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Where Is the 'Batman Begins' Cast Now?

Published 10 hours ago8 minute read

It's been 20 years since Christian Bale first donned the cape and cowl in Batman Begins.

The 2005 action blockbuster kicked off a new era in superhero movies and revived the Batman character after 1997's comically campy Batman & Robin.

Batman Begins was brought to life by acclaimed director Christopher Nolan, and it would be the first installment in his Dark Knight trilogy, which would go on to include The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

The gritty and realistic take on the iconic DC superhero brought a whole new cast into the grimy world of Gotham City, as they showed new layers and dimensions of the comic book characters.

In a July 2022 interview with The Washington Post, Bale recalled how he was originally met with laughter when describing Batman Begins during the early days.

"I would [tell people] we're going to sort of do Batman, but take him seriously," said the actor. "I had tons of people laugh at me and just say, 'Well, that's just not going to work at all.' "

"It's wonderful to be a part of a trilogy that proved those people wrong," he continued. "I'm not certain if it kickstarted [the Marvel Cinematic Universe] but it certainly helped along the way."

To mark 20 years since the Batman Begins flew into theaters on June 15, 2005, here's what the cast has been up to since the film's release.

Christian Bale in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Christian Bale attends Together California's Foster Care Center Ground Breaking event on February 07, 2024 in Palmdale, California.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; Robin L Marshall/Getty

Christian Bale played Bruce Wayne, and his superhero alter-ego, Batman.

He returned to play the Caped Crusader in the two follow-ups, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Bale reunited with Nolan for some magic mischief in 2006's The Prestige.

Bale fought Batman villains, but he also battled Skynet in 2009's Terminator Salvation. Two years later, he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in David O. Russell's The Fighter.

Most recently, he was a voice in Hayao Miyazaki's 2023 Oscar-winning animated epic, The Boy and the Heron, and he is currently filming the John Madden biopic, Madden, with Nicolas Cage.

Bale married Sibi Bale (née Blazic), when the two eloped in Las Vegas in 2000. They later welcomed two kids, a daughter and son.

Michael Caine in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Sir Michael Caine attends the BFI Chairman's dinner on February 14, 2024 in London, England.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; Dave Benett/Getty

Michael Caine portrayed Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler and legal guardian, in all three installments of The Dark Knight trilogy.

Caine became a frequent collaborator with Nolan, not only acting in the Batman movies, but also in The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk and Tenet.

During an October 2023 interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today show, Caine announced his retirement from acting, following the release of his film, The Great Escaper.

"I've figured, I've had a picture where I've played the lead and it's got incredible reviews. The only parts I’m likely to get now are old men,” he continued. “And I thought, well I might as well leave with all this — what have I got to do to beat this?”

Since 1973, the Alfie actor has been married to Shakira Caine (née Baksh). That same year the couple welcomed a daughter. He also has another child, from his first marriage, to Patricia Bailey.

Liam Neeson in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Liam Neeson attends the Spirit Of Ireland Gala on November 17, 2023 in New York City.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; Michael Loccisano/Getty

Liam Neeson kept Bruce Wayne on his toes as Henri Ducard, who was revealed to be Batman's mysterious foe, Ra's al Ghul.

Since trying to set Gotham City ablaze in Batman Begins, Neeson has become an action hero in his own right. He has starred in the three Taken movies, as well as Unknown, The Grey and Non-Stop — just to name a few.

Neeson has also flexed his comedic muscles in movies like A Million Ways to Die in the West, The Lego Movie, Ted 2 and the upcoming reboot of The Naked Gun.

In July 1994, Neeson married Natasha Richardson. The couple were together until the actress' death on March 18, 2009, following a traumatic brain injury she suffered while skiing. They welcomed two sons together.

Katie Holmes in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Katie Holmes attends The 78th Annual Tony Awards on June 08, 2025 in New York City.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Katie Holmes played Rachel Dawes, Bruce Wayne's childhood friend, who was there when he first discovered the Batcave.

Since befriending Batman, Holmes has had roles in Mad Money, Ray Donovan, and played Jackie Kennedy in 2011's The Kennedys TV mini-series and the 2017 sequel, The Kennedys After Camelot.

She has also directed two movies, All We Had and Alone Together. Outside of film and television, Holmes was part of the Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder's Our Town. The celebrated production ran from October 2024 to January 2025.

From 2006 to 2012, Holmes was married to Tom Cruise. They share one child, Suri.

Gary Oldman in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Gary Oldman attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 05, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; Amy Sussman/Getty

Gary Oldman played police officer James "Jim" Gordon, who like Batman, is trying to keep Gotham City's streets safe.

In addition to returning for the next two entries in The Dark Knight trilogy, Oldman reunited with Nolan a few times, playing President Harry Truman in 2023's blockbuster biopic, Oppenheimer.

Oldman also starred in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and since 2022, he has played Jackson Lamb in the Apple TV+ espionage series Slow Horses.

In 2018, he took home the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

Oldman has been married five times, and he has three children. He wed his current wife, Gisele Schmidt, in August 2017.

Cillian Murphy in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Cillian Murphy attends the 96th Oscars Nominees Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton on February 12, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; JC Olivera/Getty

Cillian Murphy played Dr. Jonathan Crane, who is also known as the frightening Scarecrow.

Murphy is a frequent collaborator with Nolan, appearing in The Dark Knight movies, as well as Inception, Dunkirk and Oppenheimer, for which he won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Actor.

From 2013 to 2022, Murphy starred in Peaky Blinders for six seasons. He will be reprising his role of Tommy Shelby for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, The Immortal Man.

In 2004, Murphy married Yvonne McGuinness, a classically trained visual artist. The pair have two sons.

Tom Wilkinson in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Tom Wilkinson attends the "Belgravia" photocall on February 17, 2020 in London, England.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; Mike Marsland/WireImag

Tom Wilkinson portrayed crime lord Carmine Falcone.

Following his time in Gotham City, Wilkinson starred in a variety of critically acclaimed movies like Michael Clayton, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Belle, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Selma.

Wilkinson died at his home in London on Dec. 30, 2023, at the age of 75. His final role was in the 2023 television series, The Full Monty, playing Gerald, the role he originated in the 1997 movie.

Wilkinson is survived by his wife, fellow actor Diana Hardcastle, and their two kids.

Morgan Freeman in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Morgan Freeman attends the "The Shawshank Redemption" screening on April 20, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; Presley Ann/Getty

Morgan Freeman portrayed Lucius Fox, Bruce Wayne's close confidant who supplies him with gadgets and tech for Batman to use.

After playing Lucius in Batman Begins, Freeman reprised his role of God in Evan Almighty, and appeared in The Bucket List, Invictus, Red and Lucy.

The actor continued his action streak with the Has Fallen trilogy: Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen.

Freeman also played Thaddeus Bradley in Now You See Me, Now You See Me 2 and will reprise his role in the upcoming third film, Now You See Me: Now You Don't.

Ken Watanabe in 'Batman Begins' (2005) ; Ken Watanabe attends the "Tokyo Vice" season 2 premiere on February 07, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection ; Paras Griffin/Getty

Ken Watanabe played a decoy, someone pretending to be Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins.

Following his turn in the superhero origin film, Watanabe starred in Letters From Iwo Jima, Inception, Godzilla, Isle of Dogs, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu and The Creator.

The Oscar-nominated actor was also one of the stars of the Max original series, Tokyo Vice, which ran from 2022 to 2024.

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