Batman Begins#Cast and characters

In Gotham City, after falling down a well and getting swarmed by bats, a young Bruce Wayne develops a fear of them. At the opera with his parents, Bruce becomes unsettled by performers masquerading as bats and asks to leave. Outside, mugger Joe Chill murders Bruce's parents in front of him. Bruce is raised by the family butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

Fourteen years later, Chill testifies against the mafia crime boss, Carmine Falcone, and is paroled. Bruce intends to murder Chill to avenge his parents, but one of Falcone's hitmen does so first. Bruce's childhood friend, Rachel Dawes, berates him for acting outside the justice system. After confronting Falcone, who says real power comes from being feared, Bruce spends the next seven years traveling the world, training in combat, and immersing himself in the criminal underworld.

In a Bhutan prison, he is approached by Henri Ducard, who recruits him to the League of Shadows, led by Ra's al Ghul. The League believes Gotham is beyond saving and intends to destroy it. After completing his training, Bruce rejects the League and its mandate that killing is necessary. He escapes, burning down their temple in the process. Ra's is killed by falling debris, while Bruce saves the unconscious Ducard. Intent on fighting crime, Bruce returns to Gotham and takes an interest in his family's company, Wayne Enterprises, which is being taken public by businessman William Earle. Company archivist Lucius Fox, a friend of Bruce's father, allows him access to prototype defense technologies, including a protective bodysuit and the Tumbler, an armored vehicle. Bruce poses publicly as a shallow playboy while setting up a base in the caves beneath Wayne Manor and taking up the vigilante identity of "Batman," inspired by his childhood fear, which he has now conquered.

Intercepting a drug shipment, Batman provides Rachel, now a Gotham Assistant District Attorney, with evidence against Falcone and enlists Sergeant James Gordon, one of Gotham's few honest police officers, to arrest him. In prison, Falcone meets Dr. Jonathan Crane, a corrupt psychologist who smuggled drugs into Gotham with his help. Donning a scarecrow mask, Crane sprays Falcone with a fear-inducing hallucinogen, driving him insane and transferring him to Arkham Asylum. While investigating Crane, Batman is ambushed by him and sprayed with the hallucinogen. Batman barely escapes and is saved by Alfred and Fox, who develop an antidote for the hallucinogen.

When Rachel accuses Crane of corruption, he reveals he has introduced his drug into Gotham's water supply and drugs her with the hallucinogen. Batman later subdues Crane and sprays him with his own chemical. While being interrogated, Crane claims to work for Ra's al Ghul. Batman evades the police to get Rachel to safety and administers the antidote. He gives her two vials: one for Gordon and the other for mass production. At Bruce's birthday party, Ducard reappears and reveals himself to be the true Ra's al Ghul. Having stolen a powerful microwave emitter from Wayne Enterprises, he plans to vaporize Gotham's water supply, rendering Crane's drug airborne and causing mass hysteria that will destroy the city. He sets Wayne Manor aflame and leaves Bruce to die, but Alfred rescues him. Ra's loads the emitter onto Gotham's monorail train to release the drug at the city's central water source. Batman rescues Rachel from a drugged mob and reveals his identity to her. He confronts Ra's on the train as Gordon uses the Tumbler's cannons to destroy a section of the track. Batman escapes the train and leaves Ra's to die as it crashes.

Bruce gains Rachel's respect. However, she refuses to be with him, promising they can be together when Gotham no longer needs Batman. Batman becomes a public hero. After purchasing a controlling stake in Wayne Enterprises, Bruce fires Earle and replaces him with Fox. Sergeant Gordon is promoted to Lieutenant, shows Batman the Bat-Signal, and tells him about a criminal who leaves behind Joker playing cards.{{efn|Identified off-screen as the Joker.{{cite web |last1=Moore |first1=Trent |title=Nolan explains how Batman Begins wasn't meant to set up a sequel |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/nolan_explains_how_batman |website=SyFy |access-date=August 21, 2018 |date=January 14, 2013 |archive-date=August 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821223120/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/nolan_explains_how_batman |url-status=live }}}} Batman promises to look into it and disappears into the night.

• Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman:
  A billionaire socialite who, after witnessing his parents' death in a mugging at age 8, travels around the world seven years before returning home to inherit his family company Wayne Enterprises whilst operating at night as a bat-masked vigilante bringing justice upon the criminal underworld of Gotham City. Bale was relatively unknown when cast.{{r|greenberg20050508}} Before he was confirmed on September 11, 2003,{{cite web|last1=Dunkley|first1=Cathy|last2=Bing|first2=Jonathan|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/news/inside-move-new-dynamic-for-wb-duo-1117891989/|title=Inside Move: New dynamic for WB duo|work=Variety|date=September 7, 2003|access-date=November 2, 2006|archive-date=August 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827063216/http://variety.com/2003/film/news/inside-move-new-dynamic-for-wb-duo-1117891989/|url-status=live}} having expressed interest in the role since Darren Aronofsky was planning his own film adaptation,{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Adam|title=The Original American Psycho|work=Empire|date=July 2005|pages=74–80, 82, 84, 87}} Eion Bailey, Henry Cavill who later be cast as Superman, Billy Crudup, Hugh Dancy, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joshua Jackson, David Boreanaz, Heath Ledger, who later played the Joker in The Dark Knight, and Cillian Murphy, who would later be cast as Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow, took interest in it as well.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/christopher-nolan-says-heath-ledger-initially-didnt-want-to-be-in-super-hero-movies-6-things-learned-from-the-fslc-talk-20121129|title=Christopher Nolan Says Heath Ledger Initially Didn't Want To Be In Superhero Movies: 6 Things Learned From The FSLC Talk|last=Perez|first=Rodrigo|work=IndieWire|date=November 29, 2012|access-date=November 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302204242/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/christopher-nolan-says-heath-ledger-initially-didnt-want-to-be-in-super-hero-movies-6-things-learned-from-the-fslc-talk-20121129|archive-date=March 2, 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite news |first=Stephen M. |last=Silverman |title=Jake Gyllenhaal: The New Batman? |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,626747,00.html |website=People |date=September 3, 2003 |access-date=September 11, 2014 |archive-date=June 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628015743/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,626747,00.html |url-status=dead }} Josh Hartnett met with Nolan about the role, but decided against pursuing it.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/josh-hartnett-batman-chistopher-nolan-1201474351/ |title=Josh Hartnett Says He Regrets Turning Down Batman Offer From Christopher Nolan |work=Variety |last=Zumberge |first=Marianne |date=April 16, 2015 |access-date=September 15, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818222748/https://variety.com/2015/film/news/josh-hartnett-batman-chistopher-nolan-1201474351/ }}{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/what-happened-to-josh-hartnett-1203463127/|title=What Ever Happened to Josh Hartnett?|date=January 10, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2021|archive-date=October 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003152728/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/what-happened-to-josh-hartnett-1203463127/amp/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.playboy.com/articles/20q-josh-hartnett|title=20Q: Josh Hartnett | Playboy|date=April 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420041727/https://www.playboy.com/articles/20q-josh-hartnett |accessdate=December 18, 2022|archive-date=April 20, 2015 }} Bale, Bailey and Murphy auditioned using the Batman Forever sonar suit donated by Val Kilmer, but the cape was lost,{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/batman-christian-bale-val-kilmer-batman-forever-batsuit/ | title=Batman Star Christian Bale Wears Val Kilmer's Batman Forever Batsuit | website=Screen Rant | date=April 6, 2020 }}{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/batman-forever-movie-christian-bale-robin-audition-rumor-false/ | title=Did Christian Bale Audition to Play Batman Forever's Robin? (Rumor Explained) | website=Screen Rant | date=June 25, 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.thewrap.com/christian-bale-wore-val-kilmers-batsuit-for-his-batman-audition-video/ | title=Christian Bale Wore Val Kilmer's Batsuit for His Batman Audition (Video) | date=September 23, 2013 }}{{cite web | url=https://movieweb.com/batman-begins-dark-knight-screen-test-video/ | title=Watch the Dark Knight Trilogy Screen Test Video Put Other Actors in the Batsuit | date=April 8, 2020 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/cillian-murphys-batman-screen-test-scarecrow/ | title=How Cillian Murphy's Batman Screen Test Turned into the Scarecrow | date=May 26, 2021 }} and Amy Adams served as the casting reader for the casting of Bruce Wayne / Batman in a favor to the casting director.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9fNyq1HdPU|last=Poland|first=David|work=Interview @15:55 minutes|publisher=Movie City News|title=DP/30: The Fighter, actor Amy Adams|date=December 2010|access-date=May 1, 2019|archive-date=January 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110143919/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9fNyq1HdPU|url-status=live}}
  Bale felt the previous films underused Batman's character, overplaying the villains instead.{{cite web|url=http://baleheadsblog.com/interviews/2000s/2004-2/chicago-sun-times-november-19th-2004|title=A crash but no tickets for Bale's Batmobile in Chicago|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=November 19, 2004|last=Pearlman|first=Cindy|access-date=July 8, 2013|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220243/http://baleheadsblog.com/interviews/2000s/2004-2/chicago-sun-times-november-19th-2004|url-status=live}} To best pose as Batman, Bale studied graphic novels and illustrations of the superhero.{{cite web|url=http://www2.warnerbros.com/batmanbegins/productionnotes/|title=Batman Begins Production Notes – The Batsuit & Gadgetry|publisher=Warner Bros.|access-date=November 6, 2006| archive-date=October 28, 2006| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028060305/http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=3003}} Director Nolan said of Bale, "He has exactly the balance of darkness and light that we were looking for."{{cite press release|publisher=Warner Bros.|url=http://www.superherohype.com/features/articles/83215-official-christian-bale-is-batman|title=Official: Christian Bale is Batman!|date=September 11, 2003|access-date=November 2, 2006|archive-date=March 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323055331/http://www.superherohype.com/features/articles/83215-official-christian-bale-is-batman|url-status=live}} Goyer stated that while some actors could play a great Bruce Wayne or a great Batman, Bale could portray both radically different personalities. Since he had lost a great deal of weight in preparation for his role in The Machinist, Bale hired a personal trainer to help him gain {{convert|100|lb}} of muscle in the span of only a couple of months to help him physically prepare for the role. After realizing he went over by {{convert|30|lb}}, he lost the excess weight by the time filming began. Bale trained in Wing Chun Kung Fu under Eric Oram in preparation for the movie.{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Don|title=Hollywood's New Kick|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203699404577042221902298202|access-date=7 January 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|issue=online|publisher=Copyright ©2017 Dow Jones & Company|date=25 November 2011|ref=Wall Street Jurnal|archive-date=January 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108002623/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203699404577042221902298202|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Kung Fu Masters and Celebrity Students|url=http://www.gamerkungfu.com/kung-fu-masters-and-celebrity-students/|access-date=7 January 2017|work=Gamer Guide to Kung Fu|issue=Online|publisher=© 2015 - 2017 Mark Media Corp|date=24 June 2015|ref=Gamer guide|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108012405/http://www.gamerkungfu.com/kung-fu-masters-and-celebrity-students/|archive-date=January 8, 2017|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|last1=Goldsmith|first1=Brian|title=50 Celebrities Who Train a Form of Martial Arts|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1129415-50-celebrities-who-train-a-form-of-mixed-martial-arts/page/10|access-date=7 January 2017|work=Bleacher Report|issue=online|publisher=© 2017 Bleacher Report|date=6 April 2012|ref=Bleacher|archive-date=January 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108003148/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1129415-50-celebrities-who-train-a-form-of-mixed-martial-arts/page/10|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=THE ULTIMATE LIST: CELEBRITY BLACK BELTS & MARTIAL ARTISTS|url=http://www.martialartsactionmovies.com/the-ultimate-list-celebrity-black-belts-martial-artists/|website=martialartsactionmovies.com|date=April 9, 2015|publisher=Martial Arts Action Movies ©|access-date=7 January 2017|ref=Ultimate list|archive-date=January 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108093538/http://www.martialartsactionmovies.com/the-ultimate-list-celebrity-black-belts-martial-artists/|url-status=live}}
• Gus Lewis as Young Bruce Wayne.{{cite web|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/BATMAN-The-caped-crusader-has-come-back-He-s-2662591.php|title=The caped crusader has come back. He's brawnier, but he still has brains.|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=June 14, 2005|access-date=July 13, 2008|archive-date=June 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610161947/http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/BATMAN-The-caped-crusader-has-come-back-He-s-2662591.php|url-status=live}}
• Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth:
  A trusted butler to Bruce's parents, who continues his loyal service to their son after their deaths as his closest confidant. Nolan offered the role to Anthony Hopkins but he declined.{{Cite web|url=http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/16403|title=Latest casting on Christopher Nolan's BATMAN flick - new Alfred and a mysterious Dr character|website=Ain't It Cool News|access-date=August 10, 2021|archive-date=August 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810170341/http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/16403|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a797927/batman-begins-things-you-probably-never-knew/|title=Batman Begins: 11 things you never knew|date=June 16, 2016|website=Digital Spy|access-date=August 10, 2021|archive-date=August 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810170401/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a797927/batman-begins-things-you-probably-never-knew/|url-status=live}} Nolan went to Caine's country home to personally deliver him the script, telling what his role would be and describing Alfred as "Batman's godfather".{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/global/michael-caine-karlovy-vary-1235048100/|title=Michael Caine on His Favorite Films, Going to Hollywood, Avoiding Retirement|last=Tizard|first=Will|date=August 24, 2021|access-date=September 3, 2021|work=Variety|archive-date=September 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903155226/https://variety.com/2021/film/global/michael-caine-karlovy-vary-1235048100/|url-status=live}} Nolan felt Caine would effectively portray the foster father element of the character. Although Alfred is depicted in the film as having served the Wayne family for generations, Caine created his own backstory, in that before becoming Wayne's butler, Alfred served in the Special Air Service. After being wounded, he was invited to the position of the Wayne family butler by Thomas Wayne because, "He wanted a butler, but someone a bit tougher than that, you know?"{{cite news|title=Alfred the Butler|work=Empire|date=July 2005|page=79}}
• Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard / Ra's al Ghul:
  The leader of the League of Shadows, an ancient society that uses chaos to punish the corrupt and decadent, who goes undercover as an associate of the League and trains Bruce in martial arts, later revealing himself in the film's climax. Writer David Goyer said he felt he was the most complex of all the Batman villains, comparing him to Osama bin Laden; "He's not crazy in the way that all the other Batman villains are. He's not bent on revenge; he's actually trying to heal the world. He's just doing it by very draconian means."{{cite web|last=Ryan|first=Tom|title=In defence of big, expensive films|work=The Age|date=July 14, 2005|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/defending-the-blockbuster/2005/07/14/1120934352863.html|access-date=August 26, 2007|archive-date=December 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219051423/http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/defending-the-blockbuster/2005/07/14/1120934352863.html|url-status=live}} Gary Oldman was first choice for the part, but ended up playing James Gordon instead.{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/watch-christian-bale-audition-for-the-role-of-batm-103259|title=Watch Christian Bale audition for the role of Batman|last=Vago|first=Mike|date=September 23, 2013|website=The A.V. Club|access-date=November 6, 2014|archive-date=November 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106190445/http://www.avclub.com/article/watch-christian-bale-audition-for-the-role-of-batm-103259|url-status=live}} Guy Pearce, who collaborated with Christopher Nolan on Memento (2000), reported that the pair had discussions about him playing the role, but both of them decided that he was too young for the part.{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1487 |title=Exclusive: Guy Pearce Webchat |work=Empire |date=December 5, 2006 |access-date=September 3, 2012 |archive-date=May 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515080047/http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1487 |url-status=live }} Viggo Mortensen was also considered for the role.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2012/07/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-batman-begins-108292/|title=5 Things You Might Not Know About 'Batman Begins'|date=July 18, 2012|access-date=July 15, 2021|archive-date=July 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724193948/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/07/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-batman-begins-108292/|url-status=live}} Neeson is commonly cast as a mentor, so the revelation that his character was the main villain was intended to shock viewers.The Journey Begins: Creative Concepts [DVD, 2005]
• Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes:
  Bruce's childhood friend and love interest who serves as Gotham City's assistant district attorney and fights against corruption in the city of Gotham. Nolan found a "tremendous warmth and great emotional appeal" in Holmes, and also felt "she has a maturity beyond her years that comes across in the film and is essential to the idea that Rachel is something of a moral conscience for Bruce".{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/film/news/488/batman-begins-press-conference-part-two.html|title='Batman Begins' press conference, part two|access-date=August 23, 2012|work=Time Out – New York|date=June 16, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909112618/http://www.timeout.com/film/news/488/batman-begins-press-conference-part-two.html|archive-date=September 9, 2011}}
• Emma Lockhart as Young Rachel Dawes.
• Gary Oldman as James "Jim" Gordon:
  One of the few uncorrupted Gotham City police officers, who is on duty the night of the murder of Bruce's parents and, in this way, shares a special bond with the adult Bruce and thus with Batman. Oldman was Nolan's first choice for Ra's al Ghul, but when Chris Cooper turned down the part of Gordon to spend time with his family{{cite web|last=Adler|first=Shawn|title=Chris Cooper On His 'Batman Begins' Near Miss|publisher=MTV|date=March 4, 2008|url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/03/04/chris-cooper-on-his-batman-begins-near-miss/|access-date=March 4, 2008|archive-date=October 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019111730/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/03/04/chris-cooper-on-his-batman-begins-near-miss/|url-status=dead}} Nolan decided that it would be refreshing for Oldman, who is renowned for his portrayals of villains, to play the role instead.{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Anne|title=Dark Knight Review: Nolan Talks Sequel Inflation|work=Variety |date=July 6, 2008|url=http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2008/07/dark-knight-rev.html |access-date=July 7, 2008|author-link=Anne Thompson (film critic)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710052656/http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2008/07/dark-knight-rev.html |archive-date=July 10, 2008}} "I embody the themes of the movie which are the values of family, courage and compassion and a sense of right and wrong, good and bad and justice," Oldman said of his character. He filmed most of his scenes in Britain.{{cite web|last=McClean|first=Craig|title=More Mr Nice Guy|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3666071/More-Mr-Nice-Guy.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=June 23, 2007|access-date=April 23, 2010|archive-date=January 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119005731/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3666071/More-Mr-Nice-Guy.html|url-status=live}} Goyer said Oldman heavily resembled Gordon as drawn by David Mazzucchelli in Batman: Year One.
• Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow:
  A corrupt psychopharmacologist working as Chief Administrator of Arkham Asylum. A specialist in the psychology of fear, he has secretly created a fear-inducing toxin and plots with Ra's al Ghul to expose the entire Gotham population. Nolan decided against casting an Irish actor like Murphy for Batman, before casting him as Scarecrow.{{cite web|last1=Fleming|first1=Michael|last2=Dunkley|first2=Cathy|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/news/batman-bags-a-baddie-1117896986/|title='Batman' bags a baddie|work=Variety|date=December 10, 2003|access-date=November 2, 2006|archive-date=October 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025023222/http://variety.com/2003/film/news/batman-bags-a-baddie-1117896986/|url-status=live}} Murphy read numerous comics featuring the Scarecrow and discussed making the character look less theatrical with Nolan. Murphy explained, "I wanted to avoid the Worzel Gummidge look, because he's not a very physically imposing man – he's more interested in the manipulation of the mind and what that can do."{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Adam|title=The Scarecrow|url=https://archive.org/details/scarecrowspider00smit|url-access=registration|work=Empire|date=July 2005|page=77}} Robert Downey Jr. was considered for the role.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/11/movies/robert-downey-jr-christopher-nolan-oppenheimer.html | title=Christopher Nolan, Robert Downey Jr. And Missed Connections | work=The New York Times | date=February 11, 2024 | last1=Ito | first1=Robert }}
• Tom Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone:
  The most powerful Mafia boss in Gotham, who shares a prison cell with Joe Chill after he murdered Bruce's parents. Later, after having Chill murdered for his decision to testify against their relationship, he goes into business with Dr. Jonathan Crane and Ra's al Ghul by smuggling in Crane's fear toxins through his drug shipments over the course of several months so that they can be mixed in with the city's water supply.
• Rutger Hauer as William Earle:
  The CEO of Wayne Enterprises, who takes the company public in Bruce's long-term absence.
• Ken Watanabe as decoy Ra's al Ghul:
  A member of the League of Shadows assigned to impersonate Ra's al Ghul during Bruce's training.
• Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox:
  A high-ranking Wayne Enterprises employee demoted to working in the company's Applied Science Division, where he conducts advanced studies in biochemistry and mechanical engineering and supplies Bruce with much of the gear necessary to carry out Batman's mission. He is promoted to CEO when Bruce takes control of the company by the end of the film.

