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QuoteAs Warner Bros. continues to work out how best to relaunch the Batman movie franchise in an exciting new way, DC fans have already had the perfect idea for years now: just produce a live-action adaptation of everyone's favorite animated series Batman Beyond. And better yet, get Michael Keaton back as the older Bruce, as it could tie into the fondly-remembered Tim Burton Batman movies. Surely that'd be a license to print money, right?

Well, we've got some good news, as sources close to We Got This Covered – the same ones who told us The CW was developing an Arrow spinoff for Katherine McNamara back in March, Viola Davis was returning for The Suicide Squad and that Tom Welling was going to show up in "Crisis on Infinite Earths," all of which were eventually confirmed – have informed us that inspired by the success of Joker, WB is now looking to do more standalone, dark and mature DC movies. And one project they'd like to make happen is a live-action Batman Beyond with Keaton in the lead role.

For those unfamiliar with Batman Beyond, it was a beloved TV show that aired from 1999 to 2001 and saw a Bruce Wayne who'd hung up the cape and cowl and was living a lonely existence in his mansion. Everything changed for him, though, when high-schooler Terry McGinnis stumbled into the Batcave and swiped a prototype Batsuit. It wasn't long before he became the Batman of the future and an elderly Bruce Wayne found himself as his mentor.

Of course, none of this is set in stone yet and there's every chance that the project won't ever materialize. But with the wild success Joker's seen so far, it'd make sense that WB would want to explore more DC projects in a similar vein and a Batman Beyond movie with Keaton in the lead would without a doubt be a monster hit for them. Bigger than even the aforementioned Joaquin Phoenix-starring film.

I'm not sure how accurate this rumour is, but assuming there is any truth to it, and Michael Keaton is even remotely interested in resuming the part of Batman, I cautiously welcome a Batman Beyond film starring Kearon, but only on the basis that it is directed by Tim Burton.  If it is to be in the same continuity as Batman '89 and Batman Returns, I'm not sure I'd like to see another filmmaker, especially one who didn't respect those classics, take the helm.

I'd usually dismiss this, and while doubt levels are still high, I'm not so sure I can.

Keaton is set to appear at a comic convention and he has also written the foreword to the new Batman hardcover book. His role as the Vulture in Homecoming is more proof he's more open to this stuff. This is my own indulgence, but with the passing of Adam West, perhaps he has loosened up further about his place in the franchise? He always says he IS Batman.

JOKER's legacy being standalone films unconnected to other continuity would be fantastic. Do we really need to wait for an era to end before we can do something else? I don't think so. We are all intelligent enough to know if something is separate from the Pattinson or Affleck timelines.

Keaton's return would be the biggest Batman event in...well...ever.

It'll probably go nowhere. But if the thought bubble is out there, that's a start.

Keaton has always been my favourite live action Batman, he's the reason I'm a fan, but I used to think that the aging Bruce Wayne of Batman Beyond requires an actor physically closer to the one depicted in the animated series - big, physically imposing, like an old warrior. But, having seen Keaton in Homecoming, being intimidating without any costume, just that look, yes, he would rock it. (If they did it, if they asked him, if he accepted. A lot of IFs)

Quote from: Azrael on Mon, 21 Oct  2019, 11:18
Keaton has always been my favourite live action Batman, he's the reason I'm a fan, but I used to think that the aging Bruce Wayne of Batman Beyond requires an actor physically closer to the one depicted in the animated series - big, physically imposing, like an old warrior. But, having seen Keaton in Homecoming, being intimidating without any costume, just that look, yes, he would rock it. (If they did it, if they asked him, if he accepted. A lot of IFs)

I think the Beyond concept suits Keaton because it is psychologically based. Old man Bruce is all about brooding, and B89/BR Bruce is homebody who sits alone in the dark. Keaton wouldn't need to do any intensive training, which surely would appeal to him, and given the time jump, verbal and visual references can hint at the adventures we didn't get to see.

For a 68 years old guy he does look good. I think it would be believable if Keaton retired from crimefighting say 10 or 15 years ago. Michael Gough is dead. Pat Hingle is dead. Beyond with Keaton allows a third IN CONTINUITY Burtonverse film without complications. Their absence doesn't become a burden but rather an asset that is acknowledged and embraced.

I dig the world of BR, but I would like a brand new, futuristic aesthetic for Gotham. Wayne Manor and the Batcave also redesigned. They did it for B89 and BR, so I don't see why it would be a problem for a third film. As for villains...a Jokerz gang being inspired by Nicholson would be wild. Each Burton film had a clown gang, and this would allow a legacy element while having a brand new lead villain for Terry to face.

If a third Keaton film was greenlit, I think any unfinished business pain from the 90s would largely disappear in an instant. If WB are in the business of making money they will make this happen. 

I agree with TDK's above post. I would love to see this.

Quote from: The Dark Knight on Tue, 22 Oct  2019, 06:17If WB are in the business of making money they will make this happen. 

Don't hold your breath. That pathetic excuse of a studio is filled with weasels and jackasses.

I would like to see Keaton one more time as Bruce Wayne though. The idea of a live action BB appeals to me much more now, compared to the crap that Warner Butchers is serving us.

Quote from: Edd Grayson on Tue, 22 Oct  2019, 13:15
I agree with TDK's above post. I would love to see this.

Me too, but I doubt it will ever happen. I think Kevin Conroy playing old Bruce Wayne in the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover is the closest thing to a BB movie we'll ever get.

Agreed too. I don't have my hopes up, but I'd love as much as anyone to see Keaton play Wayne for one last time. Yes, if they did it right and if they picked the right lead as McGinnis, it would be a licence for WB to print money, and the beginning of a new franchise.

I found this Photoshop mockup of Keaton's face as old man Bruce put together with the original animated version.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EHpi68NWkAEqqOs?format=jpg&name=900x900)

I don't understand why his chin looks so cartoonishly long.

The likelihood of this project happening is now looking very likely, thanks to Keaton making his return to the role. Which leads me to writing the following.

According to Mikey Sutton from Geekosity.com, he reveals that not only does the studio believe in the proposed movie's box office potential, he says...get this...they want Jared Leto to play the Joker.

https://youtu.be/CGF0j_P0WSk?t=3015

I say bullsh*t to the part about Jared Leto. Warner Butchers may pick and choose which actors they want from Snyder/Ayer's continuity, but I highly doubt they'd want to get Leto back. In a way, the studio would be vindicating Snyder after he got Leto to reprise the role in ZSJL, and that's something they definitely do not want to do. I do think Leto can play a hypothetical Return of the Joker-type role, but I don't believe this rumour one bit. Besides, if Leto ever reprises his role again, I'd rather it's only for restoring the Snyderverse along with the release of the Ayer cut. Not play  another version of himself in the multiverse.

