4 months ago 22nd Jul 14:18
In 1992 both director Tim Burton and leading man Michael Keaton returned to the newly formed franchise for Batman Returns.
-The Penguin: a deformed man abandoned at birth by his parents joins forces with crooked businessman Max Schreck and runs for mayor of Gotham.
-Catwoman: played by Michelle Pfeiffer as a wronged secretary who is thrown off the top of a building transforming into Catwoman and looking for revenge.
Just three years later the franchise got a total make-over as Joel Schumacher took over directing duties and Val Kilmer replaced Keaton as the Dark Knight in Batman Forever.
-Robin: played by Chris O'Donnell this was the first time the character had been introduced to the film franchise. Losing his family at the hands of Two Face Dick Grayson, aka Robin, is trained by Batman as he looks for revenge.
-Dr.Chase Meridan: played by Nicole Kidman Meridan is a psychologist who is also Wayne's love interest.
-Two Face: heavily disfigured former attorney Harvey Dent believes Batman caused the accident with left him permanently scarred and unleashes a reign of terror on the people of Gotham.
-The Riddler: played by Jim Carrey Edward Nygma was a former employee of Bruce Wayne and is out to get the millionaire. As The Riddler he develops a device for draining information from all the brains in Gotham.
Change was in the air again in 1997's Batman and Robin as George Clooney almost destroyed his career when he took on the role as Batman.
-Batgirl: a blockbuster role for Alicia Silverstone who is introduced as Alfred's niece who comes to Gotham after her uncle falls ill and helps Batman and Robin fight the new threat to the city.
-Mr. Freeze: played by Arnold Schwarzenegger has blood laced with cryogenic liquid he intends to freeze Gotham unless he gets the money he needs to finish finding the cure for a mysterious disease that has stricken his wife.
-Poison Ivy: a plant lover played by Uma Thurman causes trouble between Batman and Robin while he intends to turn the entire planet into a giant greenhouse.
After the disaster of Batman and Robin the franchise was left well alone for the best part of a decade until Christopher Nolan and actor Christian Bale breathed new life into the franchise.
-Rachel Dawes: the only lawyer willing to take on the likes of Falconi to get them put in prison Katie Holmes' Rachel Dawes is a strong independent woman who has carried a torch for Bruce Wayne for many years.
-Lucius Fox: played by Morgan Freeman Lucius is an employee of Wayne Enterprises and he helps Bruce's mission to clean up the streets with one or two gadgets.
-Henri Ducard: first appearing as Bruce Wayne's mentor, training him in ninjitsu, but he turns out to be the villain trying to heal the world but using draconian methods.
-Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow: played by Cillian Murphy Crane is a psychopharmacologist who works in Arkhman Asylum developing fear inducing toxins. Using these toxins he makes criminals appear insane so they are admitted to the asylum instead of going to jail.
And this weeks sees Bale, Nolan and a string of characters return to their roles in The Dark Knight, which picks up where Batman Begins left off as The Joker is once again terrorising the streets of the city.
-Sgt.James Gordon: is one of very few uncorrupted police officers in the city alongside Batman he wants to clean up the streets of Gotham.
-Harvey Dent: a district attorney in Gotham like Batman and Gordon wants to rid the city of crime but after an altercation with the Joker into a murderous, disfigured vigilante called "Two-Face.
-The Joker: the Dark Knight sees the return of the Joker after almost twenty years off our screens in the form of Heath Ledger. While Nicholson's Joker was played with humour this time around the character is a psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.
The Dark Knight is released 24th July
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
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