5) The Joker And Various Henchmen – Batman/Batman Returns
One time when the Dark Knight definitely kills the Joker is in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie. In contrast to the comics of the time, Michael Keaton’s Batman isn’t afraid to kill when necessary, or when he just plain feels like it. In that way, this Batman is a pretty faithful version of the Golden Age character.
At the big climax in Gotham Cathedral, Batman casually kicks the Joker’s henchman back down the storeys-tall stairway to their deaths. Then, when the Joker himself is escaping on his helicopter, Batman catches his leg with a batarang and pulls him down, thereby meeting a messy end on the pavement below.
This is a surprising development, but it does sort of fit with the reinvented storyline of the movie, in which Batman wants revenge on Joker for killing his parents. What’s really shocking though is this moment from the following movie, 1992’s Batman Returns.Â
When Penguin’s henchmen are terrorizing Gotham, one clown-faced crook is planning on setting off a bomb. Batman catches him but, instead of switching the device off, he presses the bomb into the henchman’s chest and pushes him off the bridge. He then stalks off into the night as the poor guy gets blown to smithereens. Oh, and I forgot the creepiest part. Batman smiles at him as he sends him to his death. Are we sure this isn’t Joker in disguise?