Sutton has been pretty bold with his supposed scoops lately, even going so far to say Cavill's Superman will make his return as cameos in The Flash and Black Adam and AT&T have pressured the studio to identify ZSJL as canon in The Flash movie. The more he talks, the more he is opening himself to further scrutiny and putting his credibility on the line.

A new rumour has been posted today by some blog site called Giant Freakin' Robot stating they have "insider sources" telling them Keaton has signed a multi-picture deal. In addition to The Flash, Keaton will not only return for BB, but also appear in Batgirl and Nightwing.

Just as I said about Warner Butchers allegedly wanting Jared Leto back for Beyond, I reckon this Keaton rumour is all made up. He will unlikely ever suit up again after The Flash, and I don't see the point of him reprising the role of an older Bruce Wayne outside of the post-Burtonverse/Beyond continuity. Besides, there were rumours that JK Simmons is expected to reprise the role of Jim Gordon for Batgirl. If they were to have both actors reprise their roles for this movie, that would make Bruce the same age as Gordon. If not older.

It makes zero sense, and I don't buy any of it.

Quote from: The Laughing Fish on Tue, 31 Aug  2021, 08:45
A new rumour has been posted today by some blog site called Giant Freakin' Robot stating they have "insider sources" telling them Keaton has signed a multi-picture deal. In addition to The Flash, Keaton will not only return for BB, but also appear in Batgirl and Nightwing.

Just as I said about Warner Butchers allegedly wanting Jared Leto back for Beyond, I reckon this Keaton rumour is all made up. He will unlikely ever suit up again after The Flash, and I don't see the point of him reprising the role of an older Bruce Wayne outside of the post-Burtonverse/Beyond continuity. Besides, there were rumours that JK Simmons is expected to reprise the role of Jim Gordon for Batgirl. If they were to have both actors reprise their roles for this movie, that would make Bruce the same age as Gordon. If not older.

It makes zero sense, and I don't buy any of it.

Giant Freakin Robot are notorious for handing out bad information, or aptly what I like to call 'guessology.' We Got This Covered is another infamous website that never gets anything right. What they do, and they're pretty okay at it, is try and anticipate what's coming. To that end they sling as much crap against the wall as possible. When they stumble upon something that happens to be right, they add it to the mantle so that when they post more stuff they can cry wolf. "The same source that was right about a, b, and c, are telling us x,y, and z."

While I do think it is possible that Keaton may have some kind of future, I don't think GFR knows anything about it. Pay them no attention. Nobody does.

Batman '89 artist Joe Quinones posted this on Twitter. He captioned it as a "'Keatonverse' Batman Beyond" sketch.

https://twitter.com/Joe_Quinones/status/1434663682156503041/photo/1

There's no reason for this film not to happen, other than poor judgement on the part of the studio. They have the rights to the property, they've got the lead actor back on board, and the fans are crying out for it. Instead of wasting millions of dollars producing multiple R-rated Harley Quinn movies that bomb at the box office, they should fast track Batman Beyond.

Quote from: The Laughing Fish on Tue, 31 Aug  2021, 08:45
A new rumour has been posted today by some blog site called Giant Freakin' Robot stating they have "insider sources" telling them Keaton has signed a multi-picture deal. In addition to The Flash, Keaton will not only return for BB, but also appear in Batgirl and Nightwing.

Just as I said about Warner Butchers allegedly wanting Jared Leto back for Beyond, I reckon this Keaton rumour is all made up. He will unlikely ever suit up again after The Flash, and I don't see the point of him reprising the role of an older Bruce Wayne outside of the post-Burtonverse/Beyond continuity. Besides, there were rumours that JK Simmons is expected to reprise the role of Jim Gordon for Batgirl. If they were to have both actors reprise their roles for this movie, that would make Bruce the same age as Gordon. If not older.

It makes zero sense, and I don't buy any of it.

Well, that didn't age very well. >:(

In addition to Keaton's rumoured appearance in Aquaman 2, I have a hard time believing Batman Beyond will happen now . I assume Keaton will be a mentor to Barbara Gordon in Batgirl, and if Nightwing does happen, he will mentor Dick Grayson too. So where would that leave Terry McGinnis? To me, it seems very redundant to have yet another protege, unless they flash forward and have BB set later on in the future.

I don't know where this is going. I've daydreamed what would it be like for Keaton making a comeback, but this isn't what I expected or wanted. If it were up to me, I would've just had Keaton do BB instead.

Quote from: The Laughing Fish on Sun,  6 Feb  2022, 05:21

Quote from: The Laughing Fish on Tue, 31 Aug  2021, 08:45
A new rumour has been posted today by some blog site called Giant Freakin' Robot stating they have "insider sources" telling them Keaton has signed a multi-picture deal. In addition to The Flash, Keaton will not only return for BB, but also appear in Batgirl and Nightwing.

Just as I said about Warner Butchers allegedly wanting Jared Leto back for Beyond, I reckon this Keaton rumour is all made up. He will unlikely ever suit up again after The Flash, and I don't see the point of him reprising the role of an older Bruce Wayne outside of the post-Burtonverse/Beyond continuity. Besides, there were rumours that JK Simmons is expected to reprise the role of Jim Gordon for Batgirl. If they were to have both actors reprise their roles for this movie, that would make Bruce the same age as Gordon. If not older.

It makes zero sense, and I don't buy any of it.

Well, that didn't age very well. >:(

In addition to Keaton's rumoured appearance in Aquaman 2, I have a hard time believing Batman Beyond will happen now . I assume Keaton will be a mentor to Barbara Gordon in Batgirl, and if Nightwing does happen, he will mentor Dick Grayson too. So where would that leave Terry McGinnis? To me, it seems very redundant to have yet another protege, unless they flash forward and have BB set later on in the future.

I don't know where this is going. I've daydreamed what would it be like for Keaton making a comeback, but this isn't what I expected or wanted. If it were up to me, I would've just had Keaton do BB instead.

If the job is going to get done "right", you need a movie where [INSERT WHITE MALE CHARACTER HERE] admits to being failure while acknowledging his own obsolescence and then passes the baton to [INSERT NON-WHITE NON-MALE CHARACTER HERE].

