Batman director Christopher Nolan has spoken out in defence of the over-enthusiastic fans of the comic book hero.
The British filmmaker was commenting on the decision by reviews aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes to [uuid=8c2fd1ed-bee2-43e5-afc6-6ed4c2a6e386]close comments on its page[/uuid] for his new movie The Dark Knight Rises, following abusive comments left by angry batfans.
Journalists who had criticised the film were insulted by some contributors, with threats to rape and kill being made.
Interviewed by the Associated Press, Nolan said: "I think the fans are very passionate about these characters the way a lot of people are very passionate.
"Batman's been around for over 70 years and there's a reason for that. He has a huge appeal, so I think you know people certainly respond to the character."
But he was less understanding about right-wing US politician Rush Limbaugh's claim that villain Bane was intended to represent Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Nolan said: "I'm not sure how to address something that bizarre, to be honest. I really don't have an answer for it, it's a very peculiar comment to make."
The Dark Knight Rises Opens today. There have already been plenty of reviews.