Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman)

"You like strong women. I've done my homework. Or do I need skin-tight vinyl and a whip?"

- Dr. Chase Meridian to Batman

Dr. Chase Meridian was a psychologist who moved to Gotham City. Chase became a love interest of Bruce Wayne / Batman.

Batman Forever
Dr. Chase Meridian, was a psychologist who worked with the GCPD. Chase was at the Second Bank of Gotham and worked with Commissioner James Gordon, who tried to apprehend Two-Face, who was robbing the bank. After he killed several bank guards, Two-Face took one hostage. Batman arrived and Chase was immediately impressed by him; it was clear that she was attracted to him. It was revealed that Chase was a specialist in multiple personality disorders, which was why she was there. Batman informed Chase that he had read her work, which led him to believe that she was naive. She was flattered to hear that he read her work and flirted with him, while she also showed him that she was on par with his level of intellect. After Batman rescued the captive security guard and returned the vault to its original position, Chase was disappointed to find that he didn't return with it.

Later, while checking out a department of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce noticed the Batsignal, so he rushed out of the department to go find out what Gordon had to tell him. When Batman arrived, Gordon wasn't there, but Chase came out of the shadows to greet him, and wore a short black dress. She was clearly trying to seduce Batman, but covered that by telling him that she had spotted Two-Face's Achilles heel - his coin. Chase made it known that she was attracted to Batman, but he told her that the Batsignal was in case of emergencies, and was not a beeper. She flirted with him again, and stated how she was always attracted to the wrong sort of man. She was very persistent, claimed that Batman had liked strong women. and had even dressed in a revealing dress. The two got very close and nearly kissed when Gordon arrived, asked what was happening, and Batman claimed it was a false alarm and then fled down into the Batmobile.

Bruce pursues Chase
Bruce Wayne visited Chase at her home. When he arrived, Bruce heard grunts and punching, so he broke the door down and thought that Chase was in distress. But then he realized that she was actually punching a punch bag. Bruce went there to show Chase the riddles, that were left by an anonymous sender, and hoped that she could psycho-analyze them and the type of person that would send them. Chase told Bruce that the sender was obsessed with him and that he may continue to be obsessed until that which he was obsessed with was dead (she even suggested that the sender might attempt to kill him himself in order to end his obsession). In her apartment, there were a lot of psychological items such as an ink blot which the patient has to say what they see (Bruce saw a bat), and a doll which was meant to keep bad dreams away. Bruce then invited Chase to the Gotham Charity Circus, an invite that she accepted.

The couple sat in the crowd and enjoyed the circus. Bruce invited her to go rock climbing with him. Although tempted, as she herself had a love for climbing, Chase declined, and stated that she had met someone (Batman). Two-Face then disrupted the circus, and announced that he would blow it up if Batman didn't reveal himself. Bruce tried to tell Two-Face, but his voice was drowned out by the screaming crowd, so he left to take out some of Two-Face's Thugs. Chase remained in the crowd and watched the commotion as Two-Face killed three of the four Flying Graysons, an action which shocked the audience.

Bruce returned to Chase's Apartment, where she gave him the doll which dispelled bad dreams. Bruce revealed to Chase that he was having sketchy visions about his parents' deaths. She told him that what he was experiencing were repressed memories. The kettle boiled, and Chase left the room. While Chase was gone, Bruce discovered a folder that was full of articles about Batman and commented to her when she returned that this seemed to go way beyond taking work home. Chase admitted that she found Batman fascinating - clinically. She questioned why a man would do that, and theorized that he was cursed to pay some great penance, as if he had committed a crime for which he must endure a "life of nightly torture". Bruce suggested that her interest went beyond professional, and she asked if he was jealous. The pair got intimate and shared their first kiss when Alfred Pennyworth contacted Bruce to inform him that Dick Grayson had stolen the Batmobile, and Bruce had to leave again.

A day or so passed and Bruce took Chase to Edward Nygma's gala unveiling of his new and improved "The Box". Edward was taken with Chase's beauty, stated "and a grand pursuit you must be" after he heard her name, and then kissed her hand. Nygma revealed his new invention and everyone, including Chase, was impressed except for Bruce, who Nygma deemed was too timid to try it out. To make Bruce jealous, Edward danced with Chase and watched as Bruce took the bait and entered the Box. Two-Face gatecrashed the unveiling and Chase was left to observe the commotion until one of Two-Face's Thugs grabbed her by the throat. Batman rescued her, they shared their first kiss, and she told him to meet her at her place at midnight before he left. He met her there. Chase was wrapped only in a bed-sheet and kissed him before she stopped in disbelief - she told him that she had fantasized about him so much, but now that she had him, she wished that he was someone else. Batman walked away, secretly grinned to himself, and knew that she meant himself as Bruce.

The Riddler's Prisoner
On Halloween Night, Chase arrived at Wayne Manor to spend time with Bruce. She revealed to Bruce that she had always been attracted to the wrong sort of man, but since she had met him, she had changed. Chase then accidentally knocked over a vase that contained two roses to the floor; that triggered a repressed memory for Bruce. He told her about his memory, and about how he fell into the cave that later became the Batcave, and encountered a bat that changed his life forever. Bruce was about to reveal his secret when he and Chase kissed, and Chase realized that Batman and Bruce Wayne were one and the same. The Riddler and Two-Face infiltrated Wayne Manor and Two-Face's Thugs chased Bruce and Chase. Two-Face shot at Bruce, but it grazed him in the head and knocked him out rather than killed him. Two-Face was about to kill Bruce, but Riddler stopped him, and left a riddle behind instead. Two-Face's Thugs grabbed Chase and the Riddler and Two-Face took her captive. At the Riddler's Lair, he had Chase chained up on a sofa where he told her that it was his plan to use her as bait in order to lure Batman to him. Batman and Robin traveled to Claw Island to rescue Chase when Robin was captured by Two-Face. Batman infiltrated Claw Island where Riddler revealed Chase and Robin, who were bound and gagged with duct tape, and were suspended in the air in tubes above a pit of water and metal spikes. Riddler told Batman he would have to save one of them. But Batman distracted the Riddler and destroyed his mind control device, which warped Riddler's mind in the process. Before he collapsed, Riddler pressed a button which dropped Chase and Robin to what should have been their watery graves, but Batman saved them both by using his bat grapples, then defeated Two-Face as well. Riddler was taken to Arkham Asylum and was declared insane.

Dr. Burton called Chase, and asked her to come to Arkham where Nygma claimed that he knew who Batman really was. When asked who, Riddler told her that he was Batman. Outside Arkham, Chase met with Bruce and told him that his secret was safe. He gave her dream doll back and they kissed. She then got in the car with Alfred as Batman and Robin went out to patrol Gotham City.

Behind the Scenes
Chase Meridian was a love interest for Bruce Wayne / Batman, who was created specifically for Batman Forever. Her name was a triple pun. Not only did she chase after Batman, but, as a psychologist, was involved in chasing the meridian--in other words, chasing after the halfway point in human beings, one that is neither too high or too low (i.e. bringing balance to human lives). She also chased after the halfway point between Bruce Wayne and Batman, and tried to reconcile her love for both sides of the same man. Rene Russo was initially cast in that role, while Michael Keaton was still attached to the film. When Keaton was replaced by Val Kilmer, the filmmakers decided to replace Russo with Nicole Kidman. Prior to filming, Robin Wright, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Linda Hamilton were also connected with the role of Chase before Kidman was cast.