Obviously then, there's no way to adapt Terry McGinnis as we know him while maintaining that formula.

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Sun,  6 Feb  2022, 08:28
If the job is going to get done "right", you need a movie where [INSERT WHITE MALE CHARACTER HERE] admits to being failure while acknowledging his own obsolescence and then passes the baton to [INSERT NON-WHITE NON-MALE CHARACTER HERE].

Obviously then, there's no way to adapt Terry McGinnis as we know him while maintaining that formula.

What are the odds that everything you predicted will happen in Batgirl? In that case, there's certainly no need to make Batman Beyond.

If there is no BB then what the hell is the endgame for Keaton's Batman?

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Sun,  6 Feb  2022, 08:28If the job is going to get done "right", you need a movie where [INSERT WHITE MALE CHARACTER HERE] admits to being failure while acknowledging his own obsolescence and then passes the baton to [INSERT NON-WHITE NON-MALE CHARACTER HERE].

Obviously then, there's no way to adapt Terry McGinnis as we know him while maintaining that formula.

It's been obvious to me for a while that the Beyond dream with Burton coming back to direct is nothing but a fantasy. I feel comfortable in saying what we see now is what we're getting.

Quote from: The Dark Knight on Thu, 16 Dec  2021, 06:56And my concern is that the Batgirl movie will serve as Keaton's Beyond inspired mentor movie.

Quote from: The Dark Knight on Fri, 17 Dec  2021, 12:45
If Keaton is a mentor in Batgirl, are they going to present the same concept in live action again a short time after? At the moment I'm leaning on the perhaps not side. Are they going to do a time jump to cyberpunk if they want Keaton in a contemporary ongoing role? Maybe not. Then you have to consider who that student would be. It's Woke World, so you bet they're going to be female and of color. They have those boxes ticked already. I'm not saying it will happen, but you have to think this way. I say brace yourself for the possibility.

Quote from: The Laughing Fish on Mon,  7 Feb  2022, 22:59
If there is no BB then what the hell is the endgame for Keaton's Batman?

With the "current" regime at WB, I don't even think they know. As it's been very much a, "Yo, let's just throw stuff at the wall, and pray something sticks!" approach from them for quite a while now.

The merger is drawing nearer, and changes will be coming. Once the current names at the very top begins to shift, cause nothing remains static with mergers on this level (the book "Fools Rush In" by Nina Munk gives a very insightful account on what can happen), and we start seeing some official announcements made, then and only then will we get a idea of whats truly to come. Cause the incoming names are going to be a lot less married to what's going on with "Batgirl" and whatever the current ideas are for DC films in general, than Hamada and the current regime.

Course the rot is pretty bad right now in WB, but I expect some divergence to current DCEU plans post-merger (especially considering Hamada's abysmal track record). Just how dramatic? We'll see.

Quote from: The Joker on Thu, 10 Feb  2022, 03:18

Quote from: The Laughing Fish on Mon,  7 Feb  2022, 22:59
If there is no BB then what the hell is the endgame for Keaton's Batman?

With the "current" regime at WB, I don't even think they know. As it's been very much a, "Yo, let's just throw stuff at the wall, and pray something sticks!" approach from them for quite a while now.

Agreed 100%. Their lack of planning has been obvious for years now. But I'm still baffled over how Keaton's comeback appears to be getting bastardised by shoehorning him into this incompatible continuity. If Tim Burton isn't even approached as a creative consultant then it makes Keaton's return even more shallow, in my opinion.

Quote from: The Joker on Thu, 10 Feb  2022, 03:18
The merger is drawing nearer, and changes will be coming. Once the current names at the very top begins to shift, cause nothing remains static with mergers on this level (the book "Fools Rush In" by Nina Munk gives a very insightful account on what can happen), and we start seeing some official announcements made, then and only then will we get a idea of whats truly to come. Cause the incoming names are going to be a lot less married to what's going on with "Batgirl" and whatever the current ideas are for DC films in general, than Hamada and the current regime.

Yeah, I'd be very disappointed if the Discovery merger doesn't result in significant and positive changes. From what I've read, mergers don't tend to happen if businesses are successful, nor do they keep under-performing executives.

This reminds me of a section I read in Arnold Schwarzenegger's autobiography. When Total Recall was about to come out in 1990, Arnold found out the film wasn't generating enough buzz despite it was only three weeks away from opening night, and he blamed TriStar Pictures for the shoddy marketing campaign. It turns out TriStar and Columbia Pictures were in the middle of a merger with Sony at the time.

Arnold, being the clever businessman he is, had no confidence in the current regime at TriStar, and he decided to directly contact B89 producers Peter Guber and Jon Peters - who were hired as new executives at the company. He convinced them to hire an outside marketing agency to quickly revamp Total Recall's marketing, including new trailers. As a result, Total Recall's fortunes were turned around in such a short period of time.

The most important takeaway is Arnold knew TriStar was undermined by crappy executives who were looking after their own self-interests, and he even told Guber he had to clean house and get rid of the old guard. According to Arnold, he knew Guber and Peters - as ruthless as they were - were hungry for success, and didn't care too much about who started productions, but he has mentioned that a change in studio management does normally hurt upcoming movies, because the new people coming in have their own goals and agendas. Primarily, they are eager to do anything to make the previous administration to look bad.

As long as Discovery is willing to give fans what they want, whether it's Batman Beyond or ZSJL 2 and 3, I have no problem at all if they do everything to humiliate the current regime.

Sam Raimi wants to make a Batman film:

Quote"I've always loved Batman. If I ever saw the Batsignal up in the air, I'd come running."

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/sam-raimi-wants-to-make-batman-movie-exclusive/

I say let him do it. Obviously I want Matt Reeves to continue with his trilogy, but Raimi would be perfect for Batman Beyond. Few filmmakers have directed, written and/or produced as many superhero projects as he has (the Darkman trilogy, M.A.N.T.I.S., the Spider-Man trilogy, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and he's a massive comic book fan and collector. I read somewhere that he applied to take over the Batman franchise following Burton's departure in the nineties but was turned down in favour of Schumacher. I'd have a lot more faith in Raimi to deliver a good Batman movie now than I would in Burton.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Wed, 16 Mar  2022, 22:08
Sam Raimi wants to make a Batman film:

Quote"I've always loved Batman. If I ever saw the Batsignal up in the air, I'd come running."

