DC ELSEWORLDS: Reimagining Keaton Sequels & DC Films that Never Were

[Airwings]

Who does O’Toole play? Aquaman?

What?! Do you have the ability to look into the future? I've planned this film

Here it is

Aquaman (1966)
Directed by David Lean (who else for an epic film like this?)
Music by Bernard Herrmann

Arthur Curry: Peter O'Toole
Mera: Julie Christie
Orm/Ocean Master: Omar Sharif
Black Manta: Sidney Poitier
Tom Curry: Alec Guinness
Atlanna (in flashbacks): Geraldine Chaplin

Frodo, did you see this?
I hope you didn't faint from excitement

 

[Frodo]

I challenge you to create an Orson Welles directed Batman back in the 40s, starring Humphrey Bogart
After that, the circle will be finished

Challenge excepted ! batman:.

BATMAN (1945)
Director: Orson Wells

Batman/ Bruce Wayne : Humprey Bogart

Catwoman/ Selina Kyle : Joan Crawford

The Riddler/ Edward Nygma : Fred Astaire

The Penguin/ Oswald Cobblepot: Edward G. Robinson

The Joker : Danny Kaye

Mr Freeze/ Victor Freeze : Paul Henreid

Two Face/ Harvey Dent : Gary Cooper

Hugo Strange : Peter Lorre

James Gordon : Lon Cheney Jr.

Alfred Pennyworth: Boris Karloff

Poison Ivy: Rita Hayworth

Scarecrow/ Johnathan Crane : Basil Rathbone

Bane : Bella Lugosi

Hush/ Tommy Elliot : Claude Rains

Vicki Vale : Veronica Lake

Dick Grayson : Bobby Driscoll

 

[Frodo]

What?! Do you have the ability to look into the future? I've planned this film

Here it is

Aquaman (1966)
Directed by David Lean (who else for an epic film like this?)
Music by Bernard Herrmann

Arthur Curry: Peter O'Toole
Mera: Julie Christie
Orm/Ocean Master: Omar Sharif
Black Manta: Sidney Poitier
Tom Curry: Alec Guinness
Atlanna (in flashbacks): Geraldine Chaplin

Frodo, did you see this?
I hope you didn't faint from excitement

Pretty awesome. By 1966, the film would look gorgeous, especially the water sequences. Looking at a film like Thunderball in 1965, they could pull off the beautiful ocean shots.

 

[Airwings]

WONDER WOMAN 1984 (1984)
Director : Ivan Reitman
Script: Tom Mankiewicz
Producer: Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind
Music: Elmer Bernstein
Soundtrack Featuring : Valen Halen, Tears for Fears, Cyndi Lauper, The Police, Hall and Oats, The Go Gos, The Pointer Sisters, Steve Perry

Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince : Terry Farrell

Steve Trevor : John Ritter

Cheetah/ Barbara Minerva : Shelly Long

Maxwell Lord : Dirk Benedict

Hippolyta : Linda Evans

Antiope : Meredith Baxter

A 1984 Wonder Woman and no Lynda Carter?

 

[Airwings]

Challenge excepted ! batman:.

THE BATMAN (1945)

Director: Orson Wells

Batman/ Bruce Wayne : Humprey Bogart

Catwoman/ Selina Kyle : Joan Crawford

The Riddler/ Edward Nygma : Fred Astaire

The Penguin/ Oswald Cobblepot: Edward G. Robinson

The Joker : Danny Kaye

Mr Freeze/ Victor Freeze : Paul Henreid

Two Face/ Harvey Dent : Gary Cooper

Hugo Strange : Peter Lorre

James Gordon : Lon Cheney Jr.

Alfred Pennyworth: Boris Karloff

Poison Ivy: Rita Hayworth

Scarecrow/ Johnathan Crane : Basil Rathbone

Bane : Bella Lugosi

Hush/ Tommy Elliot : Claude Rains

Vicki Vale : Veronica Lake

Dick Grayson : Bobby Driscoll

Holly big cloud. That didn't take long!

And what an amazing cast!
Kaye as Joker
Karloff as Alfred
Astaire as Riddler

I'm blown

I've heard about most of the cast, except little Bobby. How did you even find that obscure child actor?

Pretty awesome. By 1966, the film would look gorgeous, especially the water sequences. Looking at a film like Thunderball in 1965, they could pull off the beautiful ocean shots.

I think so too.
And David Lean was the master of big epic stories on film back then.
His Aquaman would be more towards the serious kind of superhero films

 

[Eddie Dean]

The Dark Knight Returns (1990)
Directed by Dario Argento

Rutger Hauer - Batman

Asia Argento - Robin

Terence Stamp - Commissioner Gordon

Udo Kier - Joker

Sybil Danning - Captain Yindel

Michael Paré - Superman

Franco Nero - Oliver Queen

Donald Pleasence - Alfred

 

[Frodo]

A 1984 Wonder Woman and no Lynda Carter?

