Michael Keaton in talks to return as Batman

[eledoremassis02]

I'm just thinking the Joker breaking into the Batcave and it mirroring the buzzer scene but with laughing gas

"I'm really glad you'll be dead. hahHAHAHAHH"


My minds been going crazy this past week, Watching 89 now and the feeling that it could be coming back...MAN

Edit: Woke up with this on the first thing on my mind lol

[Silver Nemesis]

There have been rumours on Twitter over the past 24 hours that Warner Bros might be considering Bale as a possible backup in case the Keaton negotiations fall through. I'm also hearing that this is unlikely to happen and is merely a contingency that's being contemplated, while many are saying Bale probably wouldn't do it anyway. He turned down an insane amount of money for BvS and would be unlikely to return without Nolan, plus he's about to join the MCU in the next Thor film. It sounds like Keaton is still the studio's first choice.

It's interesting to think of all the things that have happened in movies, comics, TV and videogames, since Burton and Keaton last made a Batman film. I think many of the people who criticise their work fail to take into account the context of when they were made. Batman 89 began filming in autumn 1988, by which point the Post-Crisis canon basically consisted of Year One,Year Two, The Killing Joke and a few standalone stories. A Death in the Family had not yet been published, and Arkham Asylum and Gotham by Gaslight weren't released until 1989. Even when Batman Returns came out, so many of the classic Batman stories we now take for granted had yet to be given life.

There was no Knightfall, no Batman: The Animated Series or DCAU in general. There was no Contagion, No Man's Land, The Long Halloween, Hush, Court of Owls, Zero Year, or many of the other stories that frequently crop up on greatest comics lists. There was no Arkham videogame series, no Lego Batman, no Nolan trilogy, no bat-nipples, no Damian Wayne, no Batman Beyond, no Flashpoint, no New 52, and no Oscar-winning Joker performances.

So much has happened since 1992, it'll be fascinating to see how some of these things might influence Burton and Keaton in the future. If they return, that is.

It's going to be a long wait until the FanDome event in August.

That does introduce some discontinuity with Bruce's age. If we take Keaton's age literally, Bruce was 38 in B89. He appears to be about ten years old while Jack is 16 at the youngest when the Waynes are murdered. If Bruce was ten then his parents were shot in 1961 which, according to your screen shot, puts Jack at the age of 13. Even though he looks at least 16.

Interesting.

I think the characters are meant to be younger than the actors. That's certainly true in DeVito's case, but I imagine it also applies to Bruce and Jack.

Sam Hamm's original script describes Bruce as being 35 in Batman 89, but in real life Keaton had just turned 37 one month before filming commenced. I always assumed that 35 was his in-universe age when the Burton Batman began his crime fighting career. Kilmer and Clooney were both around their mid thirties when they shot their respective films, though of course they're no longer canon if the latest reports are to be believed. Keaton was 40 when he shot Batman Returns, but it isn't clear how old Bruce is meant to be when those events take place. Late thirties/early forties, I guess. I expect he's meant to be in his mid sixties in Flashpoint.

Napier definitely looked older than 13 in the Batman 89 flashback. I would have pegged his age at around 20 there, which would put him in his mid to late forties when he becomes the Joker. Again, slightly younger than Jack was in real life.

True. Nicholson's Joker seemed infatuated with Vicki Vale, right up until the scene he offered to "lend her a hand" as a gag. However, it's not like the Joker hasn't attempted to kill Harley before, but she continually would come back to him. Harley would be a different breed of infatuation or mad love for the Joker. Not being constantly drugged out like Alicia appeared to be, or just plain terrified of him like Vicki.

That's a good point. Harley would be more likely to take the Joker's abuse and keep coming back for more. It would be interesting to see Harley and the Joker fighting against Batman as allies, but I'd still rather Robbie's version and the Burton Joker remained separate.

The three Jokers concept is interesting and would allow them to have Leto's Joker exist in the Harley films, Burton's Joker to exist in the Keaton films, and then Phoenix's Joker to exist wherever he ends up (Reeves' films?).

The Autobiography Of Bruce Wayne is one of the greatest Batman tales of all time. I first read it totally ignorant of Earth-2 so I didn't understand the stuff about Bruce and Selina dying and the poignancy that was meant to have for readers more familiar with Earth-2. And I think that's one reason why the final page works so well. Selina's death happens off-panel in the story and Bruce's own death is implied at the end and I really dug the ambiguous note of it. There's finality but not much that's specific. And, with a better understanding of Earth-2 now, I think the ambiguous ending that I originally took from that story is better than Earth-2 Batman's actual death.

