Although we previously reported that The Dark Knight Rises would still see Chicago standing in for Gotham City, as it did for both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, things have apparently changed.

Now, Reel Chicago reports that Chistopher Nolan‘s forthcoming installment in his Bat-Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises has chosen to shoot in Detroit instead of Chicago, which has stood in for Gotham City in both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The Detroit location will be used in addition to the aforementioned locations of Louisiana and the U.K.

[The Shakedown]

Having been born and raised just South of Detroit, as a measure of pride, I would love to think that the big city metropolis (pun intended) of Detroit is what drew Nolan to the city.

I, however am a realist and understand that it’s much more likely that it was a combination of incentives that the city offered, which was appealing for the studio, and (sadly) the fact that much of Detroit has become a decayed mess due to the local economy which was appealing to Nolan. There’s a good chance that Detroit would make a better stand-in for a Gotham destroyed by the crime and chaos that ensued following the absence of the Caped Crusader after the events at the end of the last film, without all the “set dressing” that Chicago may need.

Either way, I hope that this film and others being produced in Detroit as of late, bring the city a much needed economic upswing.

The Dark Knight Rises is slated to hit theaters on July 20th, 2012.