Other cast members include Mark Boone Junior as Arnold Flass, Gordon's corrupt partner; Linus Roache as Thomas Wayne, Bruce's late father; Larry Holden as district attorney Carl Finch; Colin McFarlane as Gillian B. Loeb, the police commissioner; Christine Adams as Jessica, William Earle's secretary; Vincent Wong as an old Asian prisoner; Sara Stewart as Martha Wayne, Bruce's late mother; Richard Brake as Joe Chill, the Waynes' killer; Gerard Murphy as the corrupt High Court Judge Faden; Charles Edwards as a Wayne Enterprises executive; Tim Booth as Victor Zsasz; Rade Šerbedžija as a homeless man, who is the last person to meet Bruce when he leaves Gotham City, and the first civilian to see Batman, Risteárd Cooper and Andrew Pleavin as uniformed policemen, Jo Martin as a police prison official, and Shane Rimmer and Jeremy Theobald (the star and co-producer of Nolan's 1998 film Following) as Gotham Water Board technicians. Jack Gleeson, who had previously co-starred with Bale in 2002's Reign of Fire and later found fame for his role as Joffrey Baratheon in the HBO series Game of Thrones, appears as a young admirer of Batman who is later saved by him from Ra's al Ghul's men; Gleeson was cast at Bale's recommendation. Actors John Foo, Joey Ansah, Spencer Wilding, Dave Legeno, Khan Bonfils, Mark Strange, Grant Guirey, Rodney Ryan and Dean Alexandrou portray members of the League of Shadows. Hayden Nickel made his acting debut portraying James Gordon Jr..

{{further|Cancelled Batman films|l1=Proposals for a fifth Batman film}}

In January 2003, Warner Bros. hired Memento director Christopher Nolan to direct an untitled Batman film,{{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Michael|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/news/batman-captures-director-nolan-1117879566/|title='Batman' captures director Nolan|work=Variety|date=January 27, 2003|access-date=November 2, 2006|archive-date=May 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502003542/http://variety.com/2003/film/news/batman-captures-director-nolan-1117879566/|url-status=live}} and David S. Goyer signed on to write the script two months later.{{cite web|last1=Brodesser|first1=Claude|last2=Dunkley|first2=Cathy|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/news/inside-move-wb-jumpstarts-batmobile-1117883691/|title=Inside Move: WB jump starts Batmobile|work=Variety|date=March 26, 2003|access-date=November 2, 2006|archive-date=October 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006212112/http://variety.com/2003/film/news/inside-move-wb-jumpstarts-batmobile-1117883691/|url-status=live}} Nolan stated his intention to reinvent the film franchise of Batman by "doing the origins story of the character, which is a story that's never been told before". Nolan said that humanity and realism would be the basis of the origin film, and that "the world of Batman is that of grounded reality. [It] will be a recognizable, contemporary reality against which an extraordinary heroic figure arises." Goyer said that the goal of the film was to get the audience to care for both Batman and Bruce Wayne.{{cite web|last1=Graser|first1=Marc|last2=Dunkley|first2=Cathy|url=https://variety.com/2004/biz/news/the-bat-and-the-beautiful-1117899714/|title=The bat and the beautiful|work=Variety|date=February 8, 2004|access-date=November 2, 2006|archive-date=April 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408001905/http://variety.com/2004/biz/news/the-bat-and-the-beautiful-1117899714/|url-status=live}} Nolan felt the previous films were exercises in style rather than drama, and described his inspiration as being Richard Donner's 1978 film Superman, in its focus on depicting the character's growth. Also similar to Superman, Nolan wanted an all-star supporting cast for Batman Begins to lend a more epic feel and credibility to the story.

Goyer wanted to reboot the franchise; he and Nolan saw Batman as a romantic character, and Nolan envisioned a large, sweeping film like Lawrence of Arabia. Although Warner Bros. required the film not be R-rated, Nolan did not have a problem with this, as he wanted to make the film that he wanted to see when he was 11 years old.{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-08-ca-batman8-story.html |title=Rescuing Batman |last=Greenberg |first=James |date=2005-05-08 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=2019-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202014002/http://articles.latimes.com/2005/may/08/entertainment/ca-batman8 |archive-date=December 2, 2008 |url-status=live |page=E-10 }} His personal "jumping off point" of inspiration was "The Man Who Falls", a short story by Denny O'Neil and Dick Giordano about Bruce's travels throughout the world. The early scene in Batman Begins of young Bruce Wayne falling into a well was adapted from "The Man Who Falls".{{cite video |people=DiDio, Dan (Vice President of DC Comics), Goyer, David S. (co-writer), Levitz, Paul (President – DC Comics), Nolan, Christopher (director), Schreck, Bob (Batman Editor – DC Comics)|year=2006|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485650/|title=Genesis of the Bat |medium=DVD featurette}} Batman: The Long Halloween, written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Tim Sale, influenced Goyer in writing the screenplay, with the villain Carmine Falcone as one of many elements which were drawn from Halloween{{'}}s "sober, serious approach". The writers considered having Harvey Dent in the film, but replaced him with the new character Rachel Dawes when they realized they "couldn't do him justice".{{cite book|title=Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween|first1=Christopher|last1=Nolan|author-link1=Christopher Nolan|first2=David S.|last2=Goyer|author-link2=David S. Goyer|year=2007|isbn=978-1-4012-1282-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/absolutebatmanlo0000loeb/page/ §Introduction]|publisher=DC Comics }} The character was later portrayed by Aaron Eckhart in the 2008 sequel The Dark Knight. The sequel to Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory, also served as a minor influence.{{cite web|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|url=http://www.vh1.com/movies/news/articles/1494981/12172004/story.jhtml|title='Batman Begins' Scribe: 'We're Telling A Story That Has Never Been Told'|publisher=VH1|date=December 17, 2004|access-date=December 13, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060830132547/http://www.vh1.com/movies/news/articles/1494981/12172004/story.jhtml|archive-date=August 30, 2006}} Goyer used the vacancy of Bruce Wayne's multi-year absence presented in Batman: Year One to help set up some of the film's events in the transpiring years.{{cite web|author=Stax|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/24/the-influences-of-batman-begins|title=The Influences of Batman Begins|publisher=IGN|date=September 24, 2004|access-date=December 13, 2006|archive-date=August 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814000948/http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/24/the-influences-of-batman-begins|url-status=live}} In addition, the film's Sergeant James "Jim" Gordon was based on his comic book incarnation as seen in Year One. The writers of Batman Begins also used Frank Miller's Year One plot device, which was about a corrupt police force that led to Gordon and Gotham City's need for Batman. Due to Batman's extensive rogues gallery over seventy years, Goyer and Nolan decided to use the Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul as the film's villains, as both characters had not been featured in previous Batman films nor in Adam West's 1960s television series.{{cite news|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a109540/batman-scribe-rules-out-penguin-catwoman/|title='Batman' scribe rules out Penguin, Catwoman|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|date=July 10, 2008|access-date=September 1, 2021|work=Digital Spy|archive-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901220232/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a109540/batman-scribe-rules-out-penguin-catwoman/|url-status=live}}

A common idea in the comics is that Bruce saw a Zorro film with his parents before they were murdered. Nolan explained that by ignoring that idea – which he stated is not found in Batman's first appearances – it emphasized the importance of bats to Bruce and that becoming a superhero is a wholly original idea on his part. It is for this reason Nolan believes other DC characters do not exist in the universe of his film; otherwise, Wayne's reasons for taking up costumed vigilantism would have been very different.{{cite web|last=Boucher|first=Geoff|title=Christopher Nolan says his Batman doesn't play well with others|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 29, 2008|url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/uncategorized/christopher-n-2/|access-date=October 30, 2008|archive-date=March 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317003755/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/uncategorized/christopher-n-2/|url-status=live}}

File:Batman Begins.jpg

As with all his films, Nolan refused a second unit; he did this in order to keep his vision consistent. Filming began in March 2004 in the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland (standing in for Bhutan). The crew built a village and the front doors to Ra's' temple, as well as a road to access the remote area. The weather was problematic, with {{convert|75|mph|-1}} winds, rain, and a lack of snow. A shot that cinematographer Wally Pfister had planned to take using a crane had to be completed with a handheld camera.