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/sam-raimi-wants-to-make-batman-movie-exclusive/

I say let him do it. Obviously I want Matt Reeves to continue with his trilogy, but Raimi would be perfect for Batman Beyond. Few filmmakers have directed, written and/or produced as many superhero projects as he has (the Darkman trilogy, M.A.N.T.I.S., the Spider-Man trilogy, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and he's a massive comic book fan and collector. I read somewhere that he applied to take over the Batman franchise following Burton's departure in the nineties but was turned down in favour of Schumacher. I'd have a lot more faith in Raimi to deliver a good Batman movie now than I would in Burton.

Mmm. I'm curious about the timing of this thing. The newest Batman film is projected to hit $500 million ww by Saturday night. Is now truly the best time to make public statements like this?

Don't get me wrong, I'm very curious what Raimi would do with the character. I'm just thinking that 2018'ish would've been a better year to campaign for a shot at Batman. At least, a better year than 2022 is shaping up to be.

Side note: It's a crying shame that Raimi never got his Shadow film off the ground.

A THR reporter said that WBD cancelled a Wonder Twins streaming movie project because its budget was going to cost $75 million, and the new regime wants all HBO Max originals to cost $35 million or less. The reason why I'm writing this here is because I remember reading some rumours that a potential Keaton Batman Beyond project could be produced as an HBO Max project, but I'm not sure it that will happen now if the budget projections for streaming originals are limited. I guess it could be done within a small budget, but would it be any good? If it can't be done what are the prospects for a theatrical distribution?

https://www.latestly.com/socially/entertainment/hollywood/a-solo-batman-movie-starring-michael-keaton-has-reportedly-been-canceledvia-latest-tweet-by-culture-crave-4563713.html

Knowing that rumour about a Batman Beyond project with Keaton getting cancelled by Gunn was stated by Umberto "Snyder cut doesn't exist" Gonzalez gives me suspicion he's trolling the already agitated DC fanbase. Still, I'm pretty sure Keaton's version of Beyond would've been far more celebrated and preferable than another season of goddamn Peacemaker.

Some more details have emerged on the cancelled Batman Beyond film.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie was pitched by Christina Hodson, the same screenwriter behind the execrable Birds of Prey movie and the "irredeemable" Batgirl film. Unfortunately she's also written The Flash, which explains reports of it being very jokey and full of sex humour. Anyway, Hodson pitched the idea and the suits at WB loved it. She was working on the screenplay until about two weeks after Gunn and Safran were hired, whereupon she was told to stop. Apparently her pitch focused on the romance between Batman and Catwoman, and it seems likely that Michelle Pfeiffer would have returned. The screenplay was never finished and the latest word is that this project has been canned.

Source: https://view.email.hollywoodreporter.com/?qs=27dca022a3daaae65e34d5c9adf6995782cfc61eaab8e66b93ed110a566a36487c5002ec1041eaacb72a1fac5e6705b8e5b3f6e7f40ac625a682a43edd070fcd7620c8b034afd68c

An unconfirmed detail that is not mentioned in the THR article, but which is circulating as a rumour, is that the film would not have taken place in the future. Rather it would probably have taken place in the present in order to fit in with Keaton's other DCEU movies. If this is true, then we might have dodged a bullet with this one. Batman Beyond needs to be set in the future. It needs the dark cyberpunk atmosphere that defined the source material. Otherwise it's not Batman Beyond. Like the Star Wars sequel trilogy, there's only going to be one chance to get this right. If they waste Keaton on a bad BB film, then that's it – he won't get another shot at it.

The fact this particular BB project has been abandoned does not necessarily mean that the concept as a whole has. At least now we have confirmation that the studio is hearing pitches for a Keaton Batman Beyond film and that they're keen on the idea. Hopefully Gunn and Safran with give the go ahead to a more promising take; one that's set in the futuristic metropolis of Neo-Gotham and isn't a romantic comedy.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Mon, 12 Dec  2022, 12:52
Some more details have emerged on the cancelled Batman Beyond film.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie was pitched by Christina Hodson, the same screenwriter behind the execrable Birds of Prey movie and the "irredeemable" Batgirl film. Unfortunately she's also written The Flash, which explains reports of it being very jokey and full of sex humour. Anyway, Hodson pitched the idea and the suits at WB loved it. She was working on the screenplay until about two weeks after Gunn and Safran were hired, whereupon she was told to stop. Apparently her pitch focused on the romance between Batman and Catwoman, and it seems likely that Michelle Pfeiffer would have returned. The screenplay was never finished and the latest word is that this project has been canned.

Source: https://view.email.hollywoodreporter.com/?qs=27dca022a3daaae65e34d5c9adf6995782cfc61eaab8e66b93ed110a566a36487c5002ec1041eaacb72a1fac5e6705b8e5b3f6e7f40ac625a682a43edd070fcd7620c8b034afd68c

An unconfirmed detail that is not mentioned in the THR article, but which is circulating as a rumour, is that the film would not have taken place in the future. Rather it would probably have taken place in the present in order to fit in with Keaton's other DCEU movies. If this is true, then we might have dodged a bullet with this one. Batman Beyond needs to be set in the future. It needs the dark cyberpunk atmosphere that defined the source material. Otherwise it's not Batman Beyond. Like the Star Wars sequel trilogy, there's only going to be one chance to get this right. If they waste Keaton on a bad BB film, then that's it – he won't get another shot at it.

The fact this particular BB project has been abandoned does not necessarily mean that the concept as a whole has. At least now we have confirmation that the studio is hearing pitches for a Keaton Batman Beyond film and that they're keen on the idea. Hopefully Gunn and Safran with give the go ahead to a more promising take; one that's set in the futuristic metropolis of Neo-Gotham and isn't a romantic comedy.

I choose to regard her ouster as good news. Maybe it's an indication that someone high up at WBD doesn't want her brand of ethics branded onto the new movie. You know what I'm referring to here. We're not out of the woods, obviously. But this is good news.

This BB idea seems to have been bouncing around WB (or whatever they're called at any given moment) for over twenty years now. I'm sure you recall the Keanu Reeves rumors from circa 1999-2001. There seems to be genuine enthusiasm for someone there to do this up as a movie.

Since we're on the subject, it's fair to ask what you consider the core essentials of the Batman Beyond concept to be. Because for as much as I enjoy the show, the stuff that I consider to be non-negotiable is actually fairly small.

