How would you reboot Batman?

[DaveMoral]

You know, I really really really like the idea of approaching Batman as a franchise literally like James Bond. Every Bond film has it's title and 007, you could do that with Batman. Let's just say A Death In the Family. That would be the main title, what it's supposed to be known as but then you just have "Batman" on it somewhere or the Bat-symbol. Start a new precedent of just giving the story a title without having to actually put "Batman" "The Dark Knight" or some other moniker of Batman in the title. A Lonely Place of Dying is actually a Bond-like title to me.

It would break the mold of having "Batman" and then some single word after it too. "Returns" "Forever" "& Robin" "Begins" "Rises."

As a character, Batman really lends itself towards a Bond-like depiction even if it takes place in Gotham for the most part. You can hit those international stories, especially with Ra's al-Ghul.

 

[Lord]

Yeah, after The Dark Knight i was reallt thinking like that, but Nolan decided to instead end the story, and so, to make it a franchise like that they will aparently reboot again

 

[DaveMoral]

My only thing, at this point, is that there is absolutely no need for another origin story or a retelling of Thomas and Martha Wayne's murder. The only way, to me, that would be acceptable is to show the similarities of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson and WHY he would take this kid in and ultimately train him to do what he does. There's no need at all to show it as the motivation for Bruce being Batman or how Batman comes to be or the first time Batman is roaming Gotham and the reactions of city officials and Gordon.

Instead we need an established Batman, he's honed his craft, and he's known to Gordon and to the GCPD. I'm totally okay with drawing from All-Star, Dark Victory, Robin Year One(if they would use a Year One, that's the one to use), Batman Year Three.... anything with Dick/Robin's origins. But to do another telling of Batman Year One would just be underwhelming IMO.

The way I see it is while Year One is Miller's origin tale and Returns and Strikes Again are his ending tales for Batman and All-Star/DK: Boy Wonder take place between.. Year One has been used as a jumping off point for the entire main continuity of Batman up to now(I'm not sure with DCnU what the new origin tale for Batman is). Everything comes off that now. The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, The Man Who Laughs, all of it. Batman Begins can be used in a similar fashion for the next franchise, and probably TDK as well. They could easily use a Joker that is both similar to Ledger's Joker and moving more towards comic accuracy for the next franchise. Vaguely referencing TDK. Begins, however, is how it all got started. From there we just get new stories, new storylines. And they can make it seemingly never ending by being fully open to keeping a sort of loose continuity and being able to switch up actors. Personally I'd like to see that used as an opportunity to adapt the most important stories of the last 30 years. A Death In The Family and A Lonely Place of Dying in particular. First I'd want a solid trilogy about Grayson though, with the same cast throughout. And from there you go in the direction of having different casting if need be.

Problem with my desire to see adaptations done is that you'd need directors and writers who are willing to play ball. Which is probably unlikely, since anyone that wants to get on board Batman is going to be chomping at the bit to do what they want visually and storywise. How many directors and writers would be willing to be supervised by someone whose job it is to make a rough outline of the stories they want to showcase and keep continuity enough to make an ongoing storyline make sense?

 

[DaveMoral]

I just decided to read All-Star B&R again. Man, it's obviously pretty over the top in many many ways.... but Miller's ideas for the kind of guy Batman is are interesting. Like, it's not dumb "luck" that Bruce Wayne is at the circus that night and it's not just that it's a high profile circus event. It's that he's literally been scouting Dick Grayson for talent. He's been actively looking for allies, for an apprentice, someone to train, wage his war with and ultimately(I assume) pass the mantle on to. That's a very interesting idea. And in this story Grayson isn't just an accomplished aerialist... he's a black belt in some martial art.

Basically, this would be a great first act to a movie depicting Grayson's origin and entrance into Batman's world. From the opening shot of Dick on the trapeze, to the mysterious way in which Batman is introduced without a full shot until he nabs/saves Dick from the corrupt cops. To top it off, Miller has provided a link to the wider DCU via Vicki Vale(va va voom!) and her dictations for his column about Batman and the fact that Metropolis gets Superman while Gotham is cursed with Batman.