Yeah. I did it as if the film version would be separate from the TV version, and that this was a different continuity from the Tv series.

Though, truth be told, Lynda Carter still could have rocked the role in 84 since the show had only been off the air a few years by the early 80s.

 

[Frodo]

Holly big cloud. That didn't take long!

And what an amazing cast!
Kaye as Joker
Karloff as Alfred
Astaire as Riddler

I'm blown

I've heard about most of the cast, except little Bobby. How did you even find that obscure child actor?

That was a tough one. Lol.

Bobby was a Disney child actor probably best known for being the voice of Peter Pan in the Disney animated film in the 50s, and I think he was on the Mickey Mouse Club as a teen as well.

He was 8 years old 1945 , so he would be a super young Dick Grayson..

 

[Frodo]

SMALLVILLE HIGH(1986)
Director : John Hughes
Casting Backstory: To cash in on the growing popularity in teen coming of age films , and to exploit their Superman property even further , Warner Brothers goes directly to John Hughes to direct and write a film about a teenage Clark Kent's sophomore year in High School. Hughes decides to tell the story his own way and sets the film in a different continuity from the Donner films.

During the casting process, Hughes opts to go for an outside the box choice and casts a 6'2, 19 year old, John Cusack in the role of a goofy, awkward , yet loveable Clark Kent who , upon his 16th Birthday, discovers he's actually an alien from another planet, a secret which his parents have kept from him, until now.

To fill out the other teen roles in the cast, he goes to mainstays in his roster such as Molly Ringwald as Clark's schoolboy crush Lana, Judd Nelson as Jock and Bully Brad, Andrew McCarthy as Clark's the fast talking comic relief sidekick Pete Ross , but also adds Kiefer Sutherland as an eerie and devious young Lex Luthor, and Elisabeth Shue portraying the self absorbed and popular Cat Grant.

As young Clark's parents , Hughes casts Teen Wolf actor James Hampton as Johnathan Kent , Academy Award nominated actress Sally Field as Martha Kent, and veteran actor Sean Connery as the Hologram of Jor El.

Hughes rounds out the cast by casting both Timothy Dalton as General Zod and Meg Foster as Ursa , whom, unknown to Clark and the Kents, escape the Phantom zone and come to Smallville searching for the son of Jor -El on Prom Night !

Clark Kent : John Cusack

Lana Lang: Molly Ringwald

Lex Luthor : Kiefer Sutherland

Pete Ross : Andrew McCarthy

Brad Braverman : Judd Nelson

Cat Grant : Elisabeth Shue

Johnathan Kent : James Hampton

Martha Kent : Sally Field

General Zod : Timothy Dalton

Faora : Meg Foster

Jor El : Sean Connery

 

[Frodo]

BLACK LIGHTING (1987)
Director : Spike Lee

Black Lighting / Jefferson Pierce : Bernie Casey

Peter Gambi : Paul Newman

Lynn Pierce : Phylicia Rashad

Thunder : Kim Fields

Lightning : Tisha Campbell

Painkiller : Will Smith

Tobias Whale : Jeffrey Holder

La La : Denzel Washington

Gupton : Billy Dee Williams

 

[Frodo]

David Lynch's BATMAN V SUPERMAN : DAWN OF JUSTICE (1990)
Director : David Lynch

Batman/ Bruce Wayne : Martin Cove

Superman/ Clark Kent : Kyle Maclachlan

Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince : Terry Farrell

Lois Lane : Debra Winger


Lex Luthor : Patrick Dempsey

Martha Kent : Piper Laurie

Senator Finch: Sissy Spacek

Alfred Pennyworth : Terrance Stamp

Perry White : Danny Glover

 

[Airwings]

The Dark Knight Returns (1990)
Directed by Dario Argento

Rutger Hauer - Batman

Asia Argento - Robin

Terence Stamp - Commissioner Gordon

Udo Kier - Joker

Sybil Danning - Captain Yindel

Michael Paré - Superman

Franco Nero - Oliver Queen

Donald Pleasence - Alfred

Holy mountain, now a Dario Argento Batman. My brain melts

Good work!

Yeah. I did it as if the film version would be separate from the TV version, and that this was a different continuity from the Tv series.

Though, truth be told, Lynda Carter still could have rocked the role in 84 since the show had only been off the air a few years by the early 80s.