* Bruce must be too old and too semi-crippled to carry on
* Terry must be a young, male, semi-orphaned high school student
* It's preferable for the original rogues gallery to be either dead, MIA or otherwise too old to continue menacing Gotham
* It's also preferable for the original Batman family/allies to be largely MIA, retired or (in a minority of cases) dead

Aside from those things, I think I'm pretty flexible on the whole Beyond concept.

But in terms of stuff that I'd be happy to delete, canon be damned, I *NEVER* liked the idea of Terry being indirectly Bruce Wayne's son through the contrived and utterly incomprehensible machinations of Amanda Waller. Ultimately, Terry is just another of Bruce's sidekicks. Babs, Dick and Tim didn't come into Bruce's life as the result of some nefarious conspiracy. Fate brought them together. That should apply to Terry too.

I also was never crazy about Blight as a villain or Terry's rivalry with him. You need Terry to have a vendetta of his own, I guess. But it just seemed a little too convenient that the exact same guy who's a rival for Bruce is also a rival for Terry. Yes, parallel narrative construction is as old as narrative itself. But I just don't buy it in Blight's case. Never have, never will.

Bruce's gun temptation also never rang true for me. Yes, the show needed a reason for Bruce to hang it up. But I never accepted the gun incident in the first episode. It seemed like someone was trying too hard to force Bruce into retirement.

I'm also not married to Old Man Bruce as a cantankerous a-hole. I think after all those decades of losing everyone he ever loved or was close to, time would have softened Bruce a lot. Maybe he wouldn't have Adam West's warmth and approachability. But he wouldn't be such a cold-hearted prick either. By that stage in life, I think he will have seen the error of at least some of his ways. If you ask me, Bruce would see Terry as his last chance to "get it right this time" when it comes to being a surrogate father to a troubled kid.

Dana is a challenge for Terry to contend with. She represents the desire Terry has for a normal life. But she and Terry are teenagers ffs, they're probably not the great loves of each other's lives. They're ships in the night. Let's not overthink this.

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Mon, 12 Dec  2022, 12:52


An unconfirmed detail that is not mentioned in the THR article, but which is circulating as a rumour, is that the film would not have taken place in the future. Rather it would probably have taken place in the present in order to fit in with Keaton's other DCEU movies. If this is true, then we might have dodged a bullet with this one. Batman Beyond needs to be set in the future. It needs the dark cyberpunk atmosphere that defined the source material. Otherwise it's not Batman Beyond. Like the Star Wars sequel trilogy, there's only going to be one chance to get this right. If they waste Keaton on a bad BB film, then that's it – he won't get another shot at it.

I agree. The future tech of the Beyond suit, along with it in a cyberpunk setting is what sets it apart.

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Mon, 12 Dec  2022, 14:43Since we're on the subject, it's fair to ask what you consider the core essentials of the Batman Beyond concept to be. Because for as much as I enjoy the show, the stuff that I consider to be non-negotiable is actually fairly small.

* Bruce must be too old and too semi-crippled to carry on
* Terry must be a young, male, semi-orphaned high school student
* It's preferable for the original rogues gallery to be either dead, MIA or otherwise too old to continue menacing Gotham
* It's also preferable for the original Batman family/allies to be largely MIA, retired or (in a minority of cases) dead

Aside from those things, I think I'm pretty flexible on the whole Beyond concept.

But in terms of stuff that I'd be happy to delete, canon be damned, I *NEVER* liked the idea of Terry being indirectly Bruce Wayne's son through the contrived and utterly incomprehensible machinations of Amanda Waller. Ultimately, Terry is just another of Bruce's sidekicks. Babs, Dick and Tim didn't come into Bruce's life as the result of some nefarious conspiracy. Fate brought them together. That should apply to Terry too.

I also was never crazy about Blight as a villain or Terry's rivalry with him. You need Terry to have a vendetta of his own, I guess. But it just seemed a little too convenient that the exact same guy who's a rival for Bruce is also a rival for Terry. Yes, parallel narrative construction is as old as narrative itself. But I just don't buy it in Blight's case. Never have, never will.

Bruce's gun temptation also never rang true for me. Yes, the show needed a reason for Bruce to hang it up. But I never accepted the gun incident in the first episode. It seemed like someone was trying too hard to force Bruce into retirement.

I'm also not married to Old Man Bruce as a cantankerous a-hole. I think after all those decades of losing everyone he ever loved or was close to, time would have softened Bruce a lot. Maybe he wouldn't have Adam West's warmth and approachability. But he wouldn't be such a cold-hearted prick either. By that stage in life, I think he will have seen the error of at least some of his ways. If you ask me, Bruce would see Terry as his last chance to "get it right this time" when it comes to being a surrogate father to a troubled kid.

Dana is a challenge for Terry to contend with. She represents the desire Terry has for a normal life. But she and Terry are teenagers ffs, they're probably not the great loves of each other's lives. They're ships in the night. Let's not overthink this.

The clone thing should be ditched. We didn't need it in the original series, and we don't need it now.

The cast and mythology need to be streamlined. It's one thing to introduce lots of new characters for an ongoing TV show, but if we're talking about a two-hour movie that mightn't get a sequel then it'll need to be more focused. Obviously keep Terry and his parents. His younger brother isn't essential, so he could be left out. I wouldn't mind amalgamating Max and Dana into a single character and making her Terry's best friend and possible love interest. Barbara Gordon should appear, but I'd leave Catwoman out of it. I'd love to see Pfeiffer return to the role, but I don't think there'd be room for her in the BB movie. The perfect film for her and Billy Dee Williams to have returned in would have been The Flash, but it looks like the studio squandered that opportunity.

Derek Powers and the Jokerz should be included. If the plot is a mixture of the first few episodes of the TV series and Return of the Joker, then Powers can stand in for Jordan Pryce. Powers could enter into a secret alliance with the resurrected Joker in order to rid himself of his enemies (Warren McGinnis, Bruce Wayne) and consolidate his hold on Wayne-Powers. Instead of being exposed to nerve gas, Powers could be exposed to Smilex after the Joker betrays him. He then attempts to secretly treat himself to prevent the public from learning of his dealings with the Joker, and the experimental radiation therapy he uses transforms him into Blight. If this takes place in the future of the Burtonverse, then they could tie Derek Powers to the earlier films by revealing he's the grandson of Chip Shreck.