The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne ranks amongst my top ten favourite Batman comics of all time. It's the best of the Bronze Age Earth-Two stories, it's my favourite Scarecrow comic, and it's my favourite Bruce-Selina story as well (along with Batman Returns). I love Joe Staton and George Freeman's artwork, which blends the more detailed organic style of the Bronze Age with the clear lines and angular character designs of the Golden Age.

I also love how this story openly acknowledges the Earth-Two Batman's early use of guns and lethal force, whereas some other stories from that era tried to erase that aspect of the character's history. A fantastic comic all round. The unmasking scene already has strong parallels with the ending of Batman Returns, but I'd be thrilled if they referenced this story further in the upcoming films. Perhaps with regards to Selina reforming, assisting Batman and eventually marrying Bruce.

I suppose a lot of growth can happen during ten years. If you played any role in softening Jett's position on these matters then congratulations are in order for you. And for him as well, I guess.

Like I say, it could just be my ego making me think I helped tame the dragon. If Jett saw even half of the examples highlighted in our features, then he must have been in denial about the film's validity for quite some time. The HSK panels likely just tipped him over the edge into admitting that the movie was closer to the comics than he'd previously conceded. I've tried looking for the article where he mentioned the HSK comparisons, but I can't find it now. He might have deleted it.

It was my understanding that some of the other things we posted in our features, such as the similarities between Burton's Selina and the Golden Age Catwoman's original Elva Barr alter ego, had not been highlighted before. But maybe they had been. I wouldn't know, as I was never a member of the BOF message boards. The horror stories I heard about the moderators put me off joining. At any rate, here's a quote from the video Jett posted last week:

"I've said before that I don't like Batman Returns. I think it's more of a Tim Burton movie. But it's still a valid interpretation of Batman, because every writer, director, puts his own spin on Batman [...] and while I don't like Batman Returns, while I don't like BvS, I still would defend those directors, Tim Burton and Zack Snyder respectively, their right to make those films and let the audience judge."

There's some progress there. Or maybe he's just modifying his position because he knows a second Keaton/Burton era will bring renewed appreciation for their earlier work, and he doesn't want to be stuck on the losing side of a new fan war.

I'm often told that I'm one of the most sarcastic, cold-hearted man that some people have ever met. That's not always said with disapproval either, btw.

But even I think the sentiment above twists the knife.

Keep it coming, this is good stuff.

I try to rise above the fanboy wars, and yet I have such vivid memories of Bale fans trolling the IMDb back in the day. I remember this one guy who kept editing the B89 and BR FAQs to insert comments saying that the movies had nothing to do with the comics, and that Bruce Wayne should look like Christian Bale and not Michael Keaton. If Keaton and Burton do successfully return, it's going to be awfully tempting to turn the tables on those fans...

[eledoremassis02]

I try to rise above the fanboy wars, and yet I have such vivid memories of Bale fans trolling the IMDb back in the day. I remember this one guy who kept editing the B89 and BR FAQs to insert comments saying that the movies had nothing to do with the comics, and that Bruce Wayne should look like Christian Bale and not Michael Keaton. If Keaton and Burton do successfully return, it's going to be awfully tempting to turn the tables on those fans...

Oh, how I remember the 89 board on IMDB... I never understood the need to go in a thread/forum of something you hate just to talk about how much you hate it.

I also wonder how much of bringing Keaton back is because 89 merchandise still must sell pretty well (considering the uptick we've been getting the last 10 or even 5 years). Batmania lives on!

Edit: Also, the last year or so Dave Lea has been pretty vocal for doing one more Keaton/Burton film so here's hoping!

[thecolorsblend]

There have been rumours on Twitter over the past 24 hours that Warner Bros might be considering Bale as a possible backup in case the Keaton negotiations fall through. I'm also hearing that this is unlikely to happen and is merely a contingency that's being contemplated, while many are saying Bale probably wouldn't do it anyway. He turned down an insane amount of money for BvS and would be unlikely to return without Nolan, plus he's about to join the MCU in the next Thor film. It sounds like Keaton is still the studio's first choice.

Really? Weird. I heard the total opposite, that once Snyder came aboard, nobody even so much as mentioned Batman to him again.