It's just freaking great IMO.

Also, I desperately want to see a Batman on-screen that has stubble in-costume.

 

[Jordacar]

Also, I desperately want to see a Batman on-screen that has stubble in-costume.

That's a stupid idea! You're stupid! jk

Anyway, Robin is one of the main reasons why I think Batman should move to TV, because it makes more sense to introduce Robin over a season of episodes than to try and play him out over a few films. (Kinda like Venom in SM3, whose awesome origin just doesn't fit into the blockbuster 3-act structure.) Same with all the rogues everyone wants to see.

I'm interested in seeing the saga of Gotham City, not these fleeting glimpses and varying interpretations we get in these movies, and a show would be a great way to unfold that.

Rather than building up to Justice League or something, I would do like TAS, keep the focus on the Batman world while quietly leaving the door open for maybe other non-Bat-type heroes and villains showing up someday. But the Batman world is so rich with characters, stories and ideas that you could do a complete 5-10 season series without directly referencing Superman or GL.

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

I'd do The Demon's Head story with Robin being kidnapped for the next movie. If it weren't for his overpowering accent I'd say someone like Gerard Butler. Make Batman more of a superhero. Jet setting the world. Give him the heroic looks, maybe a few dark one liners. Keep it serious, but like Law-Abiding Citizen or Colateral.

 

[DaveMoral]

I'd do The Demon's Head story with Robin being kidnapped for the next movie. If it weren't for his overpowering accent I'd say someone like Gerard Butler. Make Batman more of a superhero. Jet setting the world. Give him the heroic looks, maybe a few dark one liners. Keep it serious, but like Law-Abiding Citizen or Colateral.

Right, I believe the comic issue that storyline started in was called "Daughter of the Demon" and the BTAS episodes were The Demon's Quest.

I think that'd make a good story, but I don't think it would be a good intro to Robin. I think you have to show the murder of the Flying Graysons and how taking Dick in effects both Bruce and Dick. How it brings some much needed humanity to Batman, while at the same time how he could very well be scarring Dick Grayson for life by making him into Robin.

In my mind I see it as a trilogy telling Grayson's story arc. The murder, adoption and mentoring into the early stages of Robin in the first film. An established Robin in the second film building his and Bruce's relationship. The third film brings it back to the first with the full uncovering of the murderers of the Graysons, Robin being left out because Batman fears he will be consumed with anger and vengeance(Robin's Reckoning basically) and him splitting from Batman, abandoning the Robin persona and becoming Nightwing. Mix Robin's Reckoning from BTAS and Batman Year Three.

One could do the Demon's Quest storyline, but it wouldn't necessitate it being Dick Grayson that is nabbed by Ra's. It could be Jason Todd... which actually could be worked into making an adaptation of A Death In the Family since I'd rather see it be Ra's that the Joker is connected to rather than what was in the actual comic. I really like what they did with the Under The Red Hood DTV. That might work out better and get Jason travelling internationally in a more interesting way.

 

[Jordacar]

I don't want Bats to become like 007. Batman's way more interesting and complex than the two-dimensional, cookie-cutter Bond franchise.

 

[Damianwayne]

Said it before and i'll say it again batman beyond is the way to do it. I no it wont happen because wb is aiming for a JL movie but a boy can dream

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

I don't want Bats to become like 007. Batman's way more interesting and complex than the two-dimensional, cookie-cutter Bond franchise.

Why do you assume they'd be bad movies

 

[I Am The Knight]

Ridiculous. It's not 1947.

There was modern tech everywhere in those films.

Bruce was using CDs even.

Ugh, that Bat-Jam still haunts me to this day Takes me out of the movie every time.

