The UNMADE Michael Keaton Batman Films

[@OwenLikesComics]

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[@TetsuShima]

*Fun fact:* Apart from Batman'89, there's Superman '78 (written by Robert Venditti), which adapts the original plot of Superman III with Brainiac Richard Donner planned before leaving the franchise. It's truly the sequel we the fans deserved

[@OwenLikesComics]

Yes! I haven't read Superman '78 yet but I'm excited to.

[@owensreviews625]

I find it fascinating how Michael Keaton’s Batman had the potential to the best Batman, but that kept getting squandered ether through diverting the focus away from him and his character development or the fact that a lot of projects he was supposed to be in got canceled.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

It would have been interesting to see him portraying a Bruce Wayne who adopts a circus brat and goes "Ohh. I'm responsible for him now."

[@hunterprice3320]

Keaton is my favorite and idk why lol. Just something about him. I wish he had done more Batman movies.

[@TetsuShima]

The fact that many fans were upset when Keaton, known at the time as Beetlejuice, was cast as Batman shows why said portrayal works so well. Unlike Ben Affleck's and Christian Bale's versions, Michael Keaton's Bruce literally doesn't physically or psychologically appear to be secretly Batman at all, which makes his way of keeping his identity a secret all the more sense.

[@N3wman2992]

Damm, that’s a really good point

[@katherinealvarez9216]

That's true, he was Mr. Mom to everyone.

[@russellwboss]

That is an excellent assessment. Every time I see Bale as Wayne, my suspension-of-disbelief starts to slip.

[@russellwboss]

Case in point, the scene in the first Burton Batman where he is having a date with the love interest and they are placed alone at opposing ends of a long dining table and it's inherently awkward but Keaton doesn't seem to really understand it's awkward until she says something. There is an innocent naivety that Keaton's Bruce has that traps him between being out of place and comprehending what exactly is out of place. His demeanor is that of someone going through the motions learned from his isolated upbringing and therefore certainly not capable of embracing his environment enough to take up the mantle of a vigilante. When Bale's Wayne is acknowledged as Batman and another character acts with surprise it's hard to believe. Even an actor as fine as Gary Oldman can't sell being surprised by the discovery. It's almost like the only buyable response would be "oh yeah, okay."

[@mattdawg83686]

It wasn’t so much Beetlejuice that got heat for Keaton’s casting, but the Mr. Mom movie from years prior.

[@ModeMan101]

While I think the idea of bringing Keaton back as the DCEU's Batman would ultimately not have done the character justice (except perhaps in the Batman Beyond film), it's a shame we'll never get to see the scenes he filmed for those other two projects.

[@avisionleshawn1116]

I loved Michael Keaton's Batman since I watched Batman returns as a kid Back in 2010 when I was 9 years old Michael Keaton will always be my favorite Batman and his legacy will live on forever

[@sideskroll]

You're a good kid. Most of your generation are stupid and have poor taste. Keaton IS Batman.

[@MarkPollard-yx8qg]

I was 17 when batman came out I loved it I showed it to my mum before she died she thought batman was the camp 66 TV show she didn't understand batman was meant to be dark I never got to show her batman begins ahe died 05

[@MarkPollard-yx8qg]

Batman forever and batman and robin were made to sell McDonald's and toys

[@outpostalpha]

Fascinating video! I had no idea just how many ideas and attempts there had been to bring back Keaton's Batman.

[@OwenLikesComics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@extremetoast5723]

These sort of stories about cancelled projects and potential crossovers just goes to show that a shared comic book movie universe was always inevitable. Studios were always trying to get these properties off the ground and crossing over, it just so happened that they didn't really succeed in a big way until the MCU. Batman showing up in Superman Lives, the Trial of the Incredible Hulk movie, the cancelled BvS movie, just to name a few. If the MCU didn't take off in the way it did I'd bet they'd still be attempting crossovers now.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

It was just a cameo, basically a fancier version of the Metropolis/Superman references in Forever and B&R.

[@ProjektTaku]

@@JDoe-gf5oz still a shared universe. The mcu was originally built on cameo's between movies.

[@ivanagustinortiz5237]

​@@JDoe-gf5ozremember that the only thing that tied Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk together was some Stark Industries logos and Robert Downey Jr. Appearing at the end of The Incredible Hulk.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

@@ProjektTaku Not really. There were no plans in the '90s of having Keatonman team up with Superman. It was literally just a cameo. What the MCU did later has no relevance.

