| Chase Meridian | |
 | |
| Alias(es) | Dr. Meridian |
| Appeared in | Batman Forever |
| Status | Alive |
| Actor | Nicole Kidman |
Dr. Chase Meridian is a former love interest of Bruce Wayne. She starts off obsessed with Batman, but then falls for Bruce. When Edward Nygma/Riddler and Harvey Dent/Two-Face discover that Bruce is Batman, she is kidnapped and used as bait to lure him to their lair. He rescues her and she keeps his identity as Batman a secret.
Biography[]
Batman Forever[]
Chase is a psychologist working with the Gotham City police, was at the Second Bank of Gotham working with Commissioner Gordon, who was trying to apprehend Two-Face, who was robbing the bank. Batman arrived and Chase was immediately impressed by him, it was clear that she was attracted to him. It was revealed that she was a specialist in Multiple personality disorders which is why she was there. Batman informed her that he read her work, which lead him to believe that she is naive. She was flattered to hear that he read her work and flirted with him aswell as showing him that she was at par with his level of intellect. After Batman rescued the captive Guard and returned the vault to its original position, Chase was disappointed to find that Batman didn't return with it.
Later, whilst checking out a department of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce noticed the Bat-Signal so rushed out of the department to go find out what Commissioner Gordon had to tell him. When he arrived, Gordon wasn't there, but Chase came out of the shadows to greet him, wearing a short black dress, she clearly was trying to seduce Batman, but covered this by telling him that she had spotted Two-Face's achilles heel - his coin. She made it known that she was attracted to Batman, but he told her that the Bat-Signal was in case of emergencies, not a beeper. She flirted with him again stating how she was always attracted to the wrong sort of man. She was very persistant claiming that Batman liked strong women, the two got very close and nearly kissed, when Gordon arrived asking what was happening, Batman claimed it was a false alarm and fled.
Bruce Wayne visited Chase at her home. When he arrived, he heard grunts and punching so broke the door down thinking Chase was in distress, but then he saw her boxing a punch bag. He went there to show her the riddles, left by an anonymous sender, hoping she could psycho-analyse them and the type of person that would send them. She told Bruce that the sender was obsessed with him and that he may continue to be obsessed until that which he is obsessed with is dead. In her apartment, there were a lot of psychological items such as an ink blot which the patient has to say what they see (Bruce saw a bat) and a doll which was meant to keep bad dreams away. Bruce then invited her to the Gotham Charity Circus, an invite that she accepted.
The couple sat in the crowd enjoying the circus, Bruce invited her rock climbing, but she declined stating that she had met someone (meaning Batman). Two-Face then disrupted the circus, announcing that he would blow it up if Batman didn't reveal himself. Bruce tried to tell him, but his voice was drowned out by screaming crowds, so he left to take out some thugs, Chase remained in the crowd and watched the commotion. Two-Face killed three of the four Flying Graysons an action which shocked the audience.
Bruce returned to Chase's apartment where she gave him the doll which dispells bad dreams. Bruce revealed to Chase that he was having sketchy visions about his parents' death. She explained that what he was experiencing were repressed memories. The kettle boiled, so Chase left the room. While Chase was gone, Bruce discovers a folder full of articles about Batman and she admitted that she found Batman fascinating - psychologically. The pair got intimate and shared their first kiss when Alfred contacted Bruce to inform him that Dick Grayson had stolen the Batmobile and again Bruce had to leave.
A day or so passed and Bruce took Chase to Edward Nygma's gala unveiling of his new and improved "Box". Edward flirted with Chase stating "and a grand pursuit you must be". after hearing her name. Nygma revealed his new invention and everyone, including Chase, was impressed except for Bruce, who Nygma deemed too timid to try the Box out. To make Bruce jealous Edward danced with Chase and watched as Bruce took the bait and entered the Box. Two-Face gatecrashed the unveiling and Chase was left to observe the commotion until one of Two-Face's cronies grabbed her around the throat. Batman rescued her, she kissed him and told him to meet her at her place at midnight then he left. He met her where, wrapped only in a bedsheet, she told him she was in love with someone else. Batman walked away and grinned knowing she meant himself as Bruce.
