<Dd> A trusted butler to Bruce's parents, who continues his loyal service to their son after their deaths as his closest confidant . Nolan felt Caine would effectively portray the foster father element of the character . Although Alfred is depicted in the film as having served the Wayne family for generations, Caine created his own backstory, in that before becoming Wayne's butler, Alfred served in the Special Air Service . After being wounded, he was invited to the position of the Wayne family butler by Thomas Wayne because, "He wanted a butler, but someone a bit tougher than that, you know?" </Dd> <Ul> <Li> Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard / Ra's al Ghul: </Li> </Ul> <Li> Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard / Ra's al Ghul: </Li> <Dl> <Dd> The leader of the League of Shadows, an ancient society that uses chaos to punish the corrupt and decadent . He introduces himself to Bruce as Ducard, an associate of Ra's, and trains Bruce in martial arts . Later he reveals himself to Bruce, as well as his intentions to destroy Gotham . Writer David Goyer said he felt he was the most complex of all the Batman villains, comparing him to Osama bin Laden; "He's not crazy in the way that all the other Batman villains are . He's not bent on revenge; he's actually trying to heal the world . He's just doing it by very draconian means ." Gary Oldman was first choice for the part, but ended up playing James Gordon instead . Guy Pearce, who collaborated with Christopher Nolan on Memento (2000), reported that the pair had discussions about him playing the role, but both of them decided that he was too young for the part . Neeson is commonly cast as a mentor, so the revelation that his character was the main villain was intended to shock viewers . </Dd> </Dl>

Who does liam neeson play in batman begins