 

[Lord]

Right, I believe the comic issue that storyline started in was called "Daughter of the Demon" and the BTAS episodes were The Demon's Quest.

I think that'd make a good story, but I don't think it would be a good intro to Robin. I think you have to show the murder of the Flying Graysons and how taking Dick in effects both Bruce and Dick. How it brings some much needed humanity to Batman, while at the same time how he could very well be scarring Dick Grayson for life by making him into Robin.

In my mind I see it as a trilogy telling Grayson's story arc. The murder, adoption and mentoring into the early stages of Robin in the first film. An established Robin in the second film building his and Bruce's relationship. The third film brings it back to the first with the full uncovering of the murderers of the Graysons, Robin being left out because Batman fears he will be consumed with anger and vengeance(Robin's Reckoning basically) and him splitting from Batman, abandoning the Robin persona and becoming Nightwing. Mix Robin's Reckoning from BTAS and Batman Year Three.

One could do the Demon's Quest storyline, but it wouldn't necessitate it being Dick Grayson that is nabbed by Ra's. It could be Jason Todd... which actually could be worked into making an adaptation of A Death In the Family since I'd rather see it be Ra's that the Joker is connected to rather than what was in the actual comic. I really like what they did with the Under The Red Hood DTV. That might work out better and get Jason travelling internationally in a more interesting way.

I like some of your ideas, i've been trying to propose for a long time that the Batman franchise could become like 007, having an infinite number of movies, with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight being treated as Batman's Year One, vaguelly mentioned, with Joker, Scarecrow and Two-Face being active but with the possibility of retcorning some things from these films like having Two-Face alive and the joker with his comic origin.

I would do a trilogy for Robin too, but it wouldn't be from Robin to Nightwing, it would be a trilogy for the evolution from Dick to Robin, in film 1 he's adopted and discovers Bruce is Batman, in film 2 he's being trained by Bruce and helps him in an Oracle style, place Lucius Fox has been filling, and in film 3 he finally becomes Robin.

I say, give time for the characters to develop, no need to toss Batgirl right after Robin, Batman movies can easily work with the Bond formula of a Bat villain each film, cars and cool gadgets, and maybe even a love interest for every movie, in fact, it can be deeper than Bond films while having a similar formula.

Batman is full of cool villain, i also proposed a tv show, something i think could work better for Batman

 

[Spider-Kurt!]

Anyway, Robin is one of the main reasons why I think Batman should move to TV, because it makes more sense to introduce Robin over a season of episodes than to try and play him out over a few films. (Kinda like Venom in SM3, whose awesome origin just doesn't fit into the blockbuster 3-act structure.) Same with all the rogues everyone wants to see.

I'm interested in seeing the saga of Gotham City, not these fleeting glimpses and varying interpretations we get in these movies, and a show would be a great way to unfold that.

Rather than building up to Justice League or something, I would do like TAS, keep the focus on the Batman world while quietly leaving the door open for maybe other non-Bat-type heroes and villains showing up someday. But the Batman world is so rich with characters, stories and ideas that you could do a complete 5-10 season series without directly referencing Superman or GL.

I agree with alot of what you said here Jordacar. While I'd most like to see an established Nightwing in the next series of Batman movie (with a Dick Grayson to Robin then to Nightwing prequel at some point) I think that ultimately a live action series is the best way to interpret that story.

 

[Jordacar]

Thx Kurt! I'm actually more interested in seeing an update of Robin than I am of Nightwing, because I think there's a lot if cool ideas that are usually glanced over or just plain stuck in the past.

 

[batman_1989_]

The next series should definetly focus on Bats' superior intelligence,perhaps taking a few cues from Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes (without the slow mo,of course).

 

[Fudgie]

I don't want the movies focusing too much on the detective work. You can show it without over indulging it.

 

[Lily Adler]

That gives me an idea. CSI: Gotham. It would totally work.

 

[gugumugats]

World's Finest.

OR

Gotham Central live action TV series (long shot I know)