Unlike Burton and Schumacher's Gotham City that did not exist in the real world, Nolan shot exteriors in London, New York, and Chicago as he wanted the city to seem recognizable.{{r|greenberg20050508}} In seeking inspiration from Superman and other blockbuster films of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Nolan based most of the production in England, specifically Shepperton Studios.{{cite news|title='Batman Begins' goes to the source|work=The Kansas City Star|date=June 25, 2004}} A Batcave set was built there and measured {{convert|250|ft}} long, {{convert|120|ft}} wide, and {{convert|40|ft}} high. Production designer Nathan Crowley installed twelve pumps to create a waterfall with {{convert|12000|impgal}}, and built rocks using molds of real caves.{{cite book|last=Kalindjian|first=Claudia|title=Batman Begins: The Official Movie Guide|publisher=Time Warner International|year=2005|pages=[https://archive.org/details/batmanbegins00dcco/page/144 144–45]|isbn=1-932273-44-1|url=https://archive.org/details/batmanbegins00dcco/page/144}} An airship hangar at Cardington, Bedfordshire was rented by Warner Bros. during April 2004{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/3506175.stm|title=Airship hangar is home to Batman|work=BBC News|date=February 20, 2004|access-date=November 2, 2006|archive-date=December 30, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230014550/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/3506175.stm|url-status=live}} and, converted into a {{convert|900|ft|m}} sound stage, was where the slum-district of "the Narrows" and the feet of the monorails were filmed.

File:Burned Helicopter (1).jpg

Mentmore Towers was chosen from twenty different locations for Wayne Manor, as Nolan and Crowley liked its white floors, which gave the impression of the manor as a memorial to Wayne's parents. The building chosen to represent Arkham Asylum was the National Institute for Medical Research building in Mill Hill, northwest London, England.{{cite web|last=Kasriel|first=Alex|url=http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/606532.0/?utag=8269|title=From leafy suburbs to silver screen|work=Edgware & Mill Hill Times|date=June 16, 2005|access-date=April 23, 2010|archive-date=August 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807142950/http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/606532.0/?utag=8269|url-status=live}} The St Pancras railway station and the Abbey Mills Pumping Stations were used for Arkham's interiors. The Senate House of University College London was used for courtrooms. Some scenes, including the Tumbler pursuit, were filmed in Chicago at locations such as Lower Wacker Drive and 35 East Wacker.{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/building/35eastwackerdrive-chicago-il-usa|access-date=April 23, 2010|title=35 East Wacker Drive|publisher=Emporis|archive-date=January 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102100702/http://www.emporis.com/building/35eastwackerdrive-chicago-il-usa|url-status=usurped}} Authorities agreed to raise Franklin Street Bridge for a scene where access to the Narrows is closed.

Despite the film's darkness, Nolan wanted to make the film appeal to a wide age range. "Not the youngest kids obviously, I think what we've done is probably a bit intense for them but I certainly didn't want to exclude the sort of ten to 12-year olds, because as a kid I would have loved to have seen a movie like this." Because of this, nothing gory or bloody was filmed.

{{main|Batman Begins (soundtrack)}}

The score for Batman Begins was composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. Nolan originally invited Zimmer to compose the music, and Zimmer asked Nolan if he could invite Howard to compose as well, as they had always planned a collaboration.{{cite news|last=Graydon|first=Danny|title=A Little Knight Music|work=Empire|date=July 2005|page=87}} The two composers collaborated on separate themes for the "split personality" of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman. Zimmer and Howard began composing in Los Angeles and moved to London where they stayed for twelve weeks to complete most of their writing.{{cite web|last=D.|first=Spence|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/10/batman-vs-hans-zimmer-james-newton-howard-part-1|title=Batman Vs. Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard Part 1|publisher=IGN|date=June 10, 2005|access-date=December 1, 2006|archive-date=February 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222033544/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/10/batman-vs-hans-zimmer-james-newton-howard-part-1|url-status=live}} Zimmer and Howard sought inspiration for shaping the score by visiting the Batman Begins sets.{{cite web|last=D.|first=Spence|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/13/batman-vs-hans-zimmer-and-james-newton-howard-part-2|title=Batman Vs. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard Part 2|publisher=IGN|date=June 13, 2005|access-date=December 1, 2006|archive-date=October 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027132509/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/13/batman-vs-hans-zimmer-and-james-newton-howard-part-2|url-status=live}}

Zimmer wanted to avoid writing music that had been done in earlier Batman films, so the score became an amalgamation of orchestra and electronic music. The film's ninety-piece orchestra was developed from members of various London orchestras, and Zimmer chose to use more than the normal number of cellos. Zimmer enlisted a boy soprano to help reflect the music in some of the film's scenes where tragic memories of Bruce Wayne's parents are involved. "He's singing a fairly pretty tune and then he gets stuck, it's like froze, arrested development," said Zimmer. He also attempted to add a human dimension to Batman, whose behavior would typically be seen as "psychotic", through the music. Both composers collaborated to create 2 hours and 20 minutes worth of music for the film, with Zimmer composing the action sequences and Howard focusing on the dramatic scenes.

Nolan used the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner as a source of inspiration for Batman Begins. He screened Blade Runner to Pfister and two others to show the attitude and style that he wanted to draw from the film. Nolan described the film's world as "an interesting lesson on the technique of exploring and describing a credible universe that doesn't appear to have any boundaries", a lesson that he applied to the production of Batman Begins.{{cite news|first=Pat|last=Jankiewicz|title=Dark Knight Resurrected|work=Starlog|date=August 2005|issue = 337|pages = [https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-337JPG/page/n53 53]–57|url = https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-337JPG}}

Nolan worked with production designer Nathan Crowley to create the look of Gotham City. Crowley built a model of the city that filled Nolan's garage.Gotham City Rises [DVD, 2005] Crowley and Nolan designed it as a large, modern metropolitan area that would reflect the various periods of architecture that the city had gone through. Elements were drawn from New York City, Chicago, and Tokyo; the latter for its elevated freeways and monorails. The Narrows was based on the slummish nature of the (now demolished) walled city of Kowloon in Hong Kong.{{cite web|first=Jeff|last=Otto|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/06/06/interview-christopher-nolan-2|title=Interview: Christopher Nolan|publisher=IGN|date=June 5, 2006|access-date=November 6, 2006|archive-date=March 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331134903/http://movies.ign.com/articles/622/622719p1.html|url-status=live}}

{{See also|Batmobile}}

File:BatmobileBegins.jpg

Crowley started the process of designing the Tumbler for the film by model bashing. Crowley used the nose cone of a P-38 Lightning model to serve as the chassis for the Tumbler's turbine engine. Six models of the Tumbler were built to 1:12 scale in the course of four months. Following the scale model creation, a crew of over 30 people, including Crowley and engineers Chris Culvert and Annie Smith, carved a full-size replica of the Tumbler out of a large block of Styrofoam in two months.{{cite web|first=Marshall|last=Brain|url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/comic-books/batmobile.htm|title=How the Batmobile Works|date=June 16, 2005|publisher=HowStuffWorks|access-date=April 23, 2010|archive-date=June 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625125343/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/comic-books/batmobile.htm|url-status=live}}

The styrofoam model was used to create a steel "test frame", which had to stand up to several standards: have a speed of over {{convert|100|mph}}, go from 0 to {{convert|60|mph}} in 5 seconds, possess a steering system to make sharp turns at city corners, and withstand a self-propelled launch of up to {{convert|30|ft|m}}. On the first jump test, the Tumbler's front end collapsed and had to be completely rebuilt. The basic configuration of the newly designed Tumbler included a 5.7-liter Chevy V8 engine, a truck axle for the rear axle, front tires by Hoosier (which are actually dirt racing tires used on the right rear of open wheel sprint cars), 4 rear 44/18.5-16.5 Interco Super Swamper TSL tires (44" tall, 18.5" wide, mounted on a 16.5" wheel) and the suspension system of Baja racing trucks. The design and development process took nine months and cost several million dollars.

With the design process complete, four street-ready race cars were constructed, with each vehicle possessing 65 panels and costing $250,000 to build. Two of the four cars were specialized versions. One version was the flap version, which had hydraulics and flaps to detail the close-up shots where the vehicle propelled itself through the air. The other version was the jet version, in which an actual jet engine was mounted onto the vehicle, fueled by six propane tanks. The visibility inside the vehicle was poor, so monitors were connected to cameras on the vehicle body. The professional drivers for the Tumblers practiced driving the vehicles for six months before they drove on the streets of Chicago for the film's scenes.

The interior of the Tumbler was an immobile studio set and not actually the interior of a street-capable Tumbler. The cockpit was oversized to fit cameras for scenes filmed in the Tumbler interior. In addition, another version of the Tumbler was a miniature model that was 1:6 scale of the actual Tumbler. This miniature model had an electric motor and was used to show the Tumbler flying across ravines and between buildings. However, the actual Tumbler was used for the waterfall sequence.

File:Bale as Batman.jpg

The filmmakers intended to create a very mobile Batsuit that would allow the wearer to move easily to fight and crouch. Previous film incarnations of the Batsuit had been stiff and especially restrictive of full head movement. Costume designer Lindy Hemming and her crew worked on the Batsuit at an FX workshop codenamed "Cape Town", a secured compound located at Shepperton Studios in London. The Batsuit's basic design was a neoprene undersuit, which was shaped by attaching molded cream latex sections. Christian Bale was molded and sculpted prior to his physical training so the team could work on a full body cast. To avoid imperfections picked up by sculpting with clay, plastiline was used to smooth the surface. In addition, the team brewed different mixtures of foam to find the mixture that would be the most flexible, light, durable, and black. The latter presented a problem, since the process to make the foam black reduced the foam's durability.

