Just for fun- Begins could be a prequel to Burton's Batman

[Choppa]

Okay so Im bored at work and I was thinking about ways in which Begins might work as a prequel to Burton's Batman, and I think that it actually could be possible with some clever logic.

But Joe Chill killed his parents in Begins, not Jack Napier!
Yes that's true. But I'd like to refer to something that Valman said in Batman Forever when he was trying to disuade Robin from seeking revenge on Two-Face. He told him that once one gets revenge, their desire doesn't end there and they continue to seek out a "new face." Perhaps in "Batman," Bruce had flashbacks of Jack Napier killing his parents because Chill's murder gave him that thirst for revenge. When Batman says to Joker that he "made him," he didn't mean it literally. If you listen to Joker's response it isn't even that serious, so it works if you look at it that way.

But the Joker already exists at the end of Begins, which contradicts Batman!
Not necesarilly. All we know from the ending of Begins is that there is a criminal out there with the flair for the dramatic as shown by the playing card. Well Napier was already a criminal and he doesn't have to be the Joker to leave a card. Lots of criminals do that. IIRC he always used to play with that deck of cards that he had. The reference in Begins could just be to some regular crime that Napier had committed.

Interesting, tell me more!
Well the DA died in Begins, explaining why there's a new DA in Batman. The manor burned down in Begins, explaining why it doesn't look the same in Batman. I don't think we ever saw Wayne Enterprises in Batman so it's not a logical error that there's no mention of Lucious. Um, yea, so it could work!

[90'sCartoonMan]

Interesting theory on the Joker, but that only works until the next movie where Batman and Joker do confront each other.

How much time would have to pass between Batman Begins and Burton's Batman for the costume, Batmobile, and Alfred's accent all to change?

[Choppa]

Interesting theory on the Joker, but that only works until the next movie where Batman and Joker do confront each other.

How much time would have to pass between Batman Begins and Burton's Batman for the costume, Batmobile, and Alfred's accent all to change?

Can't be much for the suit, I mean it didn't take him that long to put it together in the first place. Alfred's accent changed? And the batmobile, dunno, prolly wouldn't take as long to make a car version when compared to the tank in Begins. But w/e, im just playing around.

[carabas]

And how much time for Gordon to go from the Year One-esque effective cop to Burton's geriatric zeppelin?

[Super Buddies Forever]

Yeah, I've considered the same thing. Obviously that's not the intention, but in theory it could work.

Of course, Gordon and Batman are allies at the end of Begins, while they're still at odds throughout the '89 film. The bat signal is introduced at the end of Begins and then again at the end of '89. Then there's the fact that Keaton's Wayne is more of a recluse than the Bale playboy.

The Jack Napier/Joe Chill difference could also be partially explained away by having Chill commit the act with Napier. Remember that in '89, there was a second unseen man when Napier shot the Waynes. While we saw Chill shoot them point blank in Begins, it could just play into your idea about Bruce's memories of that night being hazy.

[karaokefanboy]

How much time would have to pass between Batman Begins and Burton's Batman for the costume, Batmobile, and Alfred's accent all to change?

How much time passed between Batman Forever & Batman & Robin for Bruce to add nipples to the costume?

[Paul Dee]

Well, it wouldn't actually take long would it? Still, if taking any excuse to get in another dig a the easy target that is Batman and Robin is enjoyable for you then go for it.

[OverMaster]

No. Sorry, but that's an awful idea. They were intended to be separate continuities, and trying to shoehorn them into the same timeline creates far too many plotholes and contrivances for what very little it is worth.

[Mutate]

How much time passed between Batman Forever & Batman & Robin for Bruce to add nipples to the costume?

Don't you mean, time between Returns and Forever?

[Alan2099]

How much time passed between Batman Forever & Batman & Robin for Bruce to add nipples to the costume?

O he's had that costume for years he just usually doesn't go out in public wearing it. He keeps it for ... other things. :p

[The Xenos]

Just for fun? Bah. This is the internet. Serious business.

I say NO to your Tom foolery, sir. Batman Begins is anew and has no relations to whatever was before it. Bah to your 'fun'.

[The Joker]

Another problem is that Gordon is in total disbelief that a Batman exists in Gotham in Burton's flick. But in Begins, it is firmly established that Gordon and Bats have formed a relationship of being allies. Of course you can say that Gordon attitude towards questions about Batman in Burton's movie was merely to serve as something of a "put on" for the general public, but that doesnt really explain his obvious astonishment (Oh ... My .... God.) when Gordon finally sees Batman in the Axis Chemical Plant for the first time.

And yet another issue would be the final conflict between Batman & The Joker at the conclusion of the 1989 Batman film. Among other things, the part where Batman mentions, "I made you. You made me first." wouldnt really make any sense if Begins was a prequel to Burton's film. Of course The Joker laughs at the comment, but then just as quickly admits to the killing as he says something like, "I was a kid when I killed your parents." Which obviously means that The Joker knew exactly what Batman was referring to by his comment.

Personally, I LOVE Burton's 1989 Batman movie. And have great memories of seeing it during it's initial run. But I can't say I'm much on the idea of Begins being anything more than a total out-and-out re-boot of the Batman film franchise. Which it has done. And done well, I might add. :)

[OverMaster]

Just for fun? Bah. This is the internet. Serious business.

I say NO to your Tom foolery, sir. Batman Begins is anew and has no relations to whatever was before it. Bah to your 'fun'.

Personally, I can't see where is the fun in trying to link two totally different movies like this, but to each his own.

[Steel Spider]

I don't find it fun to link Begins to the terrible Burton movies either, but to each his own.

[Choppa]

And yet another issue would be the final conflict between Batman & The Joker at the conclusion of the 1989 Batman film. Among other things, the part where Batman mentions, "I made you. You made me first." wouldnt really make any sense if Begins was a prequel to Burton's film. Of course The Joker laughs at the comment, but then just as quickly admits to the killing as he says something like, "I was a kid when I killed your parents." Which obviously means that The Joker knew exactly what Batman was referring to by his comment.

But Joe Chill killed his parents in Begins, not Jack Napier!
Yes that's true. But I'd like to refer to something that Valman said in Batman Forever when he was trying to disuade Robin from seeking revenge on Two-Face. He told him that once one gets revenge, their desire doesn't end there and they continue to seek out a "new face." Perhaps in "Batman," Bruce had flashbacks of Jack Napier killing his parents because Chill's murder gave him that thirst for revenge. When Batman says to Joker that he "made him," he didn't mean it literally. If you listen to Joker's response it isn't even that serious, so it works if you look at it that way.

Personally, I can't see where is the fun in trying to link two totally different movies like this, but to each his own.

I don't find it fun to link Begins to the terrible Burton movies either, but to each his own.

Okay so Im bored at work

Reading. It's not only fun, it's fundamental!