Line #39 Trivia/BatmanBegins


1	* CastTheRunnerUp:
2	** Creator/CillianMurphy screen-tested for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Although his performance was deemed unsuitable for the character, he nonetheless impressed Nolan, who cast him as Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow.
3	** Creator/GaryOldman was originally cast as Henri Ducard with Creator/ChrisCooper as Jim Gordon. After Cooper dropped out, Oldman was cast as Gordon.
4	* TheCastShowoff: Notice how Ducard tends to go into boxing stances when fighting bare handed? Creator/LiamNeeson trained as a boxer in his teens.
5	* CompletelyDifferentTitle:
6	** Hong Kong: ''Batman: Mystery of Heroes''
7	** Vietnam: ''Batman Appears''
8	* CowboyBebopAtHisComputer: At least one critic, noting that the movie makes reference to a (fictional) "depression", and perhaps also remembering the origin of the Batman character, believed that in ''Batman Begins'' Bruce was a child sometime in the 1930s...[[FridgeLogic which, of course, would mean that he became Batman (in this continuity) in the mid-1950s at the latest, which is obviously not true]]. The parody of this movie on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "Bartman Begins," ran with this by having the story be set blatantly in the '30s.
9	* CreatorKiller: Successful as the film itself was, it also meant the beginning of the end for veteran Spanish voice actor Armando Carreras, who directed the dub and voiced Thomas Wayne. Due to Warner's famously draconian standards about foreign dubs, Carreras was forced to subject all the characters to castings and auditions, even for veteran voice actors who had not gone though one in decades, and some didn't meet the harsh conditions, resulting in usual assignations being replaced. Although it's believed Carreras had little to no choice in this process, he was forced to bear most of the brunt when several big names complained, leading to a series of public clashes after which Carreras ended up blacklisted from Spanish dub forever.
10	* DyeingForYourArt: Creator/ChristianBale had to quickly bulk up after his incredible weight loss for ''Film/TheMachinist''. He succeeded in packing on the muscle in a short amount of time and discovered that he actually ''overdid'' it (making him look too bulky and stout for a character that has to be quick on his feet) and had to slim back down during production. Compare how he looks during the training montage at Ra's Al Ghul's compound and during his shirtless scenes later in the movie to see just how much he had to lose.
11	* EnforcedMethodActing: Creator/ChristianBale's active dislike of his uncomfortable Batman outfit helped his performance as the Dark Knight as he was perpetually in a foul mood when wearing it.
12	* FakeAmerican: Other than Creator/KatieHolmes and Creator/MorganFreeman the majority of the cast is not American. We have the English Creator/ChristianBale as Bruce Wayne, Irish Creator/CillianMurphy as Dr. Crane, and English actors Creator/GaryOldman, Creator/TomWilkinson, Creator/LinusRoache and Sara Stewart as Commissioner Gordon, Falcone, and Thomas and Martha Wayne, respectively.
13	* FakeNationality: In addition to the above, wherever he actually is from, Ra's Al Ghul is almost certainly not [[Creator/LiamNeeson Irish.]]
14	* MoneyDearBoy:
15	** Part of Creator/ChristianBale's motivation for taking on the role of Batman was the fact that the salary was enough for him to pay off his house.
16	** At the time this film entered production Creator/GaryOldman had just gone through a messy divorce and been awarded sole custody of his two young sons. He accepted the role of Jim Gordon because it was a supporting role that wouldn't keep him away from his children for too long while also providing a large salary[[note]]He took the role of Sirius Black in the Franchise/HarryPotter film series for the same reason[[/note]].
17	* NoStuntDouble: Although Creator/ChristianBale performed many of his own stunts, he wasn't allowed anywhere near the Batmobile.
18	* TheOtherDarrin:
19	** For the video game, Creator/GaryOldman was replaced by Gavin Hammon.
20	** For the video game again, in the French dub this time, Creator/DominiquePaturel replaced Frédéric Cerdal. Paturel was the most prolific dubbing actor for Creator/MichaelCaine, but curiously never voiced his Nolan film roles.
21	* PlayingAgainstType: Two deliberately invoked examples on Nolan's part
22	** Creator/LiamNeeson as [[BigBad Ra's al Ghul]], especially since the [[PlayingWithCharacterType character initially seems to be an ally of Batman.]]
23	** Conversely, playing Commissioner Gordon allowed Creator/GaryOldman the rare chance to play a more heroic and upstanding character than the usual villains he had portrayed up until that point.
24	* ScullyBox: An unforeseen problem with the ninja training academy was that Creator/LiamNeeson towered over the rest of the men. This was swiftly solved by putting most of the ninjas on wooden blocks.
25	* StarMakingRole:
26	** Creator/ChristianBale as Bruce Wayne/Batman. While ''Film/AmericanPsycho'' was a cult hit, this was the film that made him a bona-fide star.
27	** Creator/CillianMurphy was already well-liked by critics and fans of indie films, but this movie (along with ''Film/RedEye'') gave him an almighty shove out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
28	* UnderAgeCasting: Rachel Dawes is an assistant district attorney despite her actress Creator/KatieHolmes being 26 years old and looking to be about 23.
29	** To top this, according to the original script Rachel is supposed to be some two or three years older than Bruce Wayne, to justify her being an intern at the DA office when he's still an undergrad. In real life, Bale is some five years older than Katie Holmes.