For the cape, director Christopher Nolan wanted to have a "flowing cloak... that blows and flows as in so many great graphic novels". Hemming's team created the cape out of their own version of parachute nylon that had electrostatic flocking, a process shared with the team by the British Ministry of Defence. The process was used by the London police force to minimize night vision detection. The cape was topped by a cowl, which was designed by Nolan, Hemming, and costume effects supervisor Graham Churchyard. The cowl was created to be thin enough to allow motion but thick enough to avoid wrinkling when Bale turned his head in the Batsuit. Churchyard explained the cowl had been designed to show "a man who has angst", so his character would be revealed through the mask.

File:Batman Begins action.jpg

Fight choreographers for Batman Begins, Justo Dieguez and Andy Norman, trained actors and stunt performers using the Spanish Keysi Fighting Method,{{cite web|first=KFOrigin|last=Gould|url=http://www.fullcontactmartialarts.org/keysi-fighting-method.html|title=Keysi Fighting Method Origin|access-date=July 28, 2018|archive-date=September 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913015725/http://www.fullcontactmartialarts.org/keysi-fighting-method.html|url-status=live}} which gained fame after it was used in the film and its sequel, The Dark Knight; however, the method was modified in The Dark Knight Rises due to Batman's age and physical condition and in order to match Bale's fighting style. The method is a self-defense system whose training is based on the study and cultivation of natural instincts.{{cite web|first=KF|last=Gould|url=http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/19/3170123/dark-knight-rises-movie-christopher-nolan-batman-keysi-martial-art|title=Keysi: The Martial Art Of Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' Movies|work=Bloodyelbow.com|date=July 20, 2013|access-date=July 7, 2013|archive-date=August 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830072407/http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/19/3170123/dark-knight-rises-movie-christopher-nolan-batman-keysi-martial-art|url-status=live}}

For Batman Begins, Nolan preferred traditional stuntwork over computer-generated imagery. Scale models were used to represent the Narrows and Ra's al Ghul's temple.Batman Begins: Path to Discovery [DVD, 2005] There were, however, several establishing shots that were CG composite images, such as Gotham's skyline, exterior shots of Wayne Tower, and some of the exterior monorail shots. The climactic monorail sequence mixed live action footage, model work, and CGI.Saving Gotham City [DVD, 2005] The bats depicted in the film were entirely digital (except in shots containing only one or two bats), as it was decided that directing large numbers of real bats on-set would be problematic; dead bats were scanned to create digital models. Locations and sets were recreated digitally so that the flying bats would not appear incongruous once incorporated into the finished film.

{{See also|2005 in film}}

2005 was expected by industry experts to underperform compared to 2004. Many attributed the slump to be a result of high ticket prices, marketing costs, DVD sales hitting record levels, and new technologies creating an incipient demand for movies delivered directly via the Internet, over-the-airwaves, satellite dish or cable set-top box.{{Cite web |title=Hollywood reels from box office slump - May. 11, 2005 |url=https://money.cnn.com/2005/05/10/news/fortune500/summer_movies/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=money.cnn.com}} By the start of the theatrical summer in 2005 (May), the box office slumped for 11 consecutive weeks, with year-to-date ticket sales down 5.4 percent from last year even as ticket prices rose a moderate 3 percent, to around $6.40 on average, according to Exhibitor Relations. Theater attendance prior to the summer of 2005 declined about 8 percent.

Several films were projected to not only perform well at the box office, but also reverse the slump at the box office. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was expected by the industry to be the top-grossing film of the summer due to being the final live action Star Wars film at the time. Other films that were expected to do well were Batman Begins, Madagascar, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four, War of the Worlds, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.{{Cite web |title=Summer 2005 Box Office Preview |url=http://www.boxofficeguru.com/summer2005preview.htm |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=www.boxofficeguru.com}}{{Cite web |title=Feelin' blue at the summer box office - Jun. 1, 2005 |url=https://money.cnn.com/2005/06/01/news/fortune500/boxoffice_slump/index.htm |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=money.cnn.com}}

Batman Begins was expected by industry experts to help reverse the box office slump in June. However, there were concerns over a possible soft opening for the film. The previous film, Batman & Robin, was widely panned by critics and was credited with stalling the franchise since 1997. Bale's lack of star power at the time and a lack of iconic villains such as the Joker and Penguin that were portrayed by A-list celebrities were seen as possible detachments from audiences.{{Cite web |title='Batman Begins' in the Shadows |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3396797444/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=Box Office Mojo}}{{Cite news |last=JOURNAL |first=Kate KellyStaff Reporter of THE WALL STREET |date=2005-06-20 |title='Batman Begins' Fails to Break Movie Industry's Losing Streak |language=en-US |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB111923250139263805 |access-date=2022-08-27 |issn=0099-9660}} Some also expressed concerns that Holmes' involvement with the film could derail the film's financial prospect due to her high-profile relationship with Tom Cruise (whose film War of the Worlds opened the following weekend) after his controversial appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Warner Bros. held the world premiere for Batman Begins in Tokyo, Japan on May 31, 2005.{{Cite news |date=2005-06-07 |title=US premiere for new Batman movie |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4613279.stm |access-date=2022-02-02}} The film opened on June 15, 2005, in the United States and Canada in 3,858 theaters, including 55 IMAX theaters.

The DVD of Batman Begins was released on October 18, 2005, in both single-disc and two-disc deluxe editions{{cite web|first=John|last=Latchem|url=http://hive4media.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=7895|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051014014129/http://hive4media.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=7895|title=Batman Begins' Swoops Onto DVD Oct. 18|website=hive4media.com|archive-date=October 14, 2005|date=August 16, 2005|access-date=September 22, 2019|url-status=live}} and also released on VHS and UMD Video formats.{{cite news|last=Chaney|first=Jen|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/17/AR2005101700863_pf.html|title='Batman': A Decent, If Not Heroic, DVD|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 18, 2005|access-date=July 13, 2008|archive-date=October 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008113446/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/17/AR2005101700863_pf.html|url-status=live}} In addition to the film, the deluxe edition contained featurettes and other bonus materials. The edition contained a small paperback booklet, the first Batman story, featured in Detective Comics #27, as well as Batman: The Man Who Falls and an excerpt from Batman: The Long Halloween.{{cite web|url=http://www2.warnerbros.com/batmanbegins/synopsis.html|title=About the DVD|publisher=Warner Bros.|access-date=December 13, 2006|archive-date=September 22, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050922103008/http://www2.warnerbros.com/batmanbegins/synopsis.html|url-status=live}} Batman Begins achieved first place in national sales and rental charts in October 2005, becoming the top-selling DVD of the fourth quarter of 2005. The DVD grossed $11.36 million in rental revenue.{{cite news|title=Top renters: week ended October 30, 2005.|work=Video Business|date=November 7, 2005}} The DVD held its position at the top of the sales chart for a second week, but fell to second place behind Bewitched on video rental charts.{{cite news|title='Begins' has 2nd a win under its utility belt|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 3, 2005}} The film had brought in $167 million in DVD sales by August 2006.{{cite web|first=Pamela|last=McClintock|url=https://variety.com/2006/film/news/wb-mulls-superman-redux-1200342128/|title=WB mulls 'Superman' redux|work=Variety|date=August 13, 2006|access-date=July 7, 2013|archive-date=June 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604053037/http://variety.com/2006/film/news/wb-mulls-superman-redux-1200342128/|url-status=live}}

Batman Begins was released on HD DVD on October 10, 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-151857341.html |title=Batman flies to HD DVD. |work=Video Business |access-date=April 4, 2008 |last=Ault |first=Susanne |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014103001/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-151857341.html |archive-date=October 14, 2009 }} A Limited Edition Giftset of the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 8, 2008, to coincide with The Dark Knight which hit theaters July 18, 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Begins-Limited-Gift-Blu-ray/dp/B0017HRCQU|title=Batman Begins (Limited Edition Gift Set)|website=Amazon|date=July 8, 2008 |access-date=July 7, 2013|archive-date=December 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229123532/http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Begins-Limited-Gift-Blu-ray/dp/B0017HRCQU|url-status=live}} Due to the successful box office performance of The Dark Knight, the Batman Begins DVD saw an increase in both sales and rentals.{{cite web|access-date=August 21, 2008|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/dark-knight-record-breaking-box/story.aspx?guid=%7B027AB2A5-8B56-4C01-B8D7-666B686B08F6%7D&dist=hppr|title=Batman Begins DVD Sells More and More|publisher=MarketWatch|date=July 24, 2008|first=Amanda|last=Bartz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728072947/http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/dark-knight-record-breaking-box/story.aspx?guid=%7B027AB2A5-8B56-4C01-B8D7-666B686B08F6%7D&dist=hppr|archive-date=July 28, 2008}} Batman Begins was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on December 19, 2017.{{Citation|last=Nolan|first=Christopher|title=Batman Begins Ultra HD|date=2017-12-19|url=https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Begins-Ultra-HD-Blu-ray/dp/B0771GZLZ9/|publisher=WarnerBrothers|language=en|access-date=2018-05-11|archive-date=July 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712085831/https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Begins-Ultra-HD-Blu-ray/dp/B0771GZLZ9|url-status=live}} It received a novelization written by Dennis O'Neil,{{cite book|last= O'Neil|first= Dennis|title= Batman Begins|publisher= Del Rey Books|year= 2005|location= New York, New York|isbn= 0-345-47946-7|url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780345479464}} and a comic book adaptation by Scott Beatty.{{Cite book |url=https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Begins-Official-Movie-Adaptation/dp/B0018N43LA/ |title=Amazon.com: Batman Begins : The Official Movie Adaptation: Scott Beatty: Books |via=Amazon |date=January 2005 |publisher=DC Comics |access-date=January 11, 2020 |archive-date=May 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514081932/http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Begins-Official-Movie-Adaptation/dp/B0018N43LA |url-status=live }}

Batman Begins ranked at the top in its opening weekend, accumulating $48 million, which was seen as "strong but unimpressive by today's instantaneous blockbuster standards". The film's five-day gross was $72.9 million, beating Batman Forever (1995) as the franchise high. Batman Begins also broke the five-day opening record in the 55 IMAX theaters, grossing $3.16 million. Polled moviegoers rated the film with an A, and according to the studio's surveys, Batman Begins was considered the best of all the Batman films. The audience's demographic was 57 percent male and 54 percent people over the age of 25.

