Batman Returns’ True Villain Is Basically Mr Burns From The Simpsons

Batman Returns’ True Villain Is Basically Mr. Burns From The Simpsons

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Max Shreck is the cold businessman and antagonist of Batman Returns. But through his actions, it’s clear that he’s not unlike The Simpsons’ Mr. Burns.

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Batman Returns’ True Villain Is Basically Mr Burns From The Simpsons

Following the defeat of the Joker in 1989’s Batman, director Tim Burton returned to Gotham to introduce a collection of new threats in Batman Returns. But rather than have one villain face off against Batman, Burton instead introduced fans to his versions of Catwoman and the Penguin and a new villain, a ruthless billionaire named Max Shreck. As a trio, the Penguin challenged Batman while Catwoman played on the conflict of living a life as both Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader. But Shreck challenged Bruce on the societal battlefield as a more than worthy competitor for the young businessman. But Shreck’s crimes also mirror another, much more iconic cartoon villain.

As fans watch Batman Returns, it becomes clearer that while intimidating, Shreck shares many similarities to The Simpsons’ resident tycoon, Montgomery Burns. Aside from both of them being older and colder, the two also share a penchant for crime. But who is Max Shreck in the film, and how deep do his similarities with Mr. Burns go?

Who Is Max Shreck in Batman Returns?

Batman Returns’ True Villain Is Basically Mr Burns From The Simpsons

Max Shreck didn’t originate from a comic book, unlike the titular hero and his comic counterparts. In fact, his first appearance was in Batman Returns. At the start of the film, it seems like Bruce Wayne is no longer Gotham City’s favorite son, as Shreck has monopolized the city with his lines of department stores, factories and a power plant he’s trying to get created. However, while it looks like he and his son are the new faces of the city, his behind-the-scenes tactics paint a darker picture.

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Before getting his new power plant built, Shreck is kidnapped and interrogated by the Penguin. During their tense discussion, the Penguin comments about how he has polluted the water with toxic waste from his textile plant, currently owns half of the fire traps in Gotham and even killed his business partner, Frank. He even attempts to kill Selina Kyle after she learns that Shreck wants to hoard half of the power in Gotham with his power plant, cornering the market.

How Max Shreck Compares to The Simpsons’ Mr. Burns

Although Shreck’s schemes are darker than Mr. Burns’, the latter has his own track record of shady business practices. With over 30 seasons of The Simpsons, there are more than enough crimes for fans to sift through when it comes to Burns. Like Shreck, he’s tried to take a life and very nearly succeeded. In the episode, “Bart Gets Hit by a Car,” Mr. Burns is the man behind the wheel. While Bart does die, briefly, he’s revived. In “Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in ‘The Curse of the Flying Hellfish,'” he also tries to drown Bart. Mr. Burns is also no stranger to illegal business practices, his most impactful being treason in “Big House Homer” when he sells plutonium to other countries to go on vacation.

While The Simpsons’ Mr. Burns isn’t as quick to stoop to the lows of Batman Returns’ Max Shreck, his crimes more than make up for the differences in severity. But what makes Mr. Burns truly dangerous is that, like Max, all he needs is an opportunity to strike. As a result, while they hail from two different worlds, Mr. Burns and Max Shreck aren’t very different from one another.

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Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/batman-returns-max-shreck-mr-burns-comparison/

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