A Michael Keaton Batman Beyond Movie Was In the Works at One Point

To quote Kevin Garnett in Uncut Gems, “Why would you show it to me if I can’t have it?” A new report says Michael Keaton was being eyed for Bruce Wayne again, but for a Batman Beyond movie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision newsletter, plans were in motion for a Batman Beyond movie after Keaton’s appearance in the upcoming Flash movie. Christina Hodson, who wrote Flash and Batgirl, apparently pitched a Batman Beyond idea “which had executives excited.”

Hodson began work on the script but following Gunn and Safran coming on to lead DC was told to stop work on the project. 

Sources say that with Keaton as an older Bruce Wayne, the project would have featured a romance between his Batman and Catwoman, possibly Michelle Pfeiffer’s version of the character.

All this is to confirm further that whatever DC project was in development prior to Gunn and Safran’s arrival is now effectively on hold until the two figure out their plans for DC. Man of Steel 2 with Henry Cavill has reportedly been put on hold, and Wonder Woman 3 is said to be dead after director Patty Jenkins refused to rewrite her story for the third movie with Gal Gadot.

Gunn issued a public statement on Twitter saying these reports are varying degrees of true, not true, half true, or not yet true or untrue depending on their plans.

But Gunn and Safran seem intent on taking the reins of DC, even if that means leaving behind promising projects from before their time.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.