But for me, Bale's portrayal of the character is inextricably linked to Nolan. Frankly, I don't think I care to see him play the character unless Nolan's directing. And somehow, I don't think Nolan's coming back.

Although hell, these days never say never...

It's interesting to think of all the things that have happened in movies, comics, TV and videogames, since Burton and Keaton last made a Batman film. I think many of the people who criticise their work fail to take into account the context of when they were made. Batman 89 began filming in autumn 1988, by which point the Post-Crisis canon basically consisted of Year One,Year Two, The Killing Joke and a few standalone stories. A Death in the Family had not yet been published, and Arkham Asylum and Gotham by Gaslight weren't released until 1989. Even when Batman Returns came out, so many of the classic Batman stories we now take for granted had yet to be given life.

True. I was thinking the same thing a few months ago, especially with BR. Knightfall, Contagion, No Man's Land, Hush, so much of what I consider to be MY era of the character was still to come. Even BTAS hadn't aired yet.

If it was possible to somehow return to myself circa 1992 Days Of Future Past-style, I wonder how odd it would be to get into the character as he was at that time. Back then, the Joker still committed crimes. He hadn't become the psychotic clown-themed mass murderer that he is now. So that would be a welcome change. But other stuff would be missing, like Bane, a more credible and modern Penguin, Batman and Nightwing being on relatively better speaking terms, Batman treating Tim like more of a legit partner, etc. Even Batman's relationship with Gordon was overall healthier in 1992 than it would become by, say, 1994. They buried the hatchet in NML but things were never completely the same.

Anyway.

Keaton!

[Silver Nemesis]

Really? Weird. I heard the total opposite, that once Snyder came aboard, nobody even so much as mentioned Batman to him again.

Actually, you're probably right. I'm likely misremembering the various conflicting stories from 2012-2013. I think Bale was made some sort of informal offer to stay on after TDKR, but told the studio he wouldn't return without Nolan. Something like that. By time Snyder was on board, and the BvS concept came up, Bale was probably already gone.

But for me, Bale's portrayal of the character is inextricably linked to Nolan. Frankly, I don't think I care to see him play the character unless Nolan's directing. And somehow, I don't think Nolan's coming back.

Although hell, these days never say never...

It might happen a long, long, long time from now, if Nolan has a fresh idea on how to approach the character and needs to pay off the mortgage on his latest mansion, but I'm doubtful. The difference between Burton and Nolan is that Nolan and Bale got to conclude their Batman series the way they wanted to. Burton and Keaton didn't. Keaton in particular has often spoken of wanting to delve deeper into the character's head and explore his back story, but he never got the chance. Until now.

If Burton does conclude his trilogy with Batman Beyond, then both he and Nolan will have made two Batman films set reasonably close together, followed by a third which takes place in the future. TDKR took place 8 years after TDK, while BB will take place roughly 30 years after BR. But if things go according to plan, then Bat-Keats will not be limited to Burton's trilogy the way Baleman was to Nolan's. At the very least, Keaton will also co-star in Flashpoint. Which means A) the number of Bat-Keaton films that currently exist will have doubled in the next four or five years, and B) Keaton will have starred in the same number of Batman films as Chris Reeve did as Superman. And that's assuming he doesn't appear in any further DC movies after BB, which he might very well do. Then there's the possibility of a tie-in comic taking place between BR and BB, or perhaps even an animated anthology in the style of Batman: Gotham Knight (2008).

Exciting times indeed.

Here's a question to everyone on the site – if you could pick five classic Batman villains to appear in a Burtonverse comic, each re-imagined in a Burtonesque style, which would you choose?

[The Dark Knight]

I try to rise above the fanboy wars, and yet I have such vivid memories of Bale fans trolling the IMDb back in the day. I remember this one guy who kept editing the B89 and BR FAQs to insert comments saying that the movies had nothing to do with the comics, and that Bruce Wayne should look like Christian Bale and not Michael Keaton. If Keaton and Burton do successfully return, it's going to be awfully tempting to turn the tables on those fans...

