Batman has had various versions on the big screen so far, but there’s a lot of confusion between the Batman universes of Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher – luckily, there’s a fun theory that solves this in a very interesting way. After the 1966 movie Batman, which was an adaptation of the 1960s TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, the Caped Crusader returned to the big screen in 1989 in Tim Burton’s Batman, with Michael Keaton playing Bruce Wayne. The critical and commercial success of Batman made way for a sequel, Batman Returns, which was darker and more violent.
Tim Burton’s vision of Gotham City was dark but kept a comic-book vibe without being cartoonish, and while Batman Returns is now regarded as one of the best Batman movies ever made, Warner made major changes and for its next one, it brought Joel Schumacher as director and Val Kilmer as Batman. Batman Forever was a completely different version of Gotham and its characters, and its sequel, the infamous Batman & Robin, had another Batman now played by George Clooney. All this has created a lot of confusion about whether Schumacher’s Batman movies and Burton’s are part of the same universe or not, and a theory easily solves this by suggesting the former exists within the Burtonverse.
Why Tim Burton Didn’t Return For Batman Forever
Although Batman Returns had the same vibe and design as Batman, it went on a darker route with its story and characters, introducing Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Danny DeVito), Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Max Shreck (Christopher Walken). Batman Returns was a box office success and broke records, and while reviews criticized its different tone and darker narrative, the cast and their performances received a lot of praise. Unfortunately, the tone of Batman Returns alienated family audiences, which also led to a backlash against marketing partners, especially McDonald’s. Burton had ideas for a third Batman movie, but Warner decided to take the next movie on a more family (and merchandise) friendly route.
After considering directors like Sam Raimi and John McTiernan, Warner chose Joel Schumacher after his work in the legal drama The Client, and he got Burton’s approval. Michael Keaton decided to not return as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Forever as he didn’t agree with the direction the movie was taking and rejected the script, and he also expressed his desire to pursue “more interesting roles”. Schumacher was interested in casting Val Kilmer after seeing him in Tombstone, and after considering many other actors (among them Keanu Reeves, Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, and Kurt Russell), Kilmer agreed to play Batman. Unfortunately, the production of Batman Forever wasn’t smooth, with Schumacher and Kilmer clashing many times and Tommy Lee Jones also being pointed out as a source of trouble, especially after how rude he was to his co-star Jim Carrey.
Batman Forever was a commercial success, making way for a sequel, Batman & Robin, which also went through a couple of changes. Kilmer didn’t return to play Bruce Wayne, and after Warner suggested him and Schumacher saw his performance in From Dusk till Dawn, George Clooney was cast as the new Batman. Unfortunately, Batman & Robin couldn’t replicate the success of previous movies and ended up being regarded as one of the worst movies ever made, leading to Warner canceling future Batman movies from Schumacher’s universe. All this left the big question of whether Burton’s Batman movies and Schumacher’s are part of the same universe or not, and a theory solves this in a fun and easy way.
Theory: Schumacher’s Batman Movies Are Movies Within The Burtonverse
A theory shared on Reddit (via Cracked and CBR) explains that Burton and Schumacher’s Batman movies are part of the same universe, and this is possible because Batman Forever and Batman & Robin are movies within Batman and Batman Returns. Cracked expanded on this idea by suggesting that, at some point after Batman Returns and believing Selina Kyle is dead, Keaton’s Bruce Wayne decided to quit being Gotham’s vigilante and his identity was made public. Of course, such an interesting story of an orphaned millionaire turned superhero couldn’t be ignored, so some big movie studio within the Batman Burtonverse would have adapted it to the big screen – and that’s why Batman Forever and Batman & Robin are so different.
Schumacher’s movies took Burton’s dark, gothic, and industrial Gotham and turned it into a bright, colorful, and campy city, with a more kid-friendly approach, which has made it hard to place both versions in one universe, but this theory makes it a lot easier. This would also explain why there were two different Batmen after Keaton’s version, as the latter would be the “real” Bruce/Batman and Kilmer and Clooney would be actors in the Batman Burtonverse, as well as the two different Harvey Dents (the one played by Billy Dee Williams and Tommy Lee Jones’, the latter the movie version of the former).
How Two Batman Characters Kill This Theory
While this theory is fun and can actually work as an explanation of how these different versions coexist in the same universe, there are two characters who kill the theory: Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Gough) and James Gordon (Pat Hingle). Gough and Hingle are the only two actors who appeared in both Burton’s Batman movies and Schumacher’s, so if Batman Forever and Batman & Robin are movies within the Burtonverse, their appearances wouldn’t make sense. Following the logic of the theory, this would mean that the real Alfred and Gordon, for some reason, agreed to play themselves in over-the-top portrayals of Gotham City, Batman, and the crazy things that happen in the city, and that’s hard to believe given the personalities of these characters.
Are Burton & Schumacher’s Batman Movies In The Same Universe?
While this theory makes it easier to place all these versions of Batman in the same universe, the real answer to whether Burton’s Batman and Schumacher’s live in the same universe or not is a bit complicated. The Batman Anthology can be seen as separate entities, either separating it in Burtonverse and Schumacher’s movies, or Burtonverse, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin, or as one, though a bizarre whole. In addition to sharing the same Alfred and Gordon, Batman Forever’s Chase Meridian makes a reference to Batman Returns’ Catwoman, and there are references to Bruce’s backstory as shown in Batman. In the end, it’s up to every viewer to decide how Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies coexist, but this theory certainly makes it easier and more fun.
