilogy. It features Christian Bale as Batman facing Heath Ledger's iconic Joker. The film transcended the superhero genre, presenting a complex crime thriller examining chaos, morality, and heroism. Ledger's transformative performance earned him a posthumous Academy Award. The film was a massive box office success, becoming the first superhero film to gross $1 billion. Its dark, realistic tone influenced the entire superhero genre, proving comic book films could achieve critical acclaim.