Regarding the characterisation of Bruce, if it's Keaton then I think he'll have to be more affable than the animated version. According to The Flash leaks (SPOILERS) Bruce is depicted in that movie as a cantankerous recluse living alone in Wayne Manor. When the two Barrys first approach him, Bruce physically attacks them and refuses to help save the world. Following some goading, he agrees to reassume the mantle of Batman and assist them. Then during the final battle he thanks Barry for bringing him out of retirement. If that's his character arc in The Flash, then having him go through the exact same arc in BB would be pointless. So I wouldn't object to a more avuncular portrayal, as long as his dark sarcastic sense of humour is preserved.

The cyberpunk aesthetic is essential. If the Burtonverse Gotham looked like this in the early nineties...


...then it's not much of a stretch to believe it might look like this in the future.


When should the movie be set? I'd say 2039 or 2040, which would put Bruce in his mid-to-late eighties.

The prologue should take place in the present day. I'd scrap the idea of Batman having to use a gun, simply because we've seen Keaton's Batman use guns before. Using them again would hardly be grounds for him retiring. The heart attack should be sufficient incentive.

I'd have Batman remain invisible for most of the prologue. We'd begin the sequence with shots of the criminals patrolling their industrial hideout in the pouring rain.


One goon suddenly notices that the rain is no longer showering him, yet the deluge hasn't ceased. He extends his arm and sees that the drops are still falling on his fingertips, just not on the spot where he's standing. Slowly, he looks up and sees a blurry outline in the rain, as though something invisible were clinging to the wall directly above him. Before the goon can open fire, the thing above swoops down and hoists him off his feet. We then see raindrops bouncing off Batman's outline as he stalks the site taking down the other criminals one by one.


Occasionally we see shots of Bruce's POV inside the suit. We hear his breathing and see his vital signs displayed on the HUD. His heartbeat is growing more erratic as he exerts himself. Eventually there's only one criminal left guarding the hostage. The bad guy aims his gun at the girl's head and demands Batman show himself. Now we finally get our first proper look at Bruce in his new batsuit as he steps out of the shadows, eyes glowing, dripping with rainwater, and disengages his optic camouflage.


A tense standoff ensues, and it's during that standoff that the heart attack occurs. The criminal doesn't know why Batman's suddenly incapacitated, but he makes the most of the situation and tries shooting him in the head at point-blank range. The hostage pushes his rifle aside at the last moment, saving Batman, and Bruce uses a final burst of energy to take down the criminal.

The hostage is saved. She turns towards Batman to see if he's all right, but he's nowhere to be seen. As police vehicles converge on the area, we see Batman slumped on a nearby rooftop. The mask comes off and we see Keaton underneath gasping for air as the rain pelts against his aging features.


We then dissolve to the Batcave where a sombre Bruce takes one final look at his costume before closing the armoury door. The lights in the cave go out and we fade to black.


We then fade in on an establishing shot of Gotham City in the year 2039. A caption reads:


Seriously, this could be one of the greatest Batman films ever and a very worthy sequel to B89 and BR.

This is why I'm hoping Keaton is retained for the new DCU. It solves the issue of Batman's presence and keeps the Beyond dream alive. We could have a Wonder Woman 3 situation where the new team ask for a new script and thus a new approach from what was first pitched. Beyond is the type of movie that would be worthy of the hype, and a film I'd be willing to wait to be done properly. Silver's ideas justify that thought. I wouldn't need a direct translation of the TV show, and new film continuity would have to be considered. Just as long as the core framework was in place.

I've been thinking about how the Schumacher movies might be incorporated into a Burtonverse Batman Beyond film. I know everyone's saying that BF and B&R are no longer canonical, but for argument's sake let's assume they still are. Unless the studio is planning to contradict the Schumacher movies in The Flash, say by introducing a new Robin or bringing in Billy Dee Two-Face (according to the leaks I've read, they're not doing anything like this), then I see no reason not to consider BF and B&R part of the canon. All this would mean is that between BR and The Flash Keaton's Batman had other adventures that included battling the Riddler, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Bane and Mr Freeze, and recruiting Robin and Batgirl.

How could these additional elements of the mythos be incorporated into Batman Beyond?

First, we'd have to address the problem of Batgirl. Commissioner Barbara Gordon is an important character in the Batman Beyond story and she should feature in the movie. So do we just introduce a new version of Barbara Gordon (maybe the Leslie Grace version) and ignore Silverstone's Barbara Wilson? That's one way to go.

Alternatively, it could be explained that Barbara Wilson joined the GCPD after graduating college, where she met and fell in love with fellow rookie James Gordon Jr., the son of Pat Hingle's Commissioner Gordon. She then married James Jr. and became Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter-in-law. Instead of being the sister of James Jr., Silverstone's Barbara would be his wife. I wouldn't object to recasting the role of Babs, perhaps replacing Silverstone with someone like Dina Meyer or Angie Harmon. But I'd make it clear that she was the same character from B&R, while simultaneously shifting her personality towards that of the Batman Beyond Babs.

Instead of Tim Drake being the one possessed by the Joker, it could be Chris O'Donnell's Dick Grayson, who is now middle aged and retired as Nightwing. This would reflect the twist in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Strikes Again where Dick became the new Joker. I hate that story, but I don't mind borrowing from it.


I've said before that I think the possession angle should be supernatural in the live action movie. The plot point about the microchip injecting DNA into Drake that somehow physically and mentally transforms him never made sense to me. Let's just have it so that Dick is possessed by the ghost of Jack Napier, which causes him to supernaturally transform. That wouldn't work with the grounded sensibility of Nolan's films, but it would suit the more gothic and poetic atmosphere of the Burtonverse.

If the studio got permission from Jack Nicholson, they could use deep fake technology and speech synthesis software to make O'Donnell's face and voice transform into those of Jack's Joker. Nicholson was in his early fifties when he shot Batman '89, and O'Donnell is in his early fifties now. O'Donnell's about the same height that Nicholson was in his prime (5'9). They could always use a taller, lankier actor to play the Joker during the possession scenes (or Leonardo DiCaprio, if he was up for it) and just use O'Donnell for the scenes where he's Dick Grayson.

When O'Donnell was first cast as Robin it was back when Keaton was still on board to play Batman. O'Donnell said they were meant to have a father-son relationship, but that it changed to more of a fraternal relationship when Kilmer was cast. O'Donnell and Keaton worked together on The Company (2007) – which is pretty good, btw – and I'd still like to see them work together on a Batman movie.


Warner Bros. shouldn't underestimate the nostalgia a lot of people have for the Schumacher movies, and especially for Batman Forever.