Ok,I'll accept that you turned your back at her lol

 

[Eddie Dean]

David Lynch's BATMAN V SUPERMAN : DAWN OF JUSTICE (1990)
Director : David Lynch

Batman/ Bruce Wayne : Martin Cove

Superman/ Clark Kent : Kyle Maclachlan

Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince : Terry Farrell

Lois Lane : Debra Winger

View attachment 41294
Lex Luthor : Patrick Dempsey

Martha Kent : Piper Laurie

Senator Finch: Sissy Spacek

Alfred Pennyworth : Terrance Stamp

Perry White : Danny Glover

Kyle would have been a great Superman next to Keaton I think. Their energies would really mesh well.

 

[Airwings]

That was a tough one. Lol.

Bobby was a Disney child actor probably best known for being the voice of Peter Pan in the Disney animated film in the 50s, and I think he was on the Mickey Mouse Club as a teen as well.

He was 8 years old 1945 , so he would be a super young Dick Grayson..

You could have borrowed my Fritz Lang's Robin (Roddy McDowall) as Grayson

I've seen your new posts. You have thrown out no less than THREE films since yesterday.

You try to compete with me?

I've nothing to say about the Spike Lee one. Sorry.

The Hughes Superman, or rather Superboy:
Cusack is good but I would like to replace the him with Ralph Macchio for a more akward (and whiny) appearance, lol
If it had come out 1985 instead, the scrawny Anthony Michael Hall will be a terrific cameo for teenage Barry Allen, or even Arthur Curry.
A clever cast example is Meg Foster as Faora, the way you included a pic of her as Evil-Lyn.
Dalton as Zod would be really really cool.
Having Bond actors for two kryptonian characters, was that something you had in mind?
You could also have used Maud Adams for Lara.

A David Lynch film that includes Superman feels out of place. He's solely a Batman kind of director, in my book. No godly aliens with superpowers, only dark knights
But Kyle as Clark/Superman is actually genious. He can both act akward and noble
Dislike your actor for Bruce though. He would suit Deathstroke or Bane much better. But go with whatever vision you want

 

[Frodo]

You could have borrowed my Fritz Lang's Robin (Roddy McDowall) as Grayson

I've seen your new posts. You have thrown out no less than THREE films since yesterday.

You try to compete with me?

I've nothing to say about the Spike Lee one. Sorry.

The Hughes Superman, or rather Superboy:
Cusack is good but I would like to replace the him with Ralph Macchio for a more akward (and whiny) appearance, lol
If it had come out 1985 instead, the scrawny Anthony Michael Hall will be a terrific cameo for teenage Barry Allen, or even Arthur Curry.
A clever cast example is Meg Foster as Faora, the way you included a pic of her as Evil-Lyn.
Dalton as Zod would be really really cool.
Having Bond actors for two kryptonian characters, was that something you had in mind?
You could also have used Maud Adams for Lara.

A David Lynch film that includes Superman feels out of place. He's solely a Batman kind of director, in my book. No godly aliens with superpowers, only dark knights
But Kyle as Clark/Superman is actually genious. He can both act akward and noble
Dislike your actor for Bruce though. He would suit Deathstroke or Bane much better. But go with whatever vision you want

I was thinking of McDowell as Robin but I decided to attempt to find another you actor around McDowell age , but to no avail. So I found a kid who basically wouldn't be able to be Robin until 1950 at the earliest..

For Lynch's BvS, I had in mind that it would be a very off beat , comedic, film that's closer to the tone of Twin Peaks as opposed to Dune. In other words ,it'd be more on the comedic and surreal side than the more serious and dark side that his films like Dune are, though Twin Peaks could be very dark at times as well.

So he would pick Kove as an ,grizzled ,exaggerated ,over the edge Batman . Kove's performance would contrast with Kyle's very Dudley do right, oblivious like more tongue in cheek take Superman, similar to his Agent Dale character in Twin Peaks..

I would agree that in general, Cove would make a great Bane or Slade, especially with Keaton's Batman. Maybe he'll show up as Bane in a future Keaton led film? You never know what could be coming next.

With Hughes Smallville film, I was down between C. Thomas Howell and Cusack , and I decided to go with Cusack since he fit more of the vision of a big, goofy, awkward, lovable, type of kid who could have a heart of gold. Plus, he kinda looks like Tim Sale's drawing of a young Clark in Superman for all seasons..

The Maude Adams pick is great. I had trouble coming up with a Laura but she would have been perfect. I also had trouble with a Martha Kent so I went with Sally Field who's a decade younger than the actor who plays Johnathan.

For Black Lightening, I basically just used the TV show as a basis. Like Flash, all my knowledge of the character and his myths come from that show alone.

I think the vast majority of BL's cast of characters didn't show up in the comics till the 90s to 2010s, so this film as is couldn't have happened in 1985.

