Every Movie In Tim Burton’s Canceled DC Shared Universe

Tim Burton may have directed only two Batman movies, but the universe he created was almost the birth of many other DC films. While Batman had already become the protagonist of some of the darkest superhero comic book stories, such as Year One and The Killing Joke, the most recent memory audiences had about the character on screen was the goofiness of the legendary Adam West Batman show. That began to change with Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), a movie that redefined the character for the general audiences and that would set the tone for decades of Batman films that would come.

1989’s Batman was a box office hit in a way that perhaps not even the studio anticipated, and it made Batman, who was already DC’s flagship hero in the comics, into a movie star. Despite the initial backlash, casting Michael Keaton as Batman proved to be an inspired choice, and the delivery of the “I’m Batman” line would echo through several other Batman interpretations. Burton’s Batman movies also influenced other media, such as Batman: The Animated Series, the birth of the DC Animated Universe.

For such a success, it is strange that Tim Burton and Michael Keaton only worked in two Batman movies. However, when considering how both of them approached the franchise, it makes sense that a third Tim Burton Batman movie starring Michael Keaton never happened. Both Burton and Keaton wanted to avoid repeating what they had done in Batman, and Burton’s Batman Returns had only happened with the promise of everything being different. The studio also wished for a more family-friendly Batman sequel, making a hypothetical Burton’s Batman Forever impossible. That said, other DC films existing in Burton’s Batman universe, having the director attached or not, were considered. Here’s a breakdown of every movie in Tim Burton’s canceled DC universe.

Batman (1989)

A noir Batman film directed by the relative unknown Tim Burton, starring Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, did not sound like something that would work as much as it did. The out-of-the-box choices for behind and in front of the camera all worked in the end, and Burton managed to deliver a movie that represented the current status of Batman in the comics. Despite being the first Batman movie since the 1996 adaptation of the Adam West show, Tim Burton’s Batman was not an origin story. Instead, the director chose to start the film with an already established Batman who had become an urban legend in Gotham.

Batman Returns (1992)

As much as the title of Batman Returns was trying to sell the idea of a return to the world Burton had created, both the director and Michael Keaton were keen on trying to do something completely different in the sequel. That helps explain why basically none of the events from the first movie were referenced and why the approach to the villains and the story was so different from Batman. Even still, Danny DeVito as Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman were iconic performances on their own and, to this day, are associated with the characters. Despite the commercial success, Batman Returns raised concerns in the studio regarding how dark and violent the Tim Burton Batman franchise had become, which could make it difficult for the Batman brand to be associated with lines of toys and fast foods.

Batman Forever – Canceled

Tim Burton was open to directing a third Batman movie, but all the backlash surrounding Batman Returns by toy companies and other licensed partners made Warner Bros. opt for a course correction in the Batman franchise. A third Batman film had to happen, considering how successful the character had become, but Burton’s signature style was no longer the best option, at least from the studio’s point of view. Joel Schumacher was then chosen to direct the movie. Following Michael Keaton’s exit from Batman Forever, the film became almost a reboot of the Batman series despite keeping the same actors for Alfred and Commissioner Gordon. Had Tim Burton continued in the franchise, the third Batman movie would have reportedly been named Batman Continues. It could have featured Marlon Wayans as Robin and the returns of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

Catwoman Spin-Off- Canceled & Reused

Michelle Pfeiffer revealed that there were talks for a Catwoman solo movie spinning off of Batman Returns. It has been reported that Tim Burton would be involved in the film and that the story would follow Selina Kyle suffering from memory loss after the events of Batman Returns. A Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman movie never happened, but years later, a Catwoman movie eventually happened: 2004’s  Catwoman starring Halle Berry.

Nightwing Spin-Off – Canceled

As much as Batman Forever and Batman & Robin felt different from the Burton films, including the two successive Batman recasts, the Joel Schumacher films can be considered sequels to Batman and Batman Returns. Instead of Burton’s original idea of casting Marlon Wayans as Robin along with Michael Keaton’s Batman, Joel Schumacher chose Chris O’Donnel to play the sidekick to Val Kilmer’s Batman. O’ Donnel later revealed that there were plans for a Nightwing solo movie. In fact, it was considered not having Dick Grayson in Batman & Robin, so he could later return as Nightwing after his own solo movie.

Superman Lives – Canceled

Superman Lives is probably one of the most well-known canceled superhero movies, and it could have been set in the same universe as Tim Burton’s Batman films. Despite not returning for Batman Forever, Tim Burton was involved in a Superman movie that would have reportedly featured Michael Keaton as Batman during Superman’s funeral. Nicolas Cage was going to play Superman, and the film’s main villain was going to be Brainiac. Superman Lives was the closest that a Superman script came to being shoot until 2006, and it would have been a loose adaptation of The Death of Superman.

Kevin Smith had written one of the versions of the film, and he was reportedly the one to suggest having Tim Burton helm the film. Curiously, George Clooney’s Batman name-dropped Superman in the opening sequence of Batman & Robin, which was released a year prior to when Superman Lives was supposed to come out. Superman Lives ended up never happening, mostly due to the studios’ recent box office failures (including Batman & Robin). Thus Tim Burton never went to be involved in another Batman or DC movie.