An unannounced Batman movie starring Michael Keaton has reportedly been scrapped at DC Studios

Batman Beyond, new Batman movie, Michael Keaton, DC Studios, James Gunn

After rumors started swirling about a new Batman movie starring Michael Keaton getting scrapped by DC Studios, news hounds began sniffing around for answers about the unannounced project. According to The Hot Mic Podcast‘s Jeff SneiderThe Flash writer Christina Hodson was in the process of writing a spinoff revolving around Michael Keaton’s Batman. The spinoff would have served as a reboot, with Keaton playing an older Bruce Wayne mentoring a new Caped Crusader. After digging, The Wrap‘s Umberto Gonzalez said Hodson’s script was for an adaptation of Batman Beyond, a story involving Terry McGinnis as the new Dark Knight under an older Bruce’s tutelage.

We need to learn more to know how deep into the project Hodson was before DC pulled the plug on this curious endeavor. Naturally, DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery remain mum on the matter, which neither confirms nor denies the project was happening at any time. We know that under the old guard, Keaton was looking to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman across several projects in the coming years. Could Batman Beyond have been one of his many planned appearances? It’s common for cinematic universes to have an overseer like Nick Fury for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bruce Wayne would have easily fit the mold, given his practice of working in the shadows and gathering vital intel on heroes and villains. He’s probably got terabytes of disturbing information about everyone in the DCU stored on his Bat Computer.

Before DC canceled the film, Keaton played a part in Batgirl, which, according to the studio, will never see the light of day. Many fans were baffled by DC’s decision to scrap the film based on star power alone. It’s not every day Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, Leslie Grace, and Hollywood sweetheart Brendan Fraser go to Gotham City. News of the film being canceled shocked the project’s directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The duo says they’d be willing to work with DC again, even after the cancellation, but their future at the studio remains uncertain.

What do you think about DC allegedly canceling a Batman Beyond movie featuring Michael Keaton as a grizzled Bruce Wayne? Who would you have cast in the role of Terry McGinnis? Feel free to let us know in the comments.

Source: The Hot Mic, Twitter

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.