The film held its top spot for another weekend, accumulating $28 million in a 43 percent drop from its first weekend.{{cite web|last=Gray|first=Brandon|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1841&p=.htm|title='Batman' Sweeps 'Bewitched,' Swats Bug|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Amazon.com|date=June 27, 2005|access-date=January 25, 2008|archive-date=October 3, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071003190521/http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1841&p=.htm|url-status=live}} Batman Begins went on to gross $205 million in North America and had a worldwide total of $371.8 million from its original release. It earned $1.6 million more from its 2012 re-release, bringing its lifetime worldwide total to $373.4 million. It is the fourth-highest-grossing Batman film, {{as of|2012|August|lc=y}}, behind Tim Burton's Batman, which grossed $411 million worldwide and also being surpassed by its sequels The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, both of which have grossed over $1 billion.{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=batman.htm|title=Batman movies at the Box Office|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=IMDB|access-date=February 21, 2020|archive-date=July 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728112851/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=batman.htm|url-status=live}} Batman Begins averaged $12,634 per theater in its opening weekend. It was released in more theaters, but sold fewer tickets than the other previous Batman movies, with the exception of Batman & Robin. Batman Begins was the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2005 in the United States.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2005&p=.htm|title=2005 Yearly Box Office Results|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=July 7, 2013|archive-date=January 17, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070117001752/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2005&p=.htm|url-status=live}}

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives Batman Begins an approval rating of {{Rotten Tomatoes data|score}} based on {{Rotten Tomatoes data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The site's critical consensus reads, "Brooding and dark, but also exciting and smart, Batman Begins is a film that understands the essence of one of the definitive superheroes."{{cite Rotten Tomatoes|id=batman_begins|title=Batman Begins|type=m|access-date=November 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115152611/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_begins/|archive-date=January 15, 2018|url-status=live}}{{RT data|edit}} At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating reviews, the film received an average score of 70 out of 100, based on 41 critics, which indicates "generally favorable" reviews.{{cite Metacritic |id=batman-begins |title=Batman Begins |type=m |access-date=February 13, 2012 |archive-date=September 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913172501/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/batman-begins |url-status=live }} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |title=CinemaScore |publisher=CinemaScore |access-date=April 14, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220413083139/https://www.cinemascore.com/ |archive-date=April 13, 2022 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Gray |first=Brandon |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1837 |title='Batman Begins' in the Shadows |work=Box Office Mojo |publisher=Amazon.com |date=June 20, 2005 |access-date=July 7, 2013 |archive-date=December 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220060347/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1837 |quote=Moviegoers polled by CinemaScore gave Batman Begins an "A," while Fellman said it was rated the best of all the Batman movies in Warner Bros.' exit polling. }}

File:Christian Bale-7837.jpg

James Berardinelli applauded Nolan and Goyer's work in creating more understanding into "who [Batman] is and what motivates him", something Berardinelli felt Tim Burton's film had lacked; at the same time, Berardinelli felt the romantic aspect between Bale and Holmes did not work because the actors lacked the chemistry Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder (Superman), or Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man) shared in their respective roles.{{cite web|last=Berardinelli|first=James|url=http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/b/batman_begins.html|title=Batman Begins|publisher=ReelViews|access-date=August 28, 2007|author-link=James Berardinelli|archive-date=November 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106201647/http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/b/batman_begins.html|url-status=live}} According to Total Film, Nolan manages to create such strong characters and story that the third-act action sequences cannot compare to "the frisson of two people talking", and Katie Holmes and Christian Bale's romantic subplot has a spark "refreshingly free of Peter Parker/Mary Jane-style whining".{{cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/batman-begins|title=Batman Begins – Film Review|work=Total Film|access-date=April 23, 2010|archive-date=May 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502022850/http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/batman-begins|url-status=live}}

Los Angeles Times{{'}} Kenneth Turan, who felt the film began slowly, stated that the "story, psychology and reality, not special effects", assisted the darkness behind Batman's arsenal; he noted that Neeson and Holmes, unlike Bale's ability to "feel his role in his bones", do not appear to fit their respective characters in "being both comic-book archetypes and real people".{{cite web|last=Turan |first=Kenneth |url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/turan/cl-et-batman14jun14,0,4819786.story |title=Los Angeles Times reviews Batman Begins |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 14, 2005 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929134456/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/turan/cl-et-batman14jun14%2C0%2C4819786.story |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |url-status=dead |author-link=Kenneth Turan}} The New Yorker{{'}}s David Denby did not share Berardinelli and Turan's opinion. He was unimpressed with the film, when comparing it to the two Tim Burton films, and that Christian Bale's presence was hindered by the "dull earnestness of the screenplay", the final climax was "cheesy and unexciting", and that Nolan had resorted to imitating the "fakery" used by other filmmakers when filming action sequences.{{cite magazine|last=Denby|first=David|url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/06/13/050613crci_cinema|title=Aiming Low|magazine=The New Yorker|date=June 5, 2005|access-date=August 27, 2007|author-link=David Denby (film critic)|archive-date=September 21, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070921012501/http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/06/13/050613crci_cinema|url-status=live}}

File:Katie Holmes 2011 (6024619824).jpg

Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune believed Nolan and Goyer managed to "comfortably mix the tormented drama and revenge motifs with light hearted gags and comic book allusions," and that Nolan takes the series out of the "slam-bang Hollywood jokefests" the franchise had drifted into.{{cite web|last=Wilmington|first=Michael|url=http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/review/movie-review-batman-begins/159537/content|title=Movie review: 'Batman Begins'|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=September 13, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204074616/http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/review/movie-review-batman-begins/159537/content|archive-date=December 4, 2008}} Comic book scribe and editor Dennis O'Neil stated that he "felt the filmmakers really understood the character they were translating", citing this film as the best of the live-action Batman films.{{cite web|last=Bray|first=Greg|url=http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_dennyoneil_gbray_2006.html|title=Interview: DENNY O'NEIL|publisher=Batman On Film|date=October 18, 2006|access-date=August 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054503/http://www.batman-on-film.com/interview_dennyoneil_gbray_2006.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} In contrast, J. R. Jones, from the Chicago Reader, criticized the script, and Nolan and David Goyer for not living up to the "hype about exploring Batman's damaged psyche".{{cite web|last=Jones|first=J. R.|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/whos-afraid-of-the-big-bad-city/Content?oid=919112|title=Who's Afraid of the Big Bad City?|work=Chicago Reader|date=June 16, 2005|access-date=April 23, 2010|archive-date=March 27, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327161120/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/whos-afraid-of-the-big-bad-city/Content?oid=919112|url-status=live}} Roger Ebert, who gave mixed reviews to the previous films, and claimed in his review for Batman Returns that he did not believe noir worked in superhero films, wrote this was "the Batman movie I've been waiting for; more correctly, this is the movie I did not realize I was waiting for". Giving it four out of four stars, he commended the realistic portrayals of the Batman arsenal – the Batsuit, Batcave, Tumbler, and the Batsignal – as well as the focus on "the story and character" with less stress on "high-tech action".{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/batman-begins-2005|title=Batman Begins|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=June 13, 2005|access-date=August 27, 2007|author-link=Roger Ebert|archive-date=December 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208214254/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/batman-begins-2005|url-status=live}}

Like Berardinelli, USA Today{{'}}s Mike Clark thought Bale performed the role of Batman as well as he did Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, but that the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Rachel Dawes was "frustratingly underdeveloped".{{cite web|last=Clark|first=Mike|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2005-06-13-batman-begins_x.htm|title=Batman role fits Bale, but 'Begins' wears thin|work=USA Today|date=June 13, 2005|access-date=August 28, 2007|archive-date=July 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725045749/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2005-06-13-batman-begins_x.htm|url-status=live}} Kyle Smith thought Bale exhibited "both the menace and the wit he showed in his brilliant turn in American Psycho", and that the film works so well because of the realism, stating, "Batman starts stripping away each layer of Gotham crime only to discover a sicker and more monstrous evil beneath, his rancid city simultaneously invokes early '90s New York, when criminals frolicked to the tune of five murders a day; Serpico New York, when cops were for sale; and today, when psychos seek to kill us all at once rather than one by one."{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Kyle|url=http://kylesmithonline.com/?p=349|title=Kyle Smith review of Batman Begins|publisher=KyleSmithOnline|date=March 10, 2007|access-date=September 9, 2007|author-link=Kyle Smith (critic)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201172556/http://kylesmithonline.com/?p=349|archive-date=February 1, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} In contrast, Salon.com's Stephanie Zacharek felt Nolan did not deliver the emotional depth expected of "one of the most soulful and tortured superheroes of all"; she thought Bale, unlike Michael Keaton who she compared him to, failed to connect with the audience underneath the mask, but that Gary Oldman succeeded in "emotional complexity" where the rest of the movie failed.{{cite web|last=Zacharek|first=Stephanie|url=http://www.salon.com/2005/06/15/batman_begins/|title=Salon reviews Batman Begins|work=Salon.com|date=June 15, 2005|access-date=September 9, 2007|archive-date=July 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716024158/http://www.salon.com/2005/06/15/batman_begins/|url-status=live}}