[@ProjektTaku]

@@JDoe-gf5oz but the cameo does at least imply a connection.

[@harsyakiarraathallah2222]

If only Batman can be Directed more by Burton. I just want more of Keaton and his Idea of his Version of Batman. I mean who doesn't want to see a Black Two Face and Robin and Robin Williams Riddler.

[@theantone7476]

Michael Keaton is the definitive Batman in live action, no question. Hes dark, brooding, willing to kill if necessary, still very troubled from the trauma of his parent's murder seeing him as socially awkward and living an isolated life. He speaks in a soft tone but still comes across as menacingly and was able to clean up Gotham

[@ProjektTaku]

him being willing to kill is kind of why I don't like him as much. Yes batman did originally kill, but so did superman, and what's more he used guns back then as well. Its just kind of antithetical to batman.

[@theantone7476]

@@ProjektTaku Batman should kill because the no-kill rule like with Joker in mind is nonsensical

[@TetsuShima]

I hate how the Keaton's franchise was ruined simply because some parents complained about the tone of the movies and DC feared to not sell McDonald toys. Imagine how Tim Burton must have felt watching how his vision of Batman was ruined becauze of that stupid reason

[@ProjektTaku]

And donner's franchise was derailed because of a bad relationship with the salkinds. He barely got a directors cut of superman 2 26 years later and he never got to realize his superman 3 brainiac story on the big screen. Come to think of it, why does brainiac have such a cursed movie history? He was removed from superman 3, he was planned to be in the cancelled superman lives movie, he was also planned to be in the superman returns sequel (idk why they didn't have him appear in the first superman returns instead of bringing lex back again) and also planned to be the villain for the cancelled MOS 2.

[@TetsuShima]

​@@ProjektTaku Superman 3 deserves much more hate than Superman 4. I cannot believe that, after two epic films wirh Luthor and Zod, they made a really unfunny Richard Pryor the villain of a Superman movie that doesn't even feel like a Superman story. EVEN THE SUPERGIRL MOVIE WAS FAR BETTER THAN THAT SH*T

[@ProjektTaku]

@@TetsuShima honestly, yeah. At least in superman 4 we got a discount bizarro as the villain in nuclear man. Really superman 3 is just a such a let down when you learn about its original concepts involving brainiac, Mr Mxy and Supergirl, whereas superman 4 was basically just made as it was originally envisioned, only difference being that nuclear man was originally more bizarro like.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

Returns made $100 million less than the first movie. That's why Burton didn't return. A parent backlash is just an excuse.

[@ProjektTaku]

@@evanzaremba4722 he was tho, at the very least he had an idea of what to do after 2, and so did the salkinds, its just that they were both conflicted on where to take the franchise.

[@pious83]

Always regret the missed opportunity that a "World's Finest" film was never conceived or considered for Michael Keaton and Christopher Reeve. Such a shame neither were ever depicted together. I still look to him as the definitive Live Action Batman though. Kevin Conroy immortalised the voice of animated Batman.

[@ProjektTaku]

especially since they were born only a year apart, although I like the idea of superman lives and cage's superman also being in the same world since they're both directed (or were going to be directed) by burton and keaton was planned to show up as a cameo in lives.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

@@Superlad945 Did you just have a stroke? All the worlds stuff is just fanfiction for nerds.

[@ProjektTaku]

@@Superlad945 neat. I'm kind of relieved forever and robin are are their own universe, cause it kind of means we can have 2 versions of the keatons batman. One which follows up returns with continues and another with forever and robin, and they also have their own supermen linked with them.

[@ProjektTaku]

@@Superlad945 I just can't believe 2 of the biggest superheroes in the world, superman and batman, had their near perfect trilogy plans derailed by studio interference and director replacement. Like could you imagine a world where both richard donner's superman 3 with brainiac and burtons batman continues both came out? Even if they both still had 4 and robin it wouldn't matter since the directors could've completed their legendary trilogies.

[@cville991]

Imagine having Michael Keaton’s Batman vs. Toby Maguire’s Spider-Man? That would’ve been awesome.

[@screenwriterjohn]

Keaton hid from the Batman legacy for awhile. The question is what would have happened if Burton had made a kid-friendly sequel.

