Next Batman Film Franchise...

[Robin91939]

There isn't a place anymore to talk about what we want/expect from a new Batman franchise, so -- here we go!

Or rather.... Here. We. Go!


I'll pitch my idea for the next Batman film trilogy. It can't be like Nolan's. Nope, can't. No matter how much I love The Dark Knight Trilogy there is no reason to try an out-Nolan, Nolan. You can't do it. So, let Nolan's trilogy stay untouched, and do something else....something original. To that end...

No origin. Only in flashbacks. Two Batmans. You read that right....Two Batmans.

Both Bruce Wayne.

Let's have an elaborate detective story that stretches over three films in the next trilogy.

In the present, an older, grizzled, veteran Wayne is tracking down a murderer. Zsasz, Killer Croc, Mad Hatter, Calendar Man, could all fit in this role. Bottom line, introduce someone fresh and new.

As Bruce is tracking down this killer, he begins to find that there is a larger conspiracy in play. A grand mystery. Something from his past coming to torment his present.

Now -- it's up to Wayne to search through his past, his memories to uncover the truth in time to save the city.

We would have flashbacks to the past and see a fledgling Dark Knight Detective as he stumbles upon what he thinks are random acts, but turn out to be part of something much, much more. A plot that involve some of the Dark Knight's lesser known, or less exposed rogues. We can still give characters like Penguin and Catwoman their due, but also see characters like Deadshot, Ventriloquist, Deathstroke, and Zsasz. It would only make sense to have the Riddler be the mastermind of it all...but the who is not the overall mystery, it'd be the what and the why.

There is always room for references to other villains like Dent, Scarecrow and the Joker -- but there are ways to do a complete, excellent trilogy without them...

Can Bruce solve this mystery in time?

-------------------------

What this does is allow for us to see Batman's whole career in the perspective of three films. We can have the older, veteran Batman and the young, up and coming vigilante. We can have references and allusions to Robin, and we can flat out see him in flashbacks... We can see rogues from different eras of Batman and use them as they fit within the plot of the overall mystery. We can have Batman utilizing his detective skills first and foremost. We can do something completely different The Dark Knight Trilogy. But it could still be serious and dark and everything Batman -- but it won't be confined to any specific rules.

Cast:

Young Bruce Wayne/Batman:

-Luke Evans-


Older Bruce Wayne/Batman:

-Ray Stevenson-


Jim Gordon:

-Bryan Cranston-


Alfred Pennyworth:

-Hugh Laurie-


Selina Kyle/Catwoman:

-Missy Peregrym-


Edward Nasthon/The Riddler:

-Edward Norton-


....cont'd


-R

 

[Robin91939]

Rest of Cast:

Slade Wilson/Deathstroke:

-Josh Brolin-


Floyd Lawton/Deadshot:

-Vincent Cassell-


Hugo Strange:

-Christoph Waltz-


Anrold Wesker/The Ventriloquist

-Robin Williams-


Victor Zsasz:

-Ben Foster-


Thoughts?

What are your ideas?

-R

 

[Spider-Kurt!]

Pretty nice casting Robin. I've thought that Robin Williams would be a great choice for the Ventriliquist for a while now as well.

Here's my trilogy (subject to change)...


1st. Several months after the death of Jason Todd/Robin 2, a seasoned Batman has become more reckless and vengeful on his war on crime nearly killing Killer Croc in the process. Criminal profiler Hugo Strange comes to Gotham to do a case study on the Batman and suspects Bruce Wayne as being the Dark Knight. At the same time after discovering that Thomas Elliot is no longer funding the cryogenic preservation of his wife Nora's body Mr Freeze escapes the Arkham Asylum to extract revenge him.

Cameos by...

Jason Todd (Death in the Family flashback)
The Joker (Death in the Family flashback)
Nightwing (Stops Batman from Killing Croc)
Oracle (Heard communicating with Batman but never seen)

If I had it my way a Nightwing movie would come out several months later cronicling Dick Grayson's orgin from Robin to Nightwing.

I'll get back with you on part 2.

 

[Uroboric Forms]

It's an interesting idea... a three part story. Interesting casting too, but I think Hugh Laurie and Christoph Waltz are a bit ill-fitting for their roles. But I don't agree with trying to distance it so much from Nolan's films. Like, keeping from making the best decisions because they're what he might have done.

