Batman Returns

The Bat. The Cat. The Penguin.

RELEASED 19 Jun 19922h 6m★ 6.9 TMDB★ Essential pick

The monstrous Penguin, who dwells in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with corrupt mayoral candidate Max Shreck to topple the Batman once and for all. But when Shreck's timid assistant Selina Kyle finds out, and Shreck tries to kill her, she's transformed into the sexy Catwoman. She teams up with the Penguin and Shreck to destroy Batman, but sparks fly unexpectedly when she confronts the caped crusader.

Why it matters in DC

The Penguin and Selina Kyle give the sequel two figures whose relationship with Gotham differs sharply from Bruce Wayne's. Their involvement in the city's power struggles makes identity and exclusion central to the conflict, while Catwoman complicates the boundary between Batman's enemy and counterpart.

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1 title to watch before Batman Returns — 2h 6m in total.

BatmanStory prerequisite2h 6m★ 7.2

Opens the planner with just this title, so you can set your own pace.

How this title is selected

Story prerequisites are curated. Likely prerequisites are inferred from sequel numbering or explicit synopsis references. Recommendations are earlier stories in the same continuity; background picks are separate adaptations. Series lists cover whole shows, not an episode-by-episode watch order.

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Where it fits in the DC universe

Batman Returns is title 2 of 4 in our Classic Batman viewing sequence. Batman Returns follows the 1989 film in the classic Batman sequence, adding the Penguin and Selina Kyle to this Gotham. Batman Forever is the next film in that catalogue run. The Penguin television series and the Catwoman film follow different interpretations, despite sharing character names or connections to Batman.

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