5 Ways Monkey Man Mirrors Batman Begins (& 5 Ways It Differs)

The following contains spoilers for Monkey Man, now playing in theaters. It also contains a mention of sexual assault.

Dev Patel’s Monkey Man is very much a story about revenge. In addition to directing, Patel also plays Kid, a young man in India seeking retribution against the elites for murdering his village. It has that superhero edge to it, but with a lot more nuance — a feat that many action movies struggle with in execution. There is a lot of heart in this tale.

Though Patel describes Monkey Man as being like Superman, the story itself is closer to Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. There are many parallels between Kid and Bruce Wayne’s character developments and motivations. Namely, their character arcs share the same theme of revenge after someone’s loved ones are ripped away mercilessly. Their storylines also differ in very significant ways.

Similar: Monkey Man and Batman Are About Avenging Parents

Like with most Batman stories, Batman Begins dealt with the grief and trauma of Bruce Wayne seeing his parents die. The boy watched Joe Chill shoot his parents and flee, nodding to the DC source material. This broke him and pushed him down a dark path.

Monkey Man’s Kid hides in his home as a boy, watching the sinister cop, Rana, try to rape his mother. Rana ends up murdering her and then burning the village down. Kid escapes and spends the next few years training for vengeance like an Indian John Wick.

Different: Kid Isn’t Rich Like Bruce Wayne

Bruce had Wayne Industries and a technological empire to help his war on crime. He used Alfred to help build his lairs, and his fortune allowed Lucius Fox to build Bat-suits, weapons and vehicles. Bruce also used his connections to infiltrate the political world and spy on elites as an inside man.

Monkey Man’s Kid doesn’t have money. He hustles cash by throwing cage fights. He does have underground thieves helping him acquire elements for bartering. He uses this network to get into Queenie’s brothel and inch closer to Rana. His financial status makes his job tougher, as he doesn’t have money to help recuperate the way Bruce did.

Similar: Batman and Monkey Man Wear Symbolic Masks

Bruce embraced the mask of the Bat because it helped him overcome his fear. He wanted to turn it into a symbol, making enemies fear what he did on his family’s estate. This empowered him as the Caped Crusader and transformed him into a creature of the night who seeded terror across Gotham.

Monkey Man’s Kid uses a mask, too. His is a monkey mask, which he uses not out of fear, but out of love. He is motivated by the Hindu god, Hanuman, whom he and his mother drew strength from when they prayed together years ago. However, it does inflict fear when facing Rana’s man, as well as fighters in the cage.

Different: Monkey Man’s Mentor Isn’t Evil

Batman’s mentor was Liam Neeson’s Ducard. He turned out to be Ra’s al Ghul, manipulating people like Bruce into joining the League of Shadows, his terrorist network. The League of Shadows was meant to destroy whole societies that got too out of control and threw the world out of balance. Per Ra’s al Ghul’s reasoning, the League of Shadows exists to restore that balance.

Kid’s mentor is Alpha, the leader of Monkey Man’s Hijra. They are a third-gender community who believe in spirituality and love. Alpha educates Kid about controlling his rage and being more focused during battle. The group helps him fight off the elites in the end, affirming they are inspired by his cause for personal peace.

Similar: Batman and Monkey Man Hate White Collar Crime

Batman Begins had Bruce Wayne despising how cops, judges and people in influential positions used Gotham as their treasury. Bruce wanted to end white collar crime and shifty legislation as soon as possible. This is why he also kept close to the wealthy elite, eager to stop them from trafficking guns and drugs to at-risk communities.

Monkey Man’s Kid abhors white collar crime and corruption the same way. Just like Bruce saw the wealthy people making shady deals in Carmine Falcone’s bar, Kid watches these figures broker deals in Queenie’s establishment. Kid even tells his friend, Alphonso, that white collar crime has to be curbed, so there won’t be overlords to hire the likes of Rana and harm marginalized communities.

Different: Monkey Man’s Commissioner Is a Lot More Vile

Batman Begins was also the origin of Jim Gordon. It set him up to become Commissioner, sticking closely to the hero from the comics. Gary Oldman did a great job of showing how selfless an ally Gordon could be in Batman’s crusade.

Kid’s story shapes Rana as its Commissioner, but he is a lot more evil. He is owned by Baba, a religious leader who controls the ruling political party of India. Rana is Baba’s enforcer, hiring cops for their wicked empire. He isn’t like Gordon, who hopes to find allies to help Batman.

Similar: Batman and Monkey Take Hallucinogens to Heal

Bruce Wayne used a compound of a flower that helped him hallucinate and face his fears. Once he passed this trial with the League, he was deemed worthy of combat. This compound would be used by Scarecrow later for his fear toxin.

Kid uses a gas as well when he goes on a psychedelic trip to pave the way for Monkey Man’s ending. Baba makes it from special flowers and leaves, allowing him to inhale and endure a psychosomatic journey. Kid gets over his fears of reliving his mother’s death. This frees him up to become a better fighter.

Different: Bruce Wayne and Kid Have Opposing Codes

Once Bruce decided to change the world, he made it clear he wouldn’t kill, which stuck to Batman’s policy from the comics. This drove a wedge between him and Ra’s in the beginning. It’s what Batman would carry on and use in the trilogy.

Monkey Man’s Kid is at the other end of the spectrum: his code allows him to kill. Hanuman did so against demons like Ravana, so Kid wants to remove all the poison in society. He isn’t taking chances and allowing monsters to live the way Batman does with Joker.

Same: Monkey Man Has His Own Version of the Batmobile

Batman’s Batmobile is iconic. Nolan designed the Tumbler, which was more of a superfast tank. It could do everything from drive on top of cars as a means of bypassing traffic to driving on rooftops. The driver’s side of the Tumbler could even detach to become a motorcycle.

Kid’s Monkey Man Universe is grounded and not full of fancy technology. But Alphonso does soup-up a tuk-tuk a la Fast & Furious. Kid uses it once to flee from Rana’s men after he botches killing the cop. This leads to a crash, with Kid falling in a river and the Hijra finding him.

Different: Kid Became a Thief For Selfish Reasons

Bruce became a thief and criminal in Nolan’s Batman Begins to learn more about the mind of villains. This would inform his revenge quest. It brought Bruce to Ra’s al Ghul, who saw a rough diamond that needed polishing. Kid, by contrast, becomes a criminal after growing up an orphan.

Kid ends up saving cash to buy a gun to kill Rana. He also buys drugs to use later on to take out Rana’s thugs and boss. At no point does Kid ever hate being a criminal because he knows his kind are pariahs that society cast aside. It is understandable, however, as self-preservation comes first. Not just for Baba and Co., but for feeding himself as a child.

Monkey Man is now playing in theaters.