 

[Mister Meddle]

I think Matt Bomer (White Collar on the USA Network) would be the perfect choice for Batman/Bruce Wayne. Not only is he a great actor, especially when it comes to playing the suit and tie badass characters, but he literally looks like Bruce Wayne. He has the dark hair, the light blue eyes, the strong jawline, etc. Not only that but he looks similar to Henry Cavill since both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent look very much alike. There is a rumor he was up for the role of Superman but got shafted due to a personal reason.

 

[Robin91939]

I think Matt Bomer (White Collar on the USA Network) would be the perfect choice for Batman/Bruce Wayne. Not only is he a great actor, especially when it comes to playing the suit and tie badass characters, but he literally looks like Bruce Wayne. He has the dark hair, the light blue eyes, the strong jawline, etc. Not only that but he looks similar to Henry Cavill since both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent look very much alike. There is a rumor he was up for the role of Superman but got shafted due to a personal reason.

Personal reason being that he's now openly gay...

I love him as an actor and think he'd do fantastic as a younger Bruce Wayne but I think it will be a long time before a studio places their major heterosexual superhero franchise on the shoulders of an openly gay actor. Just the state of the game, currently...

-R

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

That guy looks the part, guess he shouldnt have come out so soon.

 

[Mister Meddle]

Lol yeah that was the personal reason. It's unfortunate because he is a terrific actor and I think he would be the perfect Bruce Wayne and Batman. But at times life isn't fair.

 

[omens]

I started thinking about something similar after watching City of Scars fanfilm. A trilogy with an overriding story arc. Something that you think is finished in the first film (so it stands alone and makes sense) but when you examine it, you realise there's more to it than what was seen/experienced.

The idea of flashbacks is great but how long would you expect a flashback to last? Seconds? Minutes? Half the film? Certainly there should be elements in each film that tie it all up.

 

[Shikamaru]

The reboot and all future Batman films should follow a loose continuity similar to the James Bond films IMO. I think we've reached the point where you can pull that off with Batman. Heck, I would argue you don't even need 1 or 2 villains per film anymore. You can do a Batman movie with multiple villains being used (as either major or minor villains) similar to many story arcs in the comics and to Arkham Asylum and Arkham City.


Also, I want to see "The Goddamn Batman" adapted onto the big screen. I'll explain what I mean by that. There are two versions of Batman that writers generally write. The first one is more of a realistic take on him like in Year One, The Long Halloween, and the Nolan films. This Batman is a vigilante that is an extremely skilled man that pushed himself to the limits to do what he does and to take out mobsters, drug dealers, and more grounded supervillains like the Joker, Two-Face, Riddler, etc. Then there is "The Goddamn Batman". This Batman is a man that pushed himself to the limits and beyond and became something that isn't just human, despite not having any superpowers. This Batman is the scariest and most dangerous living thing in the world. He is a prep-time monster. He is capable of defeating anyone, including the entire Justice League, as long as you give him a little bit of prep time. He is capable of going 3-4 days with no sleep or rest and is still capable of fighting at human peak level. He makes even the strongest superpowered heroes shiver in fear. This is the same Batman that makes people like Guy Gardner and the White Martians afraid. This is the same Batman that can pull plans and other things out of his *** and when asked how he was able to do that, someone else says "He's Batman!"


The Batman films we've had so far, specifically the Nolan films (minus TDKR which I disliked), did a good job at adapting "Batman" onto the big screen but we have yet to see a movie that adapts "The Goddamn Batman" onto the big screen. I think the reboot is the chance to do that especially since the possibility of the reboot being tied in to the JL movie exists.

That's what I personally want to see .

 

[Rocketman]

All I ask is that the next creative team is not afraid to explore the lesser-known characters in Batman's universe - to a very advanced degree. I have yet to see a Batman movie where it truly gives the average-joe-movie-goer a general "feel" of the comics. Lucius Fox was a great start... but they need to keep going.

Leslie Thompkins
Harvey Bullock
Rene Montoya
Huntress
Batgirl / Oracle
Black Mask

These characters have amazing cinematic potential. In a weird way, the movies so far have barely scratched the surface. We've gone nowhere with any Robin beyond Dick Grayson (and when we did have him, it wasn't good). Tim Drake, Jason Todd, Damien Wayne. One of them should at least be introduced.