But why would Dick become possessed by the Joker, considering he didn't become Robin until after Napier's death? And how do we deal with the presence of James Jr., since Babs is meant to be an embittered old maid in Batman Beyond?

In the comics James Gordon Jr. turned out to be a psychopath, and at one point he even used Joker venom to imitate the Joker's MO and make his father think the real Joker was responsible for one of his crimes. Instead of the real Joker kidnapping Tim in the flashback scene, we could have a similar flashback where Batman, Nightwing and Batgirl – all digitally de-aged – go to Arkham Asylum to investigate a Joker copycat, which turns out to be James Jr. Just as the flashback scene in Return of the Joker took place in the abandoned Arkham, so this one would take place in the Arkham Asylum from the Schumacher films.


There could be a throwaway line explaining that the facility was abandoned after Poison Ivy and Bane attacked it in B&R. Another option would be to have the flashback scene take place in the abandoned Axis Chemicals plant, where Napier was reborn as the Joker.

The Joker knew Batman's true identity in the original animated film, but this copycat Joker, being James Jr., has learnt the identities of the entire Bat-family after discovering his wife's secret double life. He might even have kidnapped Alfred as bait to lure them into his trap. He's somehow got his hands on Smilex (maybe he teamed up with Jonathan Crane to create it, which would offer us a chance to include a Burtonised Scarecrow in the flashback). During the confrontation, James Jr. exposes Nightwing to the new Smilex/fear gas hybrid. James Jr. falls to his death (as he did in Batgirl V5 #49), and Bruce and Babs rush Nightwing back to the Batcave to treat him before he succumbs to the Smilex.

Back in the present, Babs would tell Terry that Bruce developed a Smilex antidote that he used on Dick. But the antidote was imperfect, and consequently Dick suffered from long-term side effects that forced him to retire as Nightwing. It would gradually be revealed that these side effects included psychosis that left him mentally and physically susceptible to possession by the vengeful spirit of the real Joker, Jack Napier. Later Derek Powers would use a sample of this imperfect Smilex antidote to try curing himself, and its psychotic properties would contribute to his transformation into Blight.

After Bruce learns of the Joker's return, he goes to the Batcave laboratory and starts working to perfect the Smilex antidote. It would be this refined antidote that Terry uses to save Bruce after the Joker attacks him in the Batcave, and it would be this antidote that Terry injects into Dick Grayson at the end of the movie to permanently cure him and exorcise the spirit of Jack Napier. I'd much rather have Batman save Dick than kill him like he did in The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Dick, now free of the Joker's curse, would regain full health and reconcile with Bruce.

I reckon these ideas could work. We'd then have a series of six Batman films, beginning and ending with Joker movies, and all but two of them starring Keaton. Batman Beyond could connect the previous five films and tie them all together. Admittedly it might be easier to just ignore the Schumacher films and use B89, BR and The Flash as the springboard for Batman Beyond, but a part of me would like to see O'Donnell and the Schumacher Arkham make a comeback.

There could also be a line of dialogue where Bruce explains to Terry that the Jokerz street gang was originally formed from the remnants of the Red Triangle circus gang.

^^^

I like A LOT of this, Silver. I appreciate the post.

Course, with comics and this type of stuff, I tend to subscribe to the notion of it's not how you much you can throw away, but how much you can keep. Admittedly, I've gone back and forth on the Schumacher films being in the same universe as the Burton films. Generally speaking, I'm ok either way, but I grew up recognizing the 1989-1997 Batman films as being in the same continuity. So, as a consequence, it will pretty much always be my initial proclivity when it comes to that debate. I especially like your ideas for how to reintroduce Chris O'Donnell's Dick Grayson into the Beyond concept fold.

Also, 100% agree on "The Company". Watched it for the first time just last year. Very well done movie, with some strong performances.

Good post, SN. But I'm not seeing a clear arc for Terry.

If the objective is to put a bow around Keaton's take on Bruce Wayne then I think your idea should be greenlit yesterday.

But if the idea is to do the Batman Beyond concept and Terry character justice, then one movie is probably not enough to get the job done. Terry needs a story that establishes his character, his origin and his motivations. The animated series obviously used the murder of his father on the orders of Derek Powers, who went on the become Blight.

And frankly, I don't see any need to reinvent the wheel there. A feature length adaptation of the 'Rebirth' episodes would be a piece of cake. And that origin movie for Terry could also be used to set up SN's Return Of The Joker concept. That way, Terry gets an arc for himself and the Joker film isn't burdened with too much exposition.

I see it as a good balance, honestly.

I am not against picking and choosing continuity, however it seems definite that The Flash officially separates the Burton and Schumacher timelines. If Keaton didn't come back I wouldn't have a problem keeping the Kilmer/Clooney thematic continuation. I mean, it's there regardless of how one felt about the matter. But the fact Keaton is back changes things for me.

I want his timeline to be clean - consisting of just what he himself appeared in. The B89 comic wasn't the best, but that doesn't change my feelings on the matter. The general plot beats of that story I'm okay with. He had a Robin, Dent became Two Face and Selina reappeared...and outside of that nothing needs to be expanded upon in detail.

This is a fun video.

Course, now it's unlikely a Keaton Batman Beyond trilogy will ever happen, but I think I would've been very OK with these ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDIPqkhEL5o

Quote from: The Joker on Sat, 30 Sep  2023, 01:31This is a fun video.

Course, now it's unlikely a Keaton Batman Beyond trilogy will ever happen, but I think I would've been very OK with these ideas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDIPqkhEL5o

That outline for a Batman Beyond trilogy is so good, it's actually kind of painful to contemplate. I doubt the Christina Hodson-scripted BB movie would have been that good, but this video shows that other fans are clearly thinking along the same lines as us. If only the studio was too. :(

The AI-generated image of the Keaton clone is eerily evocative of a young Keaton, and yet strangely unlike him at the same time. It almost looks like a cross between Keaton and Paul Rudd. Very uncanny valley.


This guy ^, with the same strength, skills, intelligence and weaponry as Bat-Keaton but the mental stability of Patrick Bateman, would make a terrifying villain.

Back in 2019 the prospect of a Batman Beyond movie with Keaton seemed like an impossible dream.

In 2021 it seemed like a highly plausible possibility.

In 2023 it seems like a highly unlikely pipedream that's destined to be a missed opportunity.

But at least we have James Gunn's Creature Commandoes and Amanda Waller TV shows to look forward to...