[@adisassy4579]

Yup Imma head canon Batkeaton and Supercage in the same universe. Always thought that would've worked out considering they're Burton creations anyways.

[@StoneAxeArky]

Another excellent video! While Keaton has never been my favorite version of Batman, I still really like and respect his take on the character, especially as I've gotten older. I think his version of Batman definitely deserved more and it's a real shame that it seems like the last film to have his version of Batman is the Flash (I enjoyed the movie, but it's a shame that we won't get more of him after, it seems; as well, I think we are supposed to infer that it's an alternate version of his Batman). I did enjoy the Batman '89 comic mini-series by Sam Hamm, though a few things with the ending of it made me go "Whaaaaaaaat?????". I really hope we get more comic content set in that universe, though I get the impression that might be it for a while, and those things that left me asking questions with the ending may never be resolved. Oh well, it is worth reading regardless.

[@darthgoku90]

I honestly wouldn't have even seen the Flash movie if it weren't for Michael Keaton's involvement, so I really don't care to see yet another Batman reboot in place of a Batman Beyond movie with Keaton. Crazy how we almost got to see him play Batman again 25 years ago for Superman Lives, even if it was only gonna be a cameo. Not sure if him delivering a public speech for Superman's funeral would be in character for him though. I think he'd probably would've just attended the funeral in the shadows on a rooftop or something, like in the episode of the animated Justice League series. Then again, he did write that letter for the citizens of Gotham at the end of the 89 Batman movie, so maybe it wouldn't be so out of character for him to do a PSA too.

[@joker-sh5hv]

god i just want that batman beyond movie

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

Lol you're never getting it.

[@joker-sh5hv]

@@JDoe-gf5oz I know 😞

[@MegaMan-bs3oy]

Cant imagine I never got my third Keaton film because of fucking McDonalds. Damn. From killing people with their shit food to killing my childhood dreams.

[@random_is_not_a_studios]

Let's not forget that also because of the toys of MC Donald's Sonic 3 had to come out incomplete and in a hurry, having to leave a lot of discarded material (Having to come an expansion pack "Sonic & Knuckles" to just be complete)

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

>movie massively underperforms >somehow McDonald's fault

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

@@evanzaremba4722 Parents didn't make the movie underperform though. That was all on weird Burton.

[@nickhowell3678]

0:00 ohhh man this is gonna be a banger for sure ‼️🙏

[@JacobElyachar]

Fabulous video, my friend!!! Michael Keaton's Batman remains one of my all-time favorite live actions portrayals!

[@OwenLikesComics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@harsyakiarraathallah2222]

Don't just Stop with Burtons Batman 3 Film, we need Burtons 4 and 5 Film.

[@aurahoneydew9607]

"at the time" still is normally not for digitally de aging to keep legacy character but i would be down for that Batman to continue.

[@darren.mcauliffe]

WB in the 90s: "The Burton films made Batman popular again, because it wasn't like that 1960s show. So let's start making the movies more like that 1960s show."

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

Also WB: Holy crap Batman Returns just made $100 million less than the last one and had mixed critical reception. Maybe we get a less weird director.

[@samwill7259]

Well now we have an example of Michael Keaton Batman movie we WISH hadn't been made! For variety (It's only fair for cancelling Batgirl at the finish line, may that curse follow Zaslav to the grave)

[@Prf_X]

for me Kevin Conroy is the first Batman who comes to mind then MK, Christian Bale, Adam West in that order

[@justicerefrigerationcallth1576]

We were robbed nearly 30 years ago of what could have been and it just happened again. Thank God they didn't scrap the Flash and we got him one more time.

[@dr.sackman1683]

Yet another Owen banger comes

[@grahamturner1290]

Excellent as always. 🦇

[@OwenLikesComics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@okidokicreations1075]

Great video like always, Congratulations 👍👏🏅🥳🤗👌🥇😊🎖🏆

[@OwenLikesComics]

Thank you!

