2005’s Batman Begins introduced a version of the Gotham superhero fans still remember as one of the very best, if not the best. Starring the utterly-talented Christian Bale, it delved into the origin story of Batman and eventually pitted him against the likes of Scarecrow and Ra’s al Ghul.
Both very regular occurrences in the Batman narrative in the comics, Christopher Nolan had a unique take on the character which was depicted perfectly by Cillian Murphy. However, Nolan initially was adamant on making a change to the former, one which would not have been well-met by fans, who have grown used to The Scarecrow and his iconic mask.
Nolan did not want his version of the character to even have a mask, and ended up rejecting quite a few before sticking to the one which made it to the film.
Christopher Nolan did not want Scarecrow to wear a mask in Batman Begins
There is little doubt that Christopher Nolan is one of the most talented directors out there. However, Batman Begins was the first superhero-movie he ever made, and while the overall trilogy became iconic, this one change could have angered fans to a huge extent.
As it turns out, Nolan, in a bid to create a realistic version of Dr. Jonathan Crane, wanted Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow to not wear a mask. This however, was something screenwriter David S. Goyer was not happy with.
Goyer eventually managed to convince Nolan, and ensured that The Scarecrow in Batman Begins stayed true to its comic book depiction in the movie as well. Of course, Nolan being Nolan, the director went through a number of mask choices before agreeing on one which he though fit his vision, which resulted in the gnarly, rug-like mask that eventually made it to the film.
Wanting to ground his film in reality, Nolan didn’t want Scarecrow to have a mask. He had to be convinced by David S. Goyer and Nolan had many masks created before seeing one he liked.
Wanting to ground his film in reality, Nolan didn’t want Scarecrow to have a mask. He had to be convinced by David S. Goyer and Nolan had many masks created before seeing one he liked.
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While fans were thoroughly impressed with the overall depictions shown in Batman Begins, this one change would surely have led to disappointment among fans, who were still out to see a Batman movie, first and foremost, rather than merely a Christopher Nolan film.
Batman Begins stayed true to its roots in many ways
The movie itself might have seen a bit of a clash between Nolan’s vision and what fans expect from a Batman movie. However, the director did more than enough to include a range of elements from the comics that helped the film create the perfect balance.
The Tumbler was 9 feet wide, 16 feet long and designed by Chris Corbould and Andrew Smith. It was built from scratch with a fiberglass body and was actually a fully functional vehicle. It took $150K and a year of engineering to construct and could reach speeds of 106mph.
The Tumbler was 9 feet wide, 16 feet long and designed by Chris Corbould and Andrew Smith. It was built from scratch with a fiberglass body and was actually a fully functional vehicle. It took $150K and a year of engineering to construct and could reach speeds of 106mph.
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The Tumbler seen in Batman Begins was not only similar to the one that has been seen int he comics, it was a bonafide engineering feat to cherish. Designed by Chris Corbould and Andrew Smith, the vehicle cost a whopping $150,000 to make and was 9 feet in width, and 16 feet in length. It had a top speed of 106 mph, and added an outlined sense of realism in the action scenes it was featured in.
The narration itself also took inspiration from multiple major comic book arcs, and Nolan wanted to use actual bats in the movie. While that did not prove practical, the movie grossed $373 million worldwide, (Box Office Mojo) and was a critical and commercial success which was a result of the genius way in which Nolan amalgamated his vision, with the expectations of comic book fans.
Celebrated as the most iconic Batman live-action series until now, Nolan’s trilogy is available to be watched on multiple platforms, including Netflix and Amazon Prime.