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Sun,  1 Oct  2023, 15:16That outline for a Batman Beyond trilogy is so good, it's actually kind of painful to contemplate. I doubt the Christina Hodson-scripted BB movie would have been that good, but this video shows that other fans are clearly thinking along the same lines as us. If only the studio was too. :(

Indeed. Christina Hodson's script possibly would have attempted to squeeze too much into one singular film, causing it to be overstuffed. Or maybe it was proving to be a pretty decent script before she was told to stop? I would love to know more of the particulars on what she was going for, but the video's outline for a "Batman Beyond" trilogy, and to which more satisfyingly concludes Keaton's Batman arc (with the Burtonverse possibly continuing Beyond), is pretty good!

QuoteThe AI-generated image of the Keaton clone is eerily evocative of a young Keaton, and yet strangely unlike him at the same time. It almost looks like a cross between Keaton and Paul Rudd. Very uncanny valley.

(https://i.postimg.cc/TYkPwpK8/clone-keaton.png)

This guy ^, with the same strength, skills, intelligence and weaponry as Bat-Keaton but the mental stability of Patrick Bateman, would make a terrifying villain.

Good catch!

Yeah, it's a very intriguing concept. Especially the idea of Terry, then later, Terry and a older BatKeats, taking on a malevolent younger Keaton Batman clone that looks like he stepped right out of 1989, would have been a captivating visual spectacle for sure.

I can also easily envision this younger clone of Keaton's Batman going rogue against a Burtonverse Amanda Waller (similar to Simon Phoenix in the prophetic "Demolition Man"), where Waller was certain she had a 'secret advantage' in the event BatCloneKeats ever got out of hand, only to find out after the fact that BatCloneKeats had already quietly figured out a workaround just before her impending doom.

"That was supposed to be 100% fail-safe!"

"Things change."

I'd also give BatCloneKeats a mental disorder that's clearly obvious as the film progresses. Perhaps at first, he comes across as more stoic and cerebral ("Desperate Measures"), but as the story unfolds, becoming more and more unhinged, and visibly sinister ("Pacific Heights"). Though nevertheless extremely clever, and one step ahead of the game in outfoxing Terry.     

QuoteBack in 2019 the prospect of a Batman Beyond movie with Keaton seemed like an impossible dream.

In 2021 it seemed like a highly plausible possibility.

In 2023 it seems like a highly unlikely pipedream that's destined to be a missed opportunity.

But at least we have James Gunn's Creature Commandoes and Amanda Waller TV shows to look forward to...

(https://i.postimg.cc/8cxNRrMs/Untitled.gif)

You said it.

(https://media.tenor.com/xOR6HJFtwz4AAAAC/stressed-rubs-eyes.gif)

Quote from: Silver Nemesis on Sun,  1 Oct  2023, 15:16That outline for a Batman Beyond trilogy is so good, it's actually kind of painful to contemplate. I doubt the Christina Hodson-scripted BB movie would have been that good, but this video shows that other fans are clearly thinking along the same lines as us. If only the studio was too. :(

The part that's infuriating is the Keaton/BB concept sort of writes itself in some ways. It's such an obvious direction to go in. Plus, the fans would eat it up with a spoon.

It's a little mind-blowing to think that apparently nobody at WBD can see the potential here.

I think the problem that it's in the writting (let alone who would play Terry). This is what Paul Dini had to say when he was ask to pen a story

Quote"Alan [Burnett] and I actually worked on a Batman Beyond live-action feature. We worked with Boaz Yakin ... Boaz was talking to the folks at Warners about some projects, and he'd just directed Remember the Titans, which was a really good sports story, football story. One of the ideas that he liked was Batman Beyond ... but he really wanted to work on it with Alan and myself. So we had a number of meetings, and we actually all worked on a draft together."

"It was fine...it wasn't like [Return of the Joker]. It was set in Gotham future, but it didn't quite have the fantastic, futuristic edge. It was sort of like an amalgam, there was a little bit of Dark Knight, there was a little bit of contemporary comics, and there was Terry and the suit and everything. It was Old Bruce Wayne. So they were in it, but it was just a little bit...I dunno, for whatever reason, this was a more successful film. The first draft went in and needed some work, then basically everybody decided it was better, rather than spend a lot of time on this, let's just table it."

https://thedynamicbuzz.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/paul-dini-on-the-batman-beyond-live-action-movie-that-was-never-made/

Beyond holds alot of love and that carries on alot of baggage. I dont think right now is the time for it sadly. Keatons return in the Flash didnt do much and too many people are mad at WB that I don't see people finding a reason to support the movie.

Not to mention, if Paul Dini can't feel it out (and made changes to the material he helped create to adapt it better for live action), I see that as a warning on how bad this movie could go. It sounds like it wasnt really a Beyond film it just had Beyond characters.

But I guerentee when if it does get greenlit, people will find a way to tear it apart from announcement to opening day. Seems to be the fasion with anything Batman these days.

 

Quote from: thecolorsblend on Mon,  2 Oct  2023, 00:56The part that's infuriating is the Keaton/BB concept sort of writes itself in some ways. It's such an obvious direction to go in. Plus, the fans would eat it up with a spoon.

It's a little mind-blowing to think that apparently nobody at WBD can see the potential here.

There were a couple of execs at WBD that must've known about a Keaton/BB potential, seeing as Keaton still filmed a cameo in the second reshot ending for The Flash that got discarded for Clooney.  We can only thank you-know-who and his hatred for B89 for killing off that potential, among all the other DC stuff core fans wanted.

Speaking of you-know-who, it was announced today he's writing a second season of Peacemaker. Just what DC fans needed, no more Keaton but more idiotic gags of some douchebag saying Superman has a fecal matter fetish and telling Aquaman to go have sex with fish.

Just another rude wake-up call to anybody who expected this supposed DCU reboot was going to be legit.

Quote from: eledoremassis02 on Mon,  2 Oct  2023, 04:24But I guerentee when if it does get greenlit, people will find a way to tear it apart from announcement to opening day. Seems to be the fasion with anything Batman these days.

Batman is in a strange place currently. A year or two ago we had ZSJL, The Flash, the B89 comic and The Batman to look forward to. These are projects that either led nowhere and/or received a mixed response. Things have essentially now been slimmed down to what Reeves is doing, with a Gunn reboot lurking in the background which has question marks all over it. Batman is a popular character but brand recognition can't be taken for granted, and for the first time in a while there's an element of pressure and doubt. The Flash underperformed and there's frustration in the fanbase. I think it's showing how important a singular focus is, while still enjoying content that has been and gone.