30	** In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', the role of Rachel is recast with Creator/MaggieGyllenhaal who appears only slightly older than Holmes (indeed, she is a year older). In that film, she was still the assistant DA in a love triangle between Bale's Bruce Wayne and the even older Creator/AaronEckhart's Harvey Dent.
31	** Cillian Murphy was 27 during filming and looked several years younger, leading one to wonder how Crane got put in charge of Arkham when he should be just graduating medical school.
32	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
33	** Creator/JoshHartnett was approached for the part of [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/ChristianBale was cast. However, Hartnett turned down the offer due to a lack of interest in portraying a comic book character at the time.
34	** Creator/HeathLedger had discussions for the role of Bruce Wayne, but turned it down due to his dislike of comic book movies. Ledger would eventually go on to play the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] in ''Film/TheDarkKnight''.
35	** Creator/AshtonKutcher was also considered for Bruce Wayne and was reportedly some of the studio executives' top contender for the part. However, Nolan was not so enthusiastic about the idea of casting Kutcher, which prompted the studio heads to drop the idea.
36	** Creator/JakeGyllenhaal, Creator/DavidBoreanaz, Creator/JoshuaJackson, Creator/EionBailey, Creator/HughDancy, Creator/CillianMurphy and Creator/BillyCrudup screen-tested for the titular role as well before the casting of Bale. Murphy would later go on to portray Jonathan Crane in the film, while Crudup would play Henry Allen in ''{{Film/Justice League\|2017}}''.
37	** Creator/EwanMcGregor, Creator/ChristopherEccleston, Creator/JeremyDavies, Music/MarilynManson and Creator/RobertDowneyJr were considered for the part of [[Comicbook/TheScarecrow Jonathan Crane]] before the casting of Creator/CillianMurphy. [=McGregor=] would eventually go on to play Black Mask in ''Film/{{Birds of Prey\|2020}}.''
38	** Creator/ChrisCooper, Creator/DennisQuaid and Creator/KurtRussell were considered for the role of James Gordon before Creator/GaryOldman was cast.
39	** Creator/DanielDayLewis, Creator/ViggoMortensen and Creator/GuyPearce were approached for [[ComicBook/RasAlGhul Henri Ducard]] before the casting of Creator/LiamNeeson. Pearce turned down the offer due to the fact that he considered himself "too young" for the part at the age of thirty-seven.
40	** Creator/AnthonyHopkins was offered the role of Alfred Pennyworth before Creator/MichaelCaine was cast.
41	** Creator/LaurenceFishburne was considered for Lucius Fox before the casting of Creator/MorganFreeman. Fishburne would go on to portray Perry White in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
42	** Creator/DarrenAronofsky was originally chosen to write and direct the movie before Creator/ChristopherNolan was hired. Aronofsky's version of the film would've been based on ''Comicbook/BatmanYearOne'', and he brought on Creator/FrankMiller to co-write it with him. Aronofsky was also interested in casting Creator/JoaquinPhoenix as Bruce Wayne, while the higher-ups preferred Creator/FreddiePrinzeJr However, the studio was unhappy with the script due to the differences from the source material and did not greenlight the film. Phoenix would go on to play the titular character in ''Film/{{Joker\|2019}}''. Creator/MNightShyamalan, Creator/DavidFincher and Creator/TheWachowskis were also approached to direct the film before Nolan was hired. The Wachowskis turned down the offer in order to helm ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' and ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'' instead.
43	** The writers considered having [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] in the film, but inserting him would have been too unwieldy. Dent would later appear in [[Film/TheDarkKnight the sequel]] portrayed by Creator/AaronEckhart.
44	** Nolan originally didn't want to give Scarecrow a mask, but David S. Goyer was able to convince him into it.
45	** According to an interview with production designer, the waterfall guarding the entrance to the Batcave was originally meant to cover a solid rock wall, which Batman's enemies would slam into when attempting the jump in. The rock wall would have been opened with a button inside the Batmobile, but the sequence was cut before filming began.
46	** The video game was going to have a Platform/PlayStationPortable port, but wasn't completed.
47	* WordOfGod: Going by this, comics canon, and the novelization, the Nolanverse Bruce Wayne was born on February 19, 1977 (1980 in the novelization); his parents were killed on June 26, 1986, at 10:47 PM; their killer is killed and Bruce himself begins his seven-year odyssey on February 20, 2000; Henri Ducard discovered Bruce in early 2006; his training with the League of Shadows went on for about a year, culminating in the final test on January 17, 2007; Bruce boards a plane back to Gotham on January 21, 2007, arriving the next day; the film's story picks up on February 1, 2007, as Crane recommends that Victor Zsasz be moved to Arkham; the Batman makes his first appearance and serves up Carmine Falcone on Valentine's Day, with the case against Falcone going forward the next day; Falcone is driven insane on the 17th, and the Batman is poisoned by Crane that night; the climax takes place on February 19, 2007; Lucius Fox becomes the CEO of Wayne Enterprises the next day... [[ContinuitySnarl and the final scene takes place on December 1, 2007]]. This would also place the events of ''The Dark Knight'' in early 2008, as it takes place a year after ''Begins'', and ''Rises'', since that's set eight years after ''TDK'', would be taking place in [[NextSundayAD 2016.]]

Context Trivia / BatmanBegins