Scarecrow in other media


The Scarecrow, a supervillain in DC Comics and an adversary of the superhero Batman, has been adapted in various forms of media, including films, television series, and video games. The character has been portrayed in film by Cillian Murphy in The Dark Knight Trilogy, and in television by Charlie Tahan and David W. Thompson in the Fox series Gotham, and Vincent Kartheiser in the HBO Max streaming series Titans. Henry Polic II, Jeffrey Combs, Dino Andrade, John Noble, Robert Englund, and others have provided the Scarecrow's voice in animation and video games.

Television

Live-action

Animation

DC Animated Universe

Scarecrow appears in the DC Animated Universe.
  • Scarecrow appears in Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by Henry Polic II. This version is a former psychology professor at Gotham University who was terminated for using students as test subjects for his fear toxin. He becomes the Scarecrow to seek revenge, which brings him into conflict with Batman.
  • Scarecrow appears in The New Batman Adventures, voiced by Jeffrey Combs. He is given a "darker" revamp in both design and personality to make him more "scary". Producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini described Scarecrow's redesign as a "Texas Chainsaw Massacre Leatherface kind of look. It really had nothing to do with being a scarecrow per se, but he was definitely scary He looked like a hanged man who had been cut down and gone off to terrorize people. We weren't even sure if there was an actual guy in the suit." Scarecrow also develops a new toxin that removes fear and causes dangerous recklessness in its subjects.

Film

Live-action

  • In [Batman & Tim Drake|Robin (film)|Batman & Robin], Coolio makes a cameo appearance as a character credited as "Banker", who would have been revealed as Jonathan Crane in the cancelled sequel Batman Unchained.
  • Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow appears in The Dark Knight Trilogy, portrayed by Cillian Murphy. This version wears a burlap sack with a built-in rebreather that doubles as a gas mask for his fear experiments. Murphy explained that the relatively simple mask, as opposed to the full scarecrow costume seen in the comics, was utilized "to avoid the Worzel Gummidge look, because he's not a very physically imposing man—he's more interested in the manipulation of the mind and what that can do".
  • * Introduced in Batman Begins as a corrupt psychopharmacologist and Arkham Asylum's Chief Administrator, Crane secretly creates a fear-inducing hallucinogen and plots to use it with Ra's al Ghul to plunge Gotham City into chaos. Crane exposes mafia boss Carmine Falcone, Batman, and assistant district attorney Rachel Dawes to his fear toxin, though Batman later subdues Crane with his own drug. Despite being institutionalized in Arkham, Crane escapes and takes the name "Scarecrow" amidst a mass breakout during Ra's attack on Gotham. In the film's final scene, it's hinted that Crane is still at large, but Batman vows to bring Gotham back.
  • * In The Dark Knight, Scarecrow is apprehended by Batman while overseeing a drug deal with the Russian mob.
  • * In The Dark Knight Rises, Crane is freed from Blackgate Penitentiary during Bane's takeover of Gotham, and presides over proletarian kangaroo courts wherein he offers Gotham's elite a choice between death and exile.
  • In Vera Drew's satirical 2022 film The People's Joker, Dr. Jonathan Crane, portrayed by Christian Calloway, appears as a figure in the title character's childhood, prescribing her an ineffective and dangerous medication at the behest of her parents.

Animation

Video games

''Lego'' series

''Batman: Arkham''

Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow appears in the Batman: Arkham series. This version wields a mechanical gauntlet with four hypodermic needles laced with his fear toxin.
  • Scarecrow appears in Batman: Arkham Asylum, voiced by Dino Andrade. After being freed during the Joker's takeover of Arkham Island, he exposes Batman to his fear toxin and attempts to infect Gotham City's water supply, only to be attacked and dragged into the sewers by Killer Croc. In a post-credits scene, Scarecrow emerges from the ocean and grabs a floating crate of Titan formula.
  • In Batman: Arkham City, Scarecrow leaves hidden radio frequency broadcasts for Batman that, when decrypted, reveal three messages: "I will return Batman", "You will pay for what you have done to me", and "Fear will tear Gotham City to shreds". A boat in Arkham City's harbor also contains a human test subject for his fear toxin.
  • Scarecrow appears in Batman: Arkham Knight, voiced by John Noble. He allies with the Arkham Knight, unites all of Gotham's criminals, and forces a citywide evacuation by unleashing his new strain of fear toxin on Halloween. Although Batman defeats the Knight and Poison Ivy sacrifices herself to neutralize the toxin's effects, Scarecrow takes Commissioner James Gordon and Robin hostage to force Batman to surrender at the ruins of Arkham Asylum. Scarecrow unmasks Batman as Bruce Wayne on live television before injecting him with fear toxin, but Batman overcomes his fears and subdues Scarecrow with his own drug, after which he is taken into the Gotham City Police Department's custody.
  • Scarecrow appears as a playable character in Batman: Arkham Underworld, voiced again by Dino Andrade.
  • A younger Jonathan Crane appears in Batman: Arkham Shadow, voiced by Elijah Wood. As Blackgate Prison's Director of Rehabilitation, he develops and tests "Project Umbra"—a hallucinogen designed to bring out the psyche's repressed "shadow"—on his patients, including Arnold Wesker and Harvey Dent. Crane fires Dr. Harleen Quinzel when she discovers his crimes, but Batman puts an end to Crane's experiments and exposes him to his own hallucinogen.

Miscellaneous