The Batman: The Real Life Inspiration Behind Arkham Explained

The Batman‘s Arkham State Hospital, where an intriguing interaction ensues between The Riddler and an “Unnamed Arkham Prisoner,” first appeared in Batman #258 (October 1974) and was inspired by a real-life psychiatric hospital. This setting becomes one of the most memorable locations of the movie, as what begins as a heated altercation between The Riddler and Batman soon leads to a chilling alliance between Paul Dano’s character and a mysterious rictus-grinned prisoner, hinted as The Joker. The behind-the-bars banter between these villains adds little heft to The Batman‘s overarching storyline, however, it does leave a lot of room for speculation and also foreshadows potential developments in director Matt Reeves’ Batman universe.

As Reeves assured fans in an interview (via IGN), the Joker cameo in The Batman does not promise the infamous villain’s appearance in future films. It only portrays that “what you’re seeing, is an early days version of this character, and trouble, as always, is brewing in Gotham.” Considering Arkham’s history in the Batman comics and its fleeting appearances in other DCEU films, as well as various other media, the hospital is indeed a brewing pot for Gotham’s evil and madness. This new depiction of Arkham perfectly captures DC’s brand of melancholic superhero psychodrama, and it’s likely fans haven’t seen the last of it in this universe. The Batman explores a bit of Arkham’s familial history, and Reeves has also confirmed (via the Toronto Sun) that he is working on “another series that connects to Arkham” with HBO Max, in addition to the already confirmed spinoff series featuring Colin Farrell’s Penguin.

DC’s Arkham is unique in and of itself, but it draws its inspiration from an eponymous city prevalent in H.P Lovecraft’s mythos. As Lovecraft described it himself (via An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia),  “[my] mental picture of Arkham is of a town something like Salem in atmosphere [and] style of houses, but more hilly [and] with a college (which Salem [lacks]) …” Lovecraft’s apocryphal analog of Salem city first appeared in his short story The Picture in the House, and its harrowing Arkham Sanitarium, which inspired DC’s Arkham Asylum, is mentioned in The Thing on the Doorstep.

Lovecraft’s inspirations behind Arkham Sanitarium harken further back in time. The author was allegedly inspired by the gothic style and dark history of the Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts. Although initially built to provide treatment and care to people with mental health issues, the hospital later reportedly used inhumane treatments such as lobotomies and shock therapy to deal with its growing inpatient population. Given the hospital’s grim history and reputation, it isn’t surprising that it not only inspired Lovecraft and Batman’s Arkham but has also been featured in other mediums of pop culture. For instance, it was the setting for the horror film Session 9, and episode 6 of the podcast Lore, titled “Echoes,” is also dedicated to it.

Superman’s origins have biblical references while Wonder Woman has a mythology-rich genesis narrative. In contrast, Batman has one of the most humane and relatable superhero origin stories. The Batman uses this as a narrative device and portrays how the Dark Knight carries the weight of his childhood trauma and becomes “the vengeance.” Perhaps it’s this tinge of reality in his origins that makes him such an admirable figure, despite the grey elements in his characterization. Similarly, it’s Arkham’s stranger-than-fiction, real-life inspirations that make it an incredibly fascinating and spine-tingling setup for The Batman‘s greatest villains. Thankfully, there’ll be more of Arkham—and its nefarious criminals—in DC’s upcoming projects.

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