20 Things You Didn't Know About Batman Begins
5. Ra's Al Ghul Is Based On Osama Bin Laden
The main villain of Batman Begins is the eco-terrorist, Ra's Al Ghul. In the comics, the character was heavily inspired by Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty. Both characters are tactical geniuses who rule criminal empires and rely on decoys and henchmen to do their bidding.
The co-writer, David S. Goyer, chose Ra's as the main antagonist, believing he was the perfect villain to start the Dark Knight trilogy. He is not the typical crazy criminal that Batman faces like the Joker or the Riddler. He sees himself as the hero and truly believes his evil actions will make the world better.
Goyer believed the character would work better if he was modelled off a more modern figure like Osama Bin Laden. In Goyer's own words, "He’s not crazy in the way that all the other Batman villains are. He’s not bent on revenge; he’s actually trying to heal the world. He’s just doing it by very draconian means.’’
Before the release of this film, a lot of people still perceived Batman as goofy due to Batman & Robin. Modelling the main villain off a real terrorist that everyone was familiar with made audience members take the film much more seriously.