Screenwriter David S. Goyer debunks a popular Batman Begins fan theory regarding Ra's al Ghul. In this day and age, where superhero movies are released frequently, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy still stands among the very best comic book films. While it is often 2010's The Dark Knight that gets the most attention, Batman Begins first paved the way for Nolan's more grounded take on the Caped Crusader when it came out in 2005. Batman Begins introduced Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne, as well as his crime-ridden Gotham City, which could easily pass for reality.
Batman Begins serves as Bruce's origin story, tracking the period of time before he becomes Batman and leaves Gotham to train with the League of Shadows. While there, he crosses paths with the League's leader, Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson). When Ra's threatens Gotham, Bruce must take him down before he can do any serious damage. The iconic DC villain dies at the end of Batman Begins, but many fans have long wondered if Ra's comics immortality translated onto the screen, thus allowing him to live. After all, Ra's body is never actually seen; Bruce leaves him to die in Gotham's monorail as it crashes into the ground. The theory suggests Ra's' final moments are meant to suggest he actually survives the crash.
During "The Art of Adaptating Comics to the Screen: David S. Goyer Q&A" panel at Comic-Con@Home, Goyer was asked about whether he intended to convey Ra's' immortality through that final death scene. It turns out that fan theory will just remain a theory, as Goyer firmly debunked the possibility. "I think you’re reading far too into it. Certainly there was never any discussion that Chris or I had about that," he said. He then elaborated by saying:
But if you think about it, it was a fairly realistic approach. I think if you introduce something like the Lazarus Pit into that (I’m not saying you couldn’t tell a cool story with the Lazarus Pit; I think you could), I just don’t think that the Lazarus Pit would’ve gelled with that approach.
Goyer makes a fine point: Having an immortal character in Batman Begins wouldn't have meshed well with the gritty, grounded element of Nolan's trilogy. Nolan based everything within his Dark Knight films in reality, making it seem as though it could easily happen in the real world. Bringing in Ra's' immortality (or even the Lazarus Pit, as Goyer mentioned) would've stretched Nolan's world past the bounds of one's belief.
The final film in the trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, did seem to also reference Ra's' immortality by having him appear to Bruce via hallucination. That might've helped spark the Batman Begins fan theory, though it's clear in The Dark Knight Rises that Ra's is just a figment of Bruce's fevered imagination. While the immortality aspect might've been interesting to touch upon in a film, it's definitely for the best that Batman Begins opted to leave it out. Ra's al Ghul certainly died on that monorail, just as anyone else would have in real life.
Source: The Art of Adaptating Comics to the Screen: David S. Goyer Q&A