[@theflash9767]

Michael Keaton's portrayal of Batman is often considered one of the best because of his ability to balance the dual personas of Bruce Wayne and Batman. He brought a certain depth and complexity to the character that hadn't been seen before. His Batman was dark and brooding, while his Bruce Wayne was charismatic yet subtly tormented, a balance that has been challenging for some actors to achieve. As for interesting video ideas, exploring the world of indie comics could be a fascinating journey. Dark Horse and Image Comics have a plethora of unique and captivating stories that often fly under the radar. A deep dive into series like "Hellboy" or "Saga" could offer viewers a fresh perspective on the comic book medium outside the mainstream Marvel and DC universes. Another intriguing idea could be to spotlight underrated gems within the Marvel and DC universes. Characters or story arcs that didn't get as much attention but offer rich narratives and character development. For instance, DC's "Omega Men" by Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda or Marvel's "Moon Knight" series. Lastly, a series on the evolution of comic book art, examining how it has changed and evolved over the decades, could be a visually stunning and informative exploration. This could include highlighting influential artists and their impact on the industry. These ideas could provide a fresh perspective on the comic book industry and offer viewers a deeper understanding of the medium's breadth and depth.

[@fazbeargaming8731]

#BringBackMichaelKeatonForFuture DCU films

[@seanrowe6973]

Thanks Owen!

[@OwenLikesComics]

You're welcome!

[@maxordman4100]

Batman forever will always be a special classic movie for me and it’s an iconic and amazing story that I have a special connection with because it was a story that came out during the peak of my childhood but at the same time even though I have a higher opinion of the true third Batman movie I won’t ever deny that Michael Keaton left a special mark on the Batman character and I too would’ve supported seeing him in another project. Also I like how the more popular ideas here strongly suggest that if Keaton came back to Batman again, they wanted to do something creative and or tie him into a larger storyline. I certainly would prefer that he play the part and truly stay an iconic character without having a regression back to the format of his original two movies. Great report!

[@TetsuShima]

I love how this Batman is heavily inspired by his Golden Age version. Despite preferring to lock up criminals, he has no qualms about killing his enemies when he sees fit. I've always preferred that type of Batman more. In fact, am I the only one who thinks that a crossover story with Golden Age Batman and Rorschafh would be the SH*T?

[@frogurtcremebrulee5252]

Imo Batman should never kill but it’s still a unique take on the character.

[@sideskroll]

@@frogurtcremebrulee5252 Thats what stupid boy scout characters like Superman or ALL of Marvel exist. Batman is a vengeful vigilante, not a "superhero". Or at least he should be.

[@decidiumz175]

@@sideskrolli dont think you understand why most ppl like batman. The best part of Batman is his compassion towards gotham. Mowing down enemies and being the justice jury and executioner is too far. It’s disrespectful. He’s not the punisher. And he isnt some revenge obsssed twerp. He uses personal trauma to motivate and fuel his quest to save others from it

[@sideskroll]

@@decidiumz175 I only understand/care for Burton's Batman. Never liked comic books. I've read MAYBE 2 or 3 in my lifetime. But I absolutely ADORE Keaton as Batman. That's why I said "at least he SHOULD be". Superheroes, "compassion", "justice" are idiotic concepts for me. At least in the context of these movies.... No, scratch that. In real life as well (most of the time)

[@MrJ1Horrordirector]

mark my words....superman lives will be made one day in some form. we live in that kind of world now. Its a blessing to be a fan these days and have a vote and voice but also a curse. cause we tend to fuck things up to the worst cuz of our endless crying and toxicity im not like that but it would be unfair not to include myself. Plus i dont wanna get killed by some nerd. thats the place we live today -_-

[@armandotorres8962]

By Presence, how many ideas did they have with Keaton Batman?!

[@ZachBPresentz]

stop playin' me out...I'm Keaton, I'm Hamill, I'm Conroy, I'm West, I'm Pattinson, I'm Fatbleck, I'm Kilmer, I'm Clooney, hell, I'm even Jorah Mormont, for fux sake. I'm everyone, I'm no one, I'm someone....I'M BATMAN.

[@SirTyJensen]

The Flash is fun, I seen it twice. Its a shame Batgirl was cancelled.

[@random_is_not_a_studios]

I just want to say that if you expect Batman 89 (the comic) to be an epic conclusion to the third part of Keaton's Batman and devised by Burton ... Well believe me you will be disappointed

[@no_no_just_no]

Dark, mature and psychological roots....the roots of batman are anything but.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

Apparently Batman was created in the 1980s now.