WB should NOT be afraid of Robin. Embrace him. We should all embrace him.

There's just so much that they could do.

 

[Shikamaru]

I fully agree with that. The Batman movies we've had till now only touched the tip of the iceberg on what can be done with Batman in live-action.

Robin should definitely appear in the reboot. However, it shouldn't feel like "First there is Batman, then he adopts Robin, trains him, and joins him". Robin should feel as a mandatory partner to Batman. They need to explore the purpose of Robin existing in the first place, which is as we all know, is to keep Batman from crossing that line and becoming the Punisher or the Joker. If they do that, the public's perception on Robin will completely change.

 

[Robin91939]

Agree with all of these points. And I feel like a film that literally spans the entirety of Batman's career, utilizing an older and a younger actor as Batman would be the best way to present these characters as absolutes. They all just exist as characters in the world.

I'm sick of not seeing Robin in the films simply because we "didn't get to him." If Alfred can exist from the getgo, so can Robin. He is a character that is as much a part of the collective consciousness as Alfred or Gordon or even the Joker.

As far as the flashbacks, they can be anywhere from 20-30% of a given film and maybe that ratio can flip and one film in the trilogy is mostly the younger Batman. I just REALLY want to see that older, grizzled Batman who already knows it all and has been through hell and ready for more...

This kind of format can have Leslie Tompkins, utilize the entirety of the GCLD and introduce rogues without the need for origins...

Also, with an older Batman looking back on his past it opens the door for a very film noir, narration that would mirror the comics and could play very well.

-R

 

[Shikamaru]

He can't be too old though. The writers in the comics never age Batman past the late 30's/early 40's in mainstream canon stories.

 

[Shikamaru]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0BgWVEg-JM

By far the greatest Batman soundtrack to exist IMO. It would be so awesome if they used it in the reboot even though the chances of that happening are low to zero .

 

[Doc Samson]

Only things I don't want is another origin and another rehash of villains we already saw. No matter what universe, tone or approach they choose, we don't need to wait another 45 minutes for Batman. He needs his cave, his weapons & if Robin is to be there, let him exist too from the very outset. Get right into the story.

And while your at it, give some of these other great villains an opportunity. I have no desire to see the Joker anytime soon, if nothing else, Nolan proved you can pull off Batman movies without the classic villains everyone knows.

 

[Rocketman]

You know what? They should just use Batman: The Animated Series as their template. Everything was perfect. I still believe to this day that B:TAS is the greatest interpretation/version of Batman, ever, in any medium. That show gave us the best interpretation of Mr. Freeze, gave us the creation of Harley Quinn, had the perfect voices of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. It. Was. Perfect. And don't stop there. Use Shirley Walker's themes. Not the actual recordings, but incorporate her music into new material. And for God's sakes, get Bruce Timm and Paul Dini as creative consultants. Make them flesh out the story... And have someone else write the script. I'd even put Andrea Romano in charge of live-action casting. Screw it - take that whole creative team and just put them in charge of live action.

That show was perfect. Better than Burton, Schumacher, or Nolan. And it's the closest to the comics, too. And it wasn't afraid to be a cartoon, while also being serious, and sometimes downright dark - almost too dark. Darker than Nolan and Burton. I don't remember children being enslaved in the sewers by an alligator-loving pedophile in a Nolan movie, do you? (I would argue that he was a pedophile.)

The only honest complaint I would have about B:TAS (and this is a very minor gripe), is that they never really showed Bruce's parents get shot. It was always implied, and Mask of the Phantasm delved into Bruce's origin, but we still never saw the actual catalyst of what makes Batman Batman. That to me is essential, and they never did it. The obvious reason being that it was too violent for a cartoon to kill a mother and father in front of their child, probably.

 

[Shikamaru]

You know what? They should just use Batman: The Animated Series as their template. Everything was perfect. I still believe to this day that B:TAS is the greatest interpretation/version of Batman, ever, in any medium. That show gave us the best interpretation of Mr. Freeze, gave us the creation of Harley Quinn, had the perfect voices of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. It. Was. Perfect. And don't stop there. Use Shirley Walker's themes. Not the actual recordings, but incorporate her music into new material. And for God's sakes, get Bruce Timm and Paul Dini as creative consultants. Make them flesh out the story... And have someone else write the script. I'd even put Andrea Romano in charge of live-action casting. Screw it - take that whole creative team and just put them in charge of live action.