Halloween came and Chase arrived at Wayne Manor to spend time with Bruce. She revealed, to Bruce, that she had always been attracted to the wrong sort of man but since she had met him she had changed. She accidentally knocked a vase, containing two roses, to the floor, this triggered a repressed memory for Bruce. He told her about his memory and about how he fell and encountered a bat that changed his life forever, he was about to reveal his secret when the two kissed and Chase realized that Batman and Bruce Wayne were the same person. Riddler and Two-Face infiltrated Wayne Manor and Two-Face's thugs chased Bruce and Chase. Two-Face shot at Bruce but it grazed him and knocked him out rather than killing him. The thugs grabbed Chase and Riddler took her captive. In the Riddler's lair, he had her chained up on a sofa where he told her that it was his plan to use her as bait to draw Batman to the lair.
Batman and Robin traveled to the Riddler's lair to rescue her when Robin was captured by Two-Face. Batman infiltrated the villains' lair, where Riddler revealed Chase and Robin, bound and gagged, suspended in the air in tubes. Riddler pressed a button which dropped Chase and Robin to what should have been their watery grave but Batman defeated the Riddler, saved Chase and Robin then defeated Two-Face as well. Edward was taken to Arkham and declared insane.
Dr. Burton called Chase asking her to come to Arkham where Nygma was claiming that he knows who Batman really is. When asked who, he told her that he was the Batman. Outside Arkham Chase met with Bruce telling him that his secret was safe. Before leaving Gotham, he gave her dream doll back and they kissed. She then got in the car with Alfred as Batman and Robin went to patrol Gotham City.
Their relationship did'nt work out and later they broke up as seen in Batman & Robin.
Relationships[]
- Bruce Wayne/Batman - Former love interest.
- Harvey Dent/Two-Face - Enemy; deceased.
- Edward Nygma/Riddler - Rival and enemy.
- Alfred Pennyworth - Friend.
- James Gordon - Ally.
- Burton - Work colleague.
Appearances/Actresses[]
- Burtonverse (1 film)
- Batman Forever (First appearance) - Nicole Kidman
Behind the scenes[]
- Joel Schumacher originally cast Rene Russo to play Dr. Chase Meridian when Michael Keaton was still attached to the project as Batman. However, when Keaton dropped out of the project (due to both creative differences and a salary dispute) and was replaced by Val Kilmer, Russo was deemed too old to play his love interest, despite being just shy of six years Kilmer's senior. Nicole Kidman, who ultimately played the role, is seven-and-a-half years younger than Kilmer.
- Joel Schumacher wanted Nicole Kidman to play Poison Ivy, but he decided that Ivy, Two-Face and The Riddler would be too many villains for Batman. Ivy (played by Uma Thurman) was saved for Batman & Robin.
- Sandra Bullock, Cindy Crawford, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Linda Hamilton and Robin Wright were considered for the role of Dr. Chase Meridian.
Trivia[]
- Chase Meridian does not originate from the comics, she was created by screen writers Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler as an original character for Batman Forever.
- Chase's name was a triple pun. Not only did she chase after Batman, but as a psychologist, was involved in chasing the meridian - in other words chasing after the halfway point in human beings, one that is neither too high or too low (i.e. bringing balance to human lives) she also chased after the halfway point between Bruce Wayne and Batman, and tried to reconcile her love for both sides of the same man.
- Meridian is the only non hero/villain to get her own dedicated character poster in the entire film series. Although vocally critical of the film, Bruce Timm kept a small Meridian character poster near his desk during this era.
- By the time of Batman, she was approximately 22 years of age and finishing her undergraduate program in college. She was probably been very intrigued with the events of Batman and The Joker. By the time of Batman Returns, she was approximately 25 years of age and knew of the events of Batman and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).
- In 2013 DC Comics let Marc Guggenheim bring a version character in mainstream continuity with the Herded Limits storyline in Legends of the Dark Knight. The character was visually reimagined as a dark-skinned redhead to avoid paying Nicole Kidman for likeness royalties.
Gallery[]
Batman Forever[]
Promotion, Filming and Concept Art[]