Film director Tim Burton—who had directed the 1989 Batman film and its first sequel—felt Nolan "captured the real spirit that these kind of movies are supposed to have nowadays. When I did Batman twenty years ago, in 1988 or something, it was a different time in comic book movies. You couldn't go into that dark side of comics yet. The last couple of years that has become acceptable and Nolan certainly got more to the root of what the Batman comics are about."{{cite web|last=Ramey|first=Bill|title=Tim Burton Talks Batman|publisher=Batman on Film|date=April 13, 2008|url=http://www.batman-on-film.com/burton-talks-batman-in-amsterdam_4-13-08.html|access-date=April 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923182636/http://www.batman-on-film.com/burton-talks-batman-in-amsterdam_4-13-08.html|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

Batman Begins has been cited as one of the most influential films of the 2000s.{{cite web|last=Rosenfeld|first=Laura|title=5 Ways 'Batman Begins' Changed Hollywood Forever|publisher=Tech Times|date=July 19, 2019|url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/58219/20150615/how-batman-begins-changed-hollywood-forever.htm|access-date=July 20, 2019|archive-date=November 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118130454/http://www.techtimes.com/articles/58219/20150615/how-batman-begins-changed-hollywood-forever.htm|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Rothman|first=Michael|title='Batman Begins': 5 Ways the Movie Changed Hollywood|work=ABC News|date=June 16, 2019|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/batman-begins-ways-movie-changed-hollywood/story?id=31802311|access-date=December 9, 2019|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726151554/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/batman-begins-ways-movie-changed-hollywood/story?id=31802311|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Hayes|first=Britt|title=A Brief History of Movies Compared to Chris Nolan's Batman|publisher=ScreenCrush|date=July 8, 2016|url=https://screencrush.com/every-time-people-compared-their-movie-to-nolans-batman/|access-date=January 22, 2020|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726143555/https://screencrush.com/every-time-people-compared-their-movie-to-nolans-batman/|url-status=live}} On the film's 10th anniversary, Forbes published an article describing its lasting influence: "Reboot became part of our modern vocabulary, and superhero origin stories became increasingly en{{nbsp}}vogue for the genre. The phrase "dark and gritty" likewise joined the cinematic lexicon, influencing our perception of different approaches to storytelling not only in the comic book film genre but in all sorts of other genres as well."{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2015/07/30/exclusive-christopher-nolan-talks-batman-begins-10th-anniversary/#797eaf2329a0 |title=Exclusive: Christopher Nolan Talks 'Batman Begins' 10th Anniversary |magazine=Forbes |access-date=28 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225206/https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2015/07/30/exclusive-christopher-nolan-talks-batman-begins-10th-anniversary/#797eaf2329a0|archive-date=3 October 2017|url-status=live}} Shawn Adler of MTV stated Batman Begins heralded a trend of darker genre films, that either retold back-stories or rebooted them altogether. Examples he cited were Casino Royale,{{Cite news |first=Jacob |last=Stolworthy |title=Batman Begins at 15: How Christopher Nolan's superhero film changed the fate of James Bond |work=The Independent |location=UK |date=17 June 2020 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/batman-begins-james-bond-casino-royale-christopher-nolan-tenet-no-time-to-die-a9570041.html |access-date=17 June 2020 |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617102026/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/batman-begins-james-bond-casino-royale-christopher-nolan-tenet-no-time-to-die-a9570041.html |url-status=live }} as well as the in-development RoboCop, Red Sonja, and Grayskull.{{cite web|last=Shawn|first=Adler|title='He-Man' Movie Will Go Realistic: 'We're Not Talking About Putting Nipples On The Trapjaw Suit'|publisher=MTV|date=August 14, 2008|url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/08/14/he-man-movie-will-go-realistic-were-not-talking-about-putting-nipples-on-the-trapjaw-suit/|access-date=September 3, 2008|archive-date=September 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908150944/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/08/14/he-man-movie-will-go-realistic-were-not-talking-about-putting-nipples-on-the-trapjaw-suit/|url-status=dead}} In 2012, Kevin Feige, film producer and president of Marvel Studios, stated, "Chris Nolan's Batman is the greatest thing that happened [to superhero films] because it bolstered everything."{{cite magazine|last=Rogers|first=Adam|title=Kevin Feige Tells How Marvel Whips Up Its Cinematic Super Sauce|magazine=Wired|date=May 1, 2012|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/05/kevin-feige-avengers/|access-date=July 21, 2018|archive-date=July 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726013006/https://www.wired.com/2012/05/kevin-feige-avengers/|url-status=live}} Filmmakers, screenwriters and producers who have mentioned Batman Begins or The Dark Knight Trilogy to describe their projects include:

{{div col}}

• Jon Favreau (Iron Man){{cite web|last=Vespe|first=Eric|title=Quint goes one on one with Jon Favreau about IRON MAN at Comic-Con!!!|publisher=Ain't It Cool News|date=July 28, 2007|url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/33483|access-date=July 29, 2007|archive-date=September 29, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929102858/http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33483|url-status=live}}
• Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk){{cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/edward-norton-talks-incredible-hulk|title=Edward Norton talks Incredible Hulk|work=Total Film|date=March 7, 2008|access-date=April 23, 2010|archive-date=June 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628130740/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/edward-norton-talks-incredible-hulk|url-status=live}}
• McG (Terminator Salvation){{cite web|first=Joseph|last=McGinty Nichol|author-link=Joseph McGinty Nichol|title=Terminator Salvation Official Blog|url=http://rss.warnerbros.com/terminatorsalvation/2008/06/|date=May 22, 2008|access-date=June 4, 2008|archive-date=August 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828074224/http://rss.warnerbros.com/terminatorsalvation/2008/06/|url-status=live}}
• Alan Taylor (Terminator Genisys){{cite web|last=Lussier|first=Germain|title=Director Alan Taylor Cites 'Batman Begins' as Inspiration for 'Terminator' Reboot|publisher=Slashfilm|date=October 18, 2013|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/director-alan-taylor-cites-batman-begins-as-inspiration-for-terminator-reboot/|access-date=November 3, 2013|archive-date=October 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021041638/http://www.slashfilm.com/director-alan-taylor-cites-batman-begins-as-inspiration-for-terminator-reboot/|url-status=live}}
• Damon Lindelof (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness){{cite web|last=Clayton|first=Neuman|title=Masters of SciFi – Star Trek and Lost Producer Damon Lindelof on Entertaining the Masses|publisher=AMC|date=September 1, 2008|url=http://blogs.amctv.com/scifi-scanner/2008/09/damon-lindelof-interview.php|access-date=September 3, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229041211/http://www.filmcritic.com/features/2008/09/damon-lindelof-interview/|archive-date=December 29, 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://uk.eonline.com/news/196696/star-trek-producer-sequel-s-gonna-get-all-dark-knight-on-us |title=Star Trek Producer: Sequel's Gonna Get All Dark Knight on Us |date=August 23, 2010 |access-date=November 17, 2011 |archive-date=January 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110143857/https://www.eonline.com/news/196696/star-trek-producer-sequel-s-gonna-get-all-dark-knight-on-us |url-status=live }}
• Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes){{cite news|last=Lyall|first=Sarah|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/movies/25lyal.html|work=The New York Times|title=Is That You, Sherlock?|date=January 25, 2009|access-date=March 31, 2010|archive-date=November 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126000522/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/movies/25lyal.html|url-status=live}}
• Lorenzo di Bonaventura (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra){{cite web|last=Sanchez |first=Robert |title=IESB Exclusive Interview: A Chat with G.I. Joe Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura! |publisher=IESB |date=January 8, 2008 |url=http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4061&Itemid=99 |access-date=February 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209204107/http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4061&Itemid=99 |archive-date=February 9, 2008}}
• Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine){{cite web|last=Carroll|first=Larry|title=Hugh Jackman Looks Towards 'Batman Begins' For 'Wolverine' Inspiration, Talks Sequels|publisher=MTV|date=April 29, 2008|url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/04/29/hugh-jackman-looks-towards-batman-begins-for-wolverine-inspiration-talks-sequels/|access-date=September 3, 2008|archive-date=September 3, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080903234208/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/04/29/hugh-jackman-looks-towards-batman-begins-for-wolverine-inspiration-talks-sequels/|url-status=dead}}
• Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class){{cite web|last=Leader|first=Michael|title=Matthew Vaughn interview: X-Men: First Class, Thor, Hollywood, James Bond, Take That and more|publisher=Den of Geek|date=May 26, 2011|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/james-bond/17507/matthew-vaughn-interview-x-men-first-class-thor-hollywood-james-bond-take-that-and-more|access-date=May 27, 2011|archive-date=August 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828043153/http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/james-bond/17507/matthew-vaughn-interview-x-men-first-class-thor-hollywood-james-bond-take-that-and-more|url-status=live}}
• Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes){{cite web |url=https://collider.com/set-visit-rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes/85807 |publisher=Collider |title=Collider Visits The Set of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES; Plus Video Blog |date=April 14, 2011 |first=Germain |last=Lussier |access-date=August 2, 2011 |archive-date=March 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310200931/http://collider.com/set-visit-rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes/85807/ |url-status=live }}
• Sam Mendes (Skyfall){{cite web|last=Rich|first=Katey|title=The Ten Biggest Things We Learned on the Skyfall Set|publisher=Cinemablend|date=May 1, 2012|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Ten-Biggest-Things-We-Learned-Skyfall-Set-30713.html|access-date=October 3, 2012|archive-date=May 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522055024/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Ten-Biggest-Things-We-Learned-Skyfall-Set-30713.html|url-status=live}}
• Alex Kurtzman (Van Helsing){{cite web|last=Wright|first=Benjamin|title=Alex Kurtzman Wants To Do For 'Van Helsing' What Christopher Nolan Did For Batman|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/alex-kurtzman-wants-to-do-for-van-helsing-what-christopher-nolan-did-for-batman-20120627|publisher=The Playlist|date=June 27, 2012|access-date=October 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629233643/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/alex-kurtzman-wants-to-do-for-van-helsing-what-christopher-nolan-did-for-batman-20120627|archive-date=June 29, 2012|url-status=dead}}
• Gareth Edwards (Godzilla){{cite web|last=Schaefer|first=Sandy|title='Godzilla' Director Gareth Edwards Promises a 'Grounded' and 'Realistic' Reboot|publisher=Screenrant.com|year=2012|url=https://screenrant.com/gareth-edwards-interview-godzilla-reboot/|access-date=December 10, 2013|archive-date=December 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213201412/http://screenrant.com/gareth-edwards-interview-godzilla-reboot/|url-status=live}}
• Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man){{cite web|title=Is The Amazing Spider-Man the Next Batman Begins or Merely the Next Superman Returns?|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-mendelson/amazing-spiderman-batman-begins_b_1657672.html|website=Huff Post Entertainment|date=July 8, 2012|access-date=May 15, 2015|archive-date=May 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518095236/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-mendelson/amazing-spiderman-batman-begins_b_1657672.html|url-status=live}}
• David Ayer (Suicide Squad){{cite web|last=Ingolfland|first=Jason|title=How Suicide Squad's Ayer Cut Was Partially Inspired By Christopher Nolan|publisher=Cinemablend|date=May 31, 2019|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2547251/how-suicide-squads-ayer-cut-was-partially-inspired-by-christopher-nolan|access-date=June 1, 2020|archive-date=June 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609111852/https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2547251/how-suicide-squads-ayer-cut-was-partially-inspired-by-christopher-nolan|url-status=live}}
• Bryan Cranston (Power Rangers){{cite web|last=Wampler|first=Scott|title=Bryan Cranston Compares The POWER RANGERS Movie To Chris Nolan's BATMAN Trilogy|publisher=Birth.Movies.Death.|date=July 6, 2016|url=http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/07/06/bryan-cranston-compares-the-power-rangers-movie-to-chris-nolans-batman-tril|access-date=February 20, 2017|archive-date=February 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220200109/http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/07/06/bryan-cranston-compares-the-power-rangers-movie-to-chris-nolans-batman-tril|url-status=live}}
• Adam Wingard (Death Note){{cite web|last=Orange|first=B. Alan|title=Netflix's Death Note Trailer Brings the Iconic Manga to Life|publisher=Movieweb|date=March 22, 2017|url=http://movieweb.com/death-note-movie-2017-trailer-netflix/|access-date=March 22, 2017|archive-date=March 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323060036/http://movieweb.com/death-note-movie-2017-trailer-netflix/|url-status=live}}
• Patty Jenkins and Matthew Jensen (Wonder Woman){{cite web|title='Wonder Woman' DP Matthew Jensen: A Student of the Origin Story|publisher=Film School Rejects|date=November 8, 2017|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/wonder-woman-dp-matthew-jensen-student-origin-story/|access-date=December 9, 2019|archive-date=December 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209170537/https://filmschoolrejects.com/wonder-woman-dp-matthew-jensen-student-origin-story/|url-status=live}}
• James Mangold (Logan){{cite web|last=Chand|first=Neerjaj|title=Logan Director Talks The Dark Knight Influence on Wolverine and Subverting the Genre|publisher=MovieWeb|date=May 28, 2020|url=https://movieweb.com/logan-wolverine-dark-knight-influence-james-mangold/|access-date=May 28, 2020|archive-date=June 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609115450/https://movieweb.com/logan-wolverine-dark-knight-influence-james-mangold/|url-status=live}}
• Simon Kinberg (Dark Phoenix){{cite web|last=Pulliam-Moore|first=Charles|title=Dark Phoenix's Simon Kinberg Took Inspiration From Nolan's Batman to Bring the X-Men Down to Earth|publisher=Gizmodo|date=March 22, 2017|url=https://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2019/06/dark-phoenixs-simon-kinberg-took-inspiration-from-nolans-batman-to-bring-the-x-men-down-to-earth/|access-date=June 12, 2019|archive-date=June 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612141652/https://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2019/06/dark-phoenixs-simon-kinberg-took-inspiration-from-nolans-batman-to-bring-the-x-men-down-to-earth/|url-status=live}}
• Andrew Kosove (Blade Runner 2049){{cite web|last=Lussier|first=Germain|title=Producers Want A Christopher Nolan-Like Take For 'Blade Runner' Prequel/Sequel, Would Love To Have Nolan Direct|publisher=slashfilm.com|date=March 4, 2011|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/producers-christopher-nolanlike-blade-runner-prequelsequel-love-nolan-direct/|access-date=November 21, 2019|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726151952/https://www.slashfilm.com/producers-christopher-nolanlike-blade-runner-prequelsequel-love-nolan-direct/|url-status=live}}
• Todd Phillips (Joker){{cite web |date=20 August 2019 |last1=Shepherd |first1=Jack |last2=Graham |first2=Jamie |title=Joker puts on a happy face in these exclusive images from the Joaquin Phoenix-starring movie |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/joker-movie-images-exclusive-joaquin-phoenix-zazie-beetz/ |website=Total Film |publisher=Gamesradar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820143130/https://www.gamesradar.com/joker-movie-images-exclusive-joaquin-phoenix-zazie-beetz/ |archive-date=2019-08-20 }}
• Cathy Yan (Birds of Prey){{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Simon|title=How Batman Movies Influenced the Design of Birds of Prey|work=Variety|date=August 21, 2019|url=https://variety.com/2020/artisans/awards/birds-of-prey-production-design-1203492431/|access-date=February 17, 2020|archive-date=February 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217093817/https://variety.com/2020/artisans/awards/birds-of-prey-production-design-1203492431/|url-status=live}}

{{div col end}}

Comic book writer and author Danny Fingeroth argues that a strong theme in the film is Bruce's search for a father figure, saying "[Alfred] is the good father that Bruce comes to depend on. Bruce's real father died before they could establish an adult relationship, and Liam Neeson's Ducard is stern and demanding, didactic and challenging, but not a father figure with any sympathy. If Bruce is anyone's son, he is Alfred's. [Morgan] Freeman's Lucius is cool and imperturbable, another steady anchor in Bruce's life."{{cite web|last=Fingeroth|first=Danny|title=Batman Begins: Redefining the Dark Knight|publisher=Animation World Network|date=June 15, 2005|url=http://www.awn.com/articles/reviews/ibatman-beginsi-redefining-dark-knight|access-date=April 23, 2010|archive-date=August 20, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820103236/http://www.awn.com/articles/reviews/ibatman-beginsi-redefining-dark-knight|url-status=live}} Blogger Mark Fisher states that Bruce's search for justice requires him to learn from a proper father figure, with Thomas Wayne and Ra's al Ghul being the two counterpoints. Alfred provides a maternal figure of unconditional love, despite the overall lack of focus on a mother figure in Bruce's life.{{cite news|last=Fisher|first=Mark|title=Gothic Oedipus: subjectivity and Capitalism in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins|publisher=Department of English at the University of Florida|year=2006|url=http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v2_2/fisher/#13|access-date=October 13, 2007|archive-date=December 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219050624/http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v2_2/fisher/#13|url-status=live}}

Fingeroth also argues that a major theme in the film is fear, which supports the story of Bruce Wayne becoming a hero. Director Christopher Nolan stated that the idea behind the film was "a person who would confront his innermost fear and then attempt to become it". Fingeroth referred to this film's depiction as "the man with fear—but who rises above it". The theme of fear is further personified by the Scarecrow. The film depicts how fear can affect all creatures regardless of might. Allusions to fear are seen throughout, from Bruce's conquering of his demons, to becoming Batman, to the Scarecrow and his deadly fear toxin. The macabre, distorted images presented in the Scarecrow's toxin-induced hallucinations also express the idea of terror to an extreme.{{cite web|access-date=July 13, 2008 |url=http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?at_code=261720 |title=Thrilling 'Batman Begins' Rebuilds Franchise |publisher=OhmyNews |date=June 14, 2005 |last=Orndorf |first=Brian |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006014859/http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?at_code=261720 |archive-date=October 6, 2015 |df=mdy }}

Critic Brian Orndorf considered Batman Begins "fierce" and "demonstrative in brood", giving the film an abundance of gravitas and energy. It strays away from the lighter fare of Joel Schumacher's 1997 Batman film, Batman & Robin, which contained camp one-liners throughout. The theme of fear is intensified with the help of the musical score by Zimmer and Howard, which also "eschews traditional heroic themes". Also contrary to previous Batman films, a psychological investigation of Bruce Wayne's split personality in the bat suit is only lightly touched upon. Orndorf noted that Bruce is a "character constantly striving to do the right thing, not worn down by incessant reexamination".

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• {{Official website|https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/batman-begins/}} (Warner Bros.)
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• {{IMDb title|0372784}}
• {{ISFDB title|id=980113|title=Batman Begins}}
• {{TCMDb title|546292|Batman Begins}}
• {{AFI film|63317}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150909231537/http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=3001 Batman Begins Production Notes, page 1] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20150909231630/http://www.cinemareview.com/production.asp?prodid=3002 pages 2–6]. Warner Bros. via CinemaReview.com. Archived from the [http://www2.warnerbros.com/batmanbegins/productionnotes/ original] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818043244/http://www2.warnerbros.com/batmanbegins/productionnotes/ |date=August 18, 2014 }} on September 9, 2015.
• [https://play.hbomax.com/page/urn:hbo:page:GXeOM3Q7qcZuAuwEAADwo:type:feature Batman Begins] on HBO Max

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