That show was perfect. Better than Burton, Schumacher, or Nolan. And it's the closest to the comics, too. And it wasn't afraid to be a cartoon, while also being serious, and sometimes downright dark - almost too dark. Darker than Nolan and Burton. I don't remember children being enslaved in the sewers by an alligator-loving pedophile in a Nolan movie, do you? (I would argue that he was a pedophile.)

The only honest complaint I would have about B:TAS (and this is a very minor gripe), is that they never really showed Bruce's parents get shot. It was always implied, and Mask of the Phantasm delved into Bruce's origin, but we still never saw the actual catalyst of what makes Batman Batman. That to me is essential, and they never did it. The obvious reason being that it was too violent for a cartoon to kill a mother and father in front of their child, probably.

I would argue the Arkham games have topped Batman TAS as the best version of Batman outside the comics because they literally brought back everything from Batman TAS that made it great (including the voice-acting) and incorporated it with the continuity and visual look of the comics. But I definitely agree with what you said. They should get Bruce Timm and Paul Dini to be consultants for the reboot just like how they got Nolan to be a consultant for Man of Steel.

Another good writer they could bring to write the reboot is Scott Snyder.

 

[conan69]

I gotta say I love the choice of Cranston as Gordon.





I've been saying saying Timm and Dini should be creative consultants on DCs movie properties for at least 10 years now.

Its seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[Rocketman]

When it comes to Robin, I think the average-joe audience assumes that we will always be getting one of the following two things:

... which is ironic, because when it comes to live action, when was the last time we got this?

And I feel like Warner Bros. is sucked into that line of thinking too. If it's Robin, it's either naked legs or nipples, with homosexual/pedophilia undertones. It just really frustrates me.

 

[BatLobster]

The only honest complaint I would have about B:TAS (and this is a very minor gripe), is that they never really showed Bruce's parents get shot. It was always implied, and Mask of the Phantasm delved into Bruce's origin, but we still never saw the actual catalyst of what makes Batman Batman. That to me is essential, and they never did it. The obvious reason being that it was too violent for a cartoon to kill a mother and father in front of their child, probably.

Also the fact that you never actually see The Joker kill anyone either. They did the best they could though, working within the constraints of having to be a kids' show.

Honestly though, if they were getting the band back together, I'd rather them just do animated film set in the world of BTAS. High budget though, hand-drawn but really epic in scale, released for theaters. Animation is the realm Dini and Timm are really at home in and I don't think anyone would oppose one more trip to that wonderful world. I always regretted not getting to see MOTP on the big screen. Total pipe dream though.

 

[Shikamaru]

Regardless of what they do for the reboot, there are two things that I want them to keep from the Nolan films:

1) I want the reboot to be just as dark as the Nolan films were - no campy or family friendly tone. Batman works the best when he is dark. Keep the dark tone that Nolan got right.

2) Keep the intelligence and complexity of the Nolan films. This means a story with tons of twists, tons of things that challenge you, great character development, good and strong themes, and with philoshopical/psychological arguments added in.

These two things are crucial to a Batman franchise and are part of what makes Batman who he is.

 

[Brother Jack]

I really wonder what assortment of stories and arcs from the comics that they're gonna use in the next series. Nolan and co. pulled from so many of the major ones that it might be difficult to find material to make the next franchise unique. But there's such a wealth of stuff that it probably won't be much of a problem, assuming that they'll even depend on it very much. I've thought for a while that whereas Nolan's trilogy was a grand sweeping epic depicting Bruce's entire character arc they next film series will be smaller in scope and more related to other characters, aka the Justice League.

 

[Ponyboy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0BgWVEg-JM

Loved the first 15 seconds of that... I still prefer Elfman's first theme for the 89 movie.

 

[The Guard]

Nolan and co. pulled from so many of the major ones that it might be difficult to find material to make the next franchise unique. But there's such a wealth of stuff that it probably won't be much of a problem, assuming that they'll even depend on it very much.

Nolan barely scratched the surface. I don't think finding inspiration for good stories and character exploration will be a problem.