10 more comic book movie and TV characters with wasted potential

2. Chiroptophobia

Comic book project: The Dark Knight Trilogy

In case you’re wondering, chiroptophobia is the fear of bats – and nobody does fear quite like the Scarecrow.

As a villain, Scarecrow didn’t really get the respect he deserves until the video game Batman: Arkham Knight. In this game, Scarecrow came closer to defeating Batman than anyone – so much so that he ended up revealing Batman’s identity to the world. During the game, Scarecrow has Batman seeing the Joker. A fear that kept the Dark Knight uneasy throughout. If this can be done in a game, why not in a movie?

That brings us to the character’s live-action appearance. The Scarecrow could have been a perfect main villain in the The Dark Knight Trilogy, especially with Cillian Murphy as the lead antagonist (rather than playing second fiddle to the League of Shadows). Jonathan Crane’s role in Batman Begins could have been so much more if the shackles were taken off. Let him really get into everyone’s fear. They could have even scared the audience a bit.

Furthermore, everything he did in Batman Begins could have happened without Ra’s Al Ghul. Having Scarecrow play second to him made him look weak and undermined the character. Furthermore, in The Dark Knight, he’s running with a crew that’s beneath him and in The Dark Knight Rises, he’s a judge for Bane.

Yes, The Dark Knight trilogy worked out pretty well without a central focus on Scarecrow but it was arguably a waste of a character and Cillian Murphy’s talent. Hopefully he’ll be better represented in future Batman projects.