I'm going to ramble here but I'm feeling this right now, so here we go:

I don't believe any Gods exist, but I do think there's something there with karma, irony, or whatever you want to call it. Recent months have woken me up again in that regard. I like to be a realist, but for whatever reason things can turn around on you, so it's best not to rule anything out. It's best to say "I don't think so, but you never know." Forever is a long time – moods change, things go in and out of style. A big thing is the energy you bring and the momentum that creates – which then becomes a trend and can very hard to turn around - whether that be positive or negative. I hate complacency and the huge trouble that brings. As a rule, I go into something expecting to lose so I can plan to win. That's the best way to be.

Here's a question to everyone on the site – if you could pick five classic Batman villains to appear in a Burtonverse comic, each re-imagined in a Burtonesque style, which would you choose?

In no order: Mad Hatter, Clayface, Killer Croc, Two-Face, Man-Bat.

[thecolorsblend]

Here's a question to everyone on the site – if you could pick five classic Batman villains to appear in a Burtonverse comic, each re-imagined in a Burtonesque style, which would you choose?

Two-Face for sure. Also, Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Poison Ivy and The Monk.

[BatmanFurst]

It's interesting to think of all the things that have happened in movies, comics, TV and videogames, since Burton and Keaton last made a Batman film. I think many of the people who criticise their work fail to take into account the context of when they were made. Batman 89 began filming in autumn 1988, by which point the Post-Crisis canon basically consisted of Year One,Year Two, The Killing Joke and a few standalone stories. A Death in the Family had not yet been published, and Arkham Asylum and Gotham by Gaslight weren't released until 1989. Even when Batman Returns came out, so many of the classic Batman stories we now take for granted had yet to be given life.

There was no Knightfall, no Batman: The Animated Series or DCAU in general. There was no Contagion, No Man's Land, The Long Halloween, Hush, Court of Owls, Zero Year, or many of the other stories that frequently crop up on greatest comics lists. There was no Arkham videogame series, no Lego Batman, no Nolan trilogy, no bat-nipples, no Damian Wayne, no Batman Beyond, no Flashpoint, no New 52, and no Oscar-winning Joker performances.

So much has happened since 1992, it'll be fascinating to see how some of these things might influence Burton and Keaton in the future. If they return, that is.

This is exactly my problem with a lot of the criticisms towards the 89 film. It feels like people are looking at it through the lense of the 80 years of Batman content that we have now rather than the 50 years that were around at the time.

That's also why I don't really care about the whole Batman killing thing in the 89 film. If you look at the 50 years of content Batman as a character is all over the place. So who's to say what the definitive Batman was at the time? I know people look at Dennis O'Neil's Batman as the template for the character but I think it's unfair to say that Burton should've used something that again within the context of 50 years was somewhat new albeit by 15 years. Also, if the whole one rule thing was the only way to adapt the character why didn't the number of people that Burton consulted inform him of this? Why didn't Sam Hamm, or Michael Uslan (Both big Batman fans) say something? Why didn't Bob Kane, or Alan Moore say something about it?

[The Dark Knight]

If Burton does conclude his trilogy with Batman Beyond, then both he and Nolan will have made two Batman films set reasonably close together, followed by a third which takes place in the future. TDKR took place 8 years after TDK, while BB will take place roughly 30 years after BR.

Just like Equinox seeks to create balance in the universe, observations like these make me FEEL like Keaton's return is likely. BR also has a time jump of 33 years following the Penguin's origin story flashback.

[Silver Nemesis]

There's not been much in the way of major developments over the past few days, but here are some small things to keep the thread bumped.

Firstly, producer Michael Uslan has neither confirmed nor denied the reports of Keaton's return. However, he did post a link to a site reporting the story last week.

He made another post asking fans which comic book DC heroes they think Batman could mentor.

And he posted some fan art relating to the return of Keaton's Batman.

He's also been posting quite a bit about Batman 89 recently. I don't know if we should read anything into this or not, but since we're documenting all the speculation in this thread I figured it was worth mentioning.

It's been confirmed that Flashpoint director Andy Muschietti will be attending the FanDome event in August. We should get confirmation by then, if we haven't already.

I'm growing more and more sceptical about Depp playing the Joker. It may well be the case that AT&T/WB are planning to remake Return of the Joker, but in light of the controversy surrounding his ongoing court case I just don't see Depp being a bankable star right now. The DCEU already has enough baggage on its hands with Amber Heard and Ezra Miller.

One way around the Miller problem might be to recast the role and have the new Flash debut as soon as he wakes up in the Burtonverse/Flashpoint universe. His appearance could change right at the start of the film, thereby removing the need to use Miller at all.