After Warner Bros started to operate under new management earlier this year, the company has made a lot of radical changes regarding upcoming DC movies and the wider DCEU that have shocked and divided audiences. Not only has the studio pushed on with solo The Flash movie despite the controversies surrounding its titular star, but it also cancelled a number of projects out of the desire to pivot focus away from streaming services and move firmly back to theatrical releases.
Most controversially, Warner Bros cancelled the already-filmed superhero movie Batgirl, which, as well as starring Leslie Grace, Brendan Fraser, and JK Simmons, was also set to include Michael Keaton donning his infamous Batsuit once again. But according to a number of insiders, that isn’t the only Keaton-centric project that was cancelled.
Speaking on a recent episode on The Hot Mic, industry insider Jeff Sneider claimed that, up until recently, Warner Bros was developing a Batman movie centering Michael Keaton. Allegedly, the film was set to follow what happened to Keaton’s Batman after his upcoming appearance in The Flash movie. But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 director James Gunn, who has now pivoted to co-CEO of DC Studios, purportedly put a stop to that project.
To rub salt in the wounds for fans, the now-axed action movie, which was meant to be written by Christina Hodson, was reportedly set to adapt the much-beloved Batman Beyond into live-action.
Batman Beyond is an animated series from the ’90s, involving an elderly Bruce Wayne handing over the Batman mantle to high-schooler Terry McGinnis and mentoring him as he fights crime in a futuristic Gotham. This is according to The Wrap reporter Umberto Gonzalez, who made the revelation on Twitter in response to Sneider’s report. Please note that The Digital Fix has been unable to independently verify these claims.
If you want to learn more about Keaton’s tenure as The Dark Knight and other Batmans throughout time, check out our guide to all the Batman actors.