While Zack Snyder’s Batman has caught plenty of flak for openly and intentionally killing people on the big screen, it’s worth remembering that many other cinematic takes on the character have blood on their hands as well. First and foremost is Michael Keaton’s beloved rendition, who in both “Batman” and “Batman Returns” takes human lives. From sending the Joker (Jack Nicholson, who made a fortune off the role) falling to his death to blowing up a goon with dynamite, Keaton’s Batman takes no prisoners. His successor, Val Kilmer, is no saint either.
Yes, in “Batman Forever,” Batman very much instigates the death of Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones). During their final confrontation, he tosses a handful of coins into the air, prompting the former Harvey Dent to reach out and try to grab them before taking a fatal fall. Christian Bale’s Batman is also in the same league as Keaton and Kilmer, taking a handful of lives throughout the story of the Dark Knight trilogy. He too fatally sends Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart) careening toward the solid ground and is involved in the death of Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and several members of the League of Shadows.
It’s true that in print, Batman does his best to adhere to the rule of no killing. However, in Hollywood, statistically speaking, any of his villains and their henchmen who leave a confrontation with him alive are lucky.
