Scarecrow (Nolanverse)

"There is nothing to fear...but FEAR ITSELF!"

- Scarecrow to Rachel Dawes.

Scarecrow, AKA, Jonathan Crane is the secondary antagonist in Batman Begins. In the film, Dr. Jonathan Crane is the chief administrator at Arkham Asylum and is secretly working with both Ra's al Ghul and mob boss Carmine Falcone, who brings shipments of drugs in for Crane to use to create his fear toxin. He also made an appearance as a minor antagonist in The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. He was advertised as the main antagonist of Batman Begins, though it was part of a misinformation campaign to hide the true main villain.

He was portrayed by Irish actor Cillian Murphy.

Working with Ra's al Ghul
"Would you like to see my "Mask?""

- Crane, revealing his true identity

In order to maintain Falcone's participation, Crane has Falcone's thugs, including Victor Zsasz, declared insane and moved into Arkham Asylum, rather than facing criminal charges, which Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes finds highly suspicious.

Later in the film, after Falcone is captured by Batman and imprisoned in the Blackgate Penitentiary, he slits his wrists in order to get an insanity plea. When Crane is summoned to inspect him, Falcone attempts to blackmail him into letting him in on his and Ra's al Ghul's plan. Instead, Crane puts on his Scarecrow mask and gasses Falcone with his fear toxin, leaving him in a state of psychosis and having him moved to Arkham Asylum on suicide watch.

When Rachel hears about Falcone being moved to Arkham, she is once again suspicious. She personally goes down to Arkham to meet with Crane, believing Crane himself to be the one responsible for Falcone's condition. She informs Crane that she has arranged for a doctor from County General to have their own evaluation of Falcone that same night and to be on the Judge's desk by the next day. Crane takes Rachel down to the basement level and shows her where his fear toxin is created. Frightened, Rachel attempts to escape, but Scarecrow catches up with her and gasses her with a consecrated dose of his toxin. However, before he can continue experimenting on her, Batman arrives and battles Scarecrow, eventually gassing him with his own toxin and learning that he was working for Ra's al Ghul. Crane was eventually put in a straitjacket and imprisoned with Arkham himself.

Near the end of the film, when Ra's al Ghul's men release the Arkham Asylum inmates, Scarecrow is freed as well, and when the fear toxin is mass-released into the air by Ra's, he is encountered on horseback by Rachel and a young boy as a demonic looking rider. However, he is chased away after Rachel uses a taser on him. This is the last time Scarecrow is seen in the film.

Selling his Fear Toxins
''"Buyer beware, I said my compound would take you places. I never said they would be places you wanted to go."

- Scarecrow in The Dark Knight  Scarecrow briefly appears at the beginning of The Dark Knight'', having still been on the run after being released in the previous movie. Before Batman focuses on battling against the chaotic anarchist Joker, he learns that Scarecrow attempts to sell his fear toxin to The Chechen, a crime boss operating in Gotham and also an ally of Joker's, but he is interrupted by a group of Batman impersonators. Scarecrow could immediately tell that those weren't the real Batman because they had guns (something which the real Batman doesn't use). Eventually, Scarecrow spotted the real Batman. In the chaos, Scarecrow attempts to escape in a van. However, the real Batman catches up to him and successfully captures him, via dropping on the van.

Bane Incident
''"Death or Exile?"  ''

In The Dark Knight Rises, following Bane's launching of Gotham City into anarchy, Dr. Crane serves as a judge for mock trials against the rich and powerful of Gotham City's citizens, usually offering the options death or exile, which both lead to the victims dying. Scarecrow's ultimate fate is unknown, but it is assumed that he was returned to Arkham Asylum.

Trivia

 * Scarecrow is one of two main villains in the Dark Knight series who doesn't die, the other being the Joker.
 * Scarecrow is the only villain that appears in all three Christopher Nolan Batman films (as well as one of five characters that appeared in every film as well, the others being Batman/Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox and Commissioner Gordon).
 * Scarecrow is portrayed by Irish actor Cillian Murphy.