[@BlackAngusReviews]

Wow this is great, I’m not even a Keaton fan

[@alexmeza6486]

If Warner Bros decides to bring back the Batman Trilogy with Michael Keaton 🤞, they better bring Tim Burton back for the Directors Chair, and if they do and if Tim Chooses a new DC Villain that hasn't gotten a Chance in a Batman Film yet, I think Tim Burton should choose The Scarecrow and cast Ethan Hawke as the character

[@kerryduke5232]

Black Mask and Mad Hatter

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

There is less than a zero chance they make another Burton Batman. Even if they wanted to, even if they got elderly Keaton to agree to it, I doubt Burton would come back. Too busy pumping out terrible goth nonsense in the year 2023.

[@TheAsocialArtist]

If warner bros didn't interfere, they would've been successful.. history keeps repeating itself lol

[@mathieuleader8601]

oh what could have been

[@gareckthetailor9918]

still love batman forever :)

[@saulchapa5522]

We need a hack and release the Batgirl movie for fucks sakes already

[@GOJIRAFAN-od5zk]

The Batman Beyond movie being scrapped is the sole reason why I'm a James Gunn hater now

[@kevinammann5042]

i know that before talks broke down between wb and burton they were considering robin williams to play the riddler and of course billy dee williams was slated originally to return as harvey dent. oh the wasted potential of that batman forever if it had been another burton movie.

[@vyperii]

Keaton is Batman. I've not watched a live-action Batman since where I've ever had anything other than the feeling that I'm watching am actor play Batman. Keaton is it though- as Bruce and as Bats... It is a travesty that we aren't getting him back full-time. My hope is that with The Flash as the last DCEU film, they can therefore ignore those and use him in the new ones. Especially with Pattison's current Bats, they could easily do Keaton gaining a Robin in a bigger universe, or even better, give us Batman Beyond!

[@matthewledbetter7818]

The Batman ‘89 comic was disappointing for me. Beautiful artwork but the story was lackluster. But hey if you enjoyed it great!

[@matthewledbetter7818]

@@evanzaremba4722 How was it reconned?

[@jamesmoss3424]

That unmade batman movie should have happened in the first place. 😀👍

[@anthonyrowell4037]

So....Barry's tooth popping out and having George Clooney return as Bruce Wayne was a better ending than having Keaton return at the end? James Gunn is an idiot.

[@OwenLikesComics]

I understand why they went with that ending: not wanting to tease something that isn't going to happen in the future, and also giving Barry some consequences for not learning his lesson (changing the past again and therefore erasing both versions of Bruce he knew).

[@anthonyrowell4037]

@OwenLikesComics I understand why they did it. I have just always been a fan of Keaton's version of Batman. Call me a nostalgia freak, but very few have ever been able to repeat his performance on screen. Apologies if I seemed rude in my comment.

[@OwenLikesComics]

It's all good don't worry! Either way I thought it was great to see Keaton in The Flash - he hadn't missed a beat.

[@anthonyrowell4037]

@@OwenLikesComics he sure had not.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

Would have been better to have Clooney appear in a modernized version of the B&R suit. Some dude just walking up is pretty lame and very MCU-esque.

[@renatbadretdinov6910]

My psiudonym Draco Boyko I live in France city of Toulouse, I wanted to say that Bob Kene and Bill Finger took the brig from Jack the jumper, he was called the jumping demon, this is not Batman because Jack's helmet has jumping horns, in England they say Batman and in the usa they say Betmen Bat man in Turkic language Bet translate person men translate me, Draco Boyko

[@rogueagentkillerrodan1498]

I didn't like any of the Tim Burton Batman films nor the two that followed but I'm sure it would have been better than what it became because it had gotten too silly.

[@davehandelman2832]

The Flash was FANTASTIC. however, Keaton was EASILY the weakest link. Let's leave the past in the past. In Gunn we trust!

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

Gross. MCU 2.0 incoming.

[@davehandelman2832]

@@JDoe-gf5oz I will also be incoming... into your mom...

[@johnbeal6114]

I was wondering do you think about doing any Power rangers comic books from boom studios

[@OwenLikesComics]

If enough people were interested, sure! From what I've read they were very good.

[@johnbeal6114]

@@OwenLikesComics that be awesome since Power rangers is celebrating the 30th anniversary this year that'll be a great idea for the anniversary this year