7 Superhero Movies With Terrific Plot Twists

1) Batman Begins – Ra’s al Ghul Is Henri Ducard

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins did more than just restore the titular character’s fame after the abomination that was Batman & Robin in 1997. It brought a level of deep storytelling to the persona of Bruce Wayne that had not been explored before in either Burton film. While a lot of this rested on the charismatic performance of Christian Bale, more credit is owed to Nolan and David S. Goyer’s screenplay, which intermixed comic book events with a grounded realism.

That realism was applied to the film’s main villain Ra’s al Ghul who, in the Batman comics, is known for his ability to come back from the dead thanks to the resuscitating powers of the Lazarus Pit. Such a mystical thing would not have fit in the real world that Nolan evidently wanted to create, and so Ghul is killed during a scuffle in the beginning of the movie.

Or so it would seem. In the deconstructed setting of The Dark Knight Trilogy, Ra’s al Ghul was immortal in a way through his name, which was carried generation after generation by various members of the League of Shadows. During a birthday party in the final act of the movie, Wayne’s old trainer Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) reveals himself to not only be the real Ra’s al Ghul, but also behind the whole plot to destroy Gotham City.

It was a moment that added extra tension to an already brilliant narrative, as it showcased how Wayne’s past was tied to the current threat facing his city, and that this would be yet another ghost he’d have to put to rest.