20 Most Epic Character Introductions In Movies

16. Batman - Batman (1989)

Tim Burton's Batman is rightly regarded as one of the most influential blockbusters ever made. As well as huge critical and commercial success, Jack Nicholson's lucrative percentage-based contract and the slew of merchandising tie-ins would change big-budget film-making forever. Fittingly for one of popular culture's most iconic characters, the Caped Crusader himself receives a suitably iconic introduction.

Our first glimpse of Batman comes as two criminals split their takings on a rooftop, and as they discuss rumors of 'The Bat' a silhouette drops ominously from above. Danny Elfman's music swells as we are given the first full glimpse of the character, and he easily dispatches the thugs before disappearing into the night. This brief two-minute scene instantly establishes that Burton's vision is as far away from the 1960s camp of the TV series as it was possible to get, promising a darker and more serious take on the character. As we all know, once Burton left the franchise things rapidly went downhill but Michael Keaton's delivery of the simple line 'I'm Batman' as he holds the terrified criminal over a ledge was an epic way to introduce the character to cinema audiences.
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