Michael Keaton’s solo Batman movie cancelled after James Gunn becomes DC Studios boss

9 December, 2022

Michael Keaton as Batman in the Tim Burton movie

Michael Keaton‘s rumoured solo Batman movie has reportedly been axed.

The star of Tim Burton‘s Batman and Batman: Returns had been rumoured to be returning to the role in a solo movie. However, it’s now been reported by The Hot Mic podcast [via Small Screen], that the project has been scrapped. According to the podcast’s guest, Jeff Sneider, this is in line with a number of moves taken by James Gunn and Peter Safran.

Keaton is still due to appear as Batman in the forthcoming DC movie, The Flash. However, it seems that previous plans to bring him into the current film universe of the comic-book franchise are now shelved.

The Flash
Keaton is still believed to be appearing as Batman in ‘The Flash’, which stars Ezra Miller. Credit: Alamy

The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzalez tweeted earlier this week that the Keaton solo-movie would have been an adaptation of the Batman Beyond cartoon series (see tweet below). The animated show aired from late 1990s and into early 2000s.

Batman Beyond focused on an older Bruce Wayne trying to fight crime in a cyber punk-themed Gotham City. Due to his age, Wayne had been forced to pass the mantle of Batman onto troubled teenager Terry McGinnis. The animated series even spawned its own feature film.

The reported axing of Keaton’s return as Batman in a major feature isn’t the only thing to come out of DC Studios this week. News emerged yesterday (November 8) that Wonder Woman 3 has officially been put on hold at DC Studios.

Director Patty Jenkins, who helmed both Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984, is believed to have handed in her treatment for the untitled film. This was then reported to have been turned down by Gunn and Safran. The studio heads reportedly told Jenkins, alongside Warner Bros. Pictures co-chairs and co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, that her treatment “did not fit the new plans”.

The news of regarding both the rumoured Keaton solo-movie and Wonder Woman 3 is inline with headlines that Gunn and Saffran are preparing to end the tenure of the DC Snyderverse, which started with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013.

 

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