Arkham Asylum (The Batman film)

Arkham Asylum
General Information
Official name:	Arkham State Hospital
First Appearance:	The Batman
Country:	United States of America
Locale:	Gotham City

Arkham State Hospital (sometimes referred to as Arkham Asylum) was a prison and mental health institution located near Gotham. It was often used to incarcerate criminals, most notably Edward Nashton and an unnamed prisoner.

History

Arkham State Hospital was founded by Amadeus Arkham and previously run by the Arkham family. One of its family members, Martha, had briefly admitted to the Hospital due to her struggles with mental health. These were covered up by the family and husband Thomas Wayne to avoid a scandal. Another known inmate was the mother of Edward Nashton, who'd apparently committed suicide whilst receiving treatment at the hospital.

Inside Arkham

By Batman's second year, Arkham was often used to hold dangerous criminals. One such inmate was the Joker, an serial killer who's identity was unknown. Despite its continued usage and due to lack of funding, Arkham served as a tourist attraction with guided tours made of the older parts of the building. However, most of these remained out of secure parts of the building such as the Maximum Security Ward.

Edward Nashton/The Riddler was imprisoned at Arkham after his capture by the Gotham City Police Department. Unknown to most, the serial killer had actually planned his capture and imprisonment at the hospital to avoid an upcoming catastrophe he'd set into motion. Nashton also called Batman to Arkham so he could remain safe, though the vigilante left to instead investigate his plans and stop his planned assassination Bella Reál.

Known Patients

• Martha Arkham
• "The Joker"
• Edward Nashton / The Riddler
• Edward Nashton's mother

Behind the Scenes

Like another version of Arkham, this version is never officially referred to as an "Asylum", due to changed attitudes to mental health and treatment. Unlike other versions, Arkham's exterior is never shown on screen during the film. Arkham also briefly appears in Before the Batman, though is referred to as the traditional "Arkham Asylum". The institution is also referred to as such in The Riddler: Year One.

Arkham also features in a deleted scene where Batman visits the unnamed prisoner to provide insight into the Riddler's psychology. The scene was heavily based on scenes between Batman and Calendar Man in The Long Halloween, which were inspired by interrogation scenes from The Silence of the Lambs. The scene was cut due when director Matt Reeves decided that it relayed Riddler's intentions earlier than they needed and due to runtime concerns.

Initially, Arkham was serve as the main setting of an Arkham limited series. The series is said to explore both its past and the backstory of people at the hospital. After changing focus to the DC Universe, the series was cancelled in July 2024.