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In the aftermath of the disastrous 1997 release ofBatman & Robin,Warner Bros. was desperately looking for ways to revive theBatmanfilm franchise. This led to the development of several unmadeBatmanreboot projects in the early 2000s, including one rumoredBatman Beyondmovie that would have starred screen icon Clint Eastwood as an aging Bruce Wayne.
The Batman Beyondanimated series was set in a futuristic Gotham City and followed a new Batman named Terry McGinnis, who is mentored by an elderly, withdrawn Bruce Wayne. CelebratedBatmanwriter Paul Dini, who co-created the show, revealed in an interview that Warner Bros. had approached him and Alan Burnett to pen a live-actionBatman Beyondscript in the early 2000s.
What was theBatman Beyondmovie plot?
As perSlashFilm, according to Paul Dini, theBatman Beyondmovie would have had a contemporary, gritty tone reminiscent of live-actionBatmanfilms.
He stated,“There was a little bit of The Dark Knight, there was a little bit of contemporary comics and there was Terry McGinnis and the suit and everything.”
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The film would have focused on Terry McGinnis as Batman, with legendary actor Clint Eastwood approached to play the older, grizzled Bruce Wayne. Like in the animated show, Bruce would have mentored Terry and aided him as the new Batman. With Eastwood nearing his 70s in the early 2000s, he would have brought a perfectly world-weary take on the aging hero.
So theBatman Beyondscript by Dini and Burnett was shaping up to be a street-level superhero film crossed with a mentor-protege drama starring two generations of cinematic icons. It likely took inspiration from Eastwood’s own vigilante movieGran Torinowhich was released a few years later in 2008.
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How didThe Dark Knightaffect plans for theBatman Beyondmovie?
TheBatman Beyondmovie featuringClint Eastwoodnever materialized. By the mid-2000s, Warner Bros. decided to take theBatmanfranchise in a different direction by greenlighting Christopher Nolan’s Batman origin filmBatman Begins.
The Dark Knighttrilogy went on to become a massive critical and commercial hit. So while Nolan’s grittyBatmanfilms prevented theBatman Beyondproduction from pushing through, Dini said the planned Eastwood movie did have shades of Nolan’s realistic tone and aesthetic years prior.
Even though a Clint Eastwood-ledBatman Beyondfailed to happen in the 2000s, the idea for a live-action take has lingered for years. Before the new DC Studios regime took over, writer Christina Hodson was developing such a film with Michael Keaton potentially reprising his Batman role as the older Bruce Wayne.
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And with the DC multiverse now in full swing, aBatman Beyondmovie featuring a fan-favorite Batman actor as a mentor to a newDark Knightcan certainly strike a chord with audiences. It might not have Eastwood’s gruff gravitas, but the general premise still holds promise.
Nivedita Dubey
Articles Published :82
Nivedita Dubey has 3 years of extensive experience in copywriting and content writing. She has written news articles for websites like, essentially sports, Comic Book Resources, Nerdstash etc.
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