Batman Returns

The sequel to the 1989 film Batman, it is the second installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series, and stars Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Michael Murphy, and Vincent Schiavelli. In Batman Returns, Batman faces the Penguin, who plots to kill all of Gotham City's firstborn sons, while dealing with Max Shreck, a corrupt tycoon who allies with the Penguin to bring Gotham City under his control, and Catwoman, who seeks vengeance against Shreck. Burton originally did not want to direct another Batman film. Keaton is also set to reprise the role of Batman in the DC Extended Universe in The Flash and Batgirl , both of which pick up directly from Batman Returns and disregard the events of the two Schumacher films that originally followed it. On Christmas Day, Gotham City socialites Tucker and Esther Cobblepot become the parents of a deformed baby boy, Oswald. Believing that Gotham's high society would not welcome their baby due to his appearance and wild demeanor, the Cobblepots confine Oswald to a cage and ultimately throw him into the sewer, where he is discovered by a family of penguins underneath the Gotham Zoo. Thirty-three years later, millionaire and philanthropist Max Shreck proposes to build a power plant to supply Gotham with energy, though he is opposed by the mayor. Though Gotham's vigilante protector Batman intervenes and manages to fight the criminals off, Shreck is abducted and taken to the sewer, where he meets the gang's secret leader, Oswald himself, now going by the name "Penguin". Meanwhile, Shreck's secretary, Selina Kyle, discovers that the power plant is actually meant to drain Gotham of its energy, which will bring the city under Shreck's control, after which Shreck will essentially be untouchable by the authorities. Shreck pushes her out of a window attempting to kill her, but she survives the fall when a group of cats unintentionally revive her and vows revenge, taking up the mantle of Catwoman. Oswald makes his presence known by rescuing the mayor's baby from a staged kidnapping attempt, and requests to be allowed into the Hall of Records to find his parents. Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, voices his suspicions about Oswald's true motives, and investigates his background and connection to the Red Triangle Gang, discovering that the troupe had been shut down years ago due to children going missing during their performances and the disappearance of one specific member before interrogation, whom Bruce suspects to be Oswald. During a meeting with Shreck to voice his own opposition to the power plant, Bruce meets Selina and the two become attracted to one another. In order to remove his enemies, Shreck pushes for Oswald to run for mayor and discredit the current mayor by having the Red Triangle Gang wreak havoc on the city.