 

[Airwings]

What?! Do you have the ability to look into the future? I've planned this film

Here it is

Aquaman (1966)
Directed by David Lean (who else for an epic film like this?)
Music by Bernard Herrmann

Arthur Curry: Peter O'Toole
Mera: Julie Christie
Orm/Ocean Master: Omar Sharif
Black Manta: Sidney Poitier
Tom Curry: Alec Guinness
Atlanna (in flashbacks): Geraldine Chaplin

Frodo, did you see this?
I hope you didn't faint from excitement

Here's a sequel to the 1966 Aquaman film.
A direct or a loose sequel doesn't matter as long as they're connected.
The plot sort of continues from the previous film

Aquaman: Black Manta Strikes Back (1977)
Produced by Dino de Laurentiis
Music by: Elmer Bernstein

Who's the director?

George Lucas!

Oh, this means we get Aquaman instead of Star Wars.

No Star Wars! No Star Wars!! No Star Wars!!!

No problem, a big film about an underwater kingdom could be a popcultural event too.

With George Lucas at the helm, and Laurenttis as producer as well, it wouldn't be serious to the same extent as David Leans' film.
Imagine it a like a combination of a Roger Corman sci fi B-film and a Laurentiis B-film adventure, but with an A-list blockbuster budget (for its time).
The actual style would feel a bit close to Flash Gordon (1980) but set underwater.

Now to the cast!
I'll do as Frodo and include pics.

Arthur Curry/Aquaman: Michael York
He was considered for the role back in mid 60s but he was an unknown back then, and to be honest looking a bit too young. The studio wanted a more known actor with gravitas who could make people want to see the film, hence Peter O'Toole.
Now, late half of the 70s, York is perfect for the role. His youthful appearance is a big factor for casting him. After seeing Logan's Run, it was Lucas' first choice for the role.
To be honest, there were a few auditions. Mark Hamill tried out but lost. He didn't impress due to his inexperience, and Lucas had pretty much made up his mind about the lead actor.
(The studio had suggested major movie star Roger Moore but he was busy playing Bond, demanded too much money for doing Aquaman, and he was also a bit old - turning 50 this year)

Mera: Goldie Hawn was cast
Jane Fonda turned down the role, claiming it was not the kind of film she would like to to do, adding she would likely have done it ten years earlier around the time of Barbarella.

Orm/Ocean Master: Harrison Ford

Black Manta: Bernie Casey
I first planned to have Billy Dee Williams but changed my mind after seeing Frodo's superhero film by Spike Lee (Thank you Frodo!!!).
And his suit would be inspired by Darth Vader (which we never got to see anyway). It's easy to see how they could design it similar

Dr Vulko: Peter Cushing (a good guy despite his looks in the pic below)

 

[Airwings]

I was thinking of McDowell as Robin but I decided to attempt to find another you actor around McDowell age , but to no avail. So I found a kid who basically wouldn't be able to be Robin until 1950 at the earliest..

For Lynch's BvS, I had in mind that it would be a very off beat , comedic, film that's closer to the tone of Twin Peaks as opposed to Dune. In other words ,it'd be more on the comedic and surreal side than the more serious and dark side that his films like Dune are, though Twin Peaks could be very dark at times as well.

I think the vast majority of BL's cast of characters didn't show up in the comics till the 90s to 2010s, so this film as is couldn't have happened in 1985.

1. There weren't really any child actors around in the 1940s. Less than ten, I guess

2. Lynch can be dark outside of Dune.
Have you seen Blue Velvet? It's such a twisted world.
Guess Dennis Hopper would have been a good Joker around that time.

3. That can be solved with time travelling

 

[Eddie Dean]

I actually think a lot of Lynch themes would work well with a Superman story. Even with the darkness he believes in an underlying goodness and the need to fight back against the darkness. It would be a little Straight Story - you could even get Richard Farnsworth as Pa Kent next to Kyle’s Superman.

 

[Frodo]

JUSTICE LEAGUE PULP (1995)
Director : Steven Spielberg
Music: James Horner

The Rocketeer / Cliff Seacord: Billy Campbell

The Shadow/ Lamont Cranston: Alec Baldwin

Dick Tracy : Warren Beatty

The Phantom/ Kit Walker : Billy Zane

Kato : Jason Scott Lee

Green Hornet / Britt Reed : Dennis Quaid

The Spirit : Thomas Gibson

Zorro/ Alejandro Murrieta The 4th : Antonio Banderas

The Grey Ghost/ Simon Trent : Adam West

The Lone Ranger/ Dan Reid : Kirk Douglas

Nazi Villain : Steven Berkoff

 

[Frodo]

1. There weren't really any child actors around in the 1940s. Less than ten, I guess

2. Lynch can be dark outside of Dune.
Have you seen Blue Velvet? It's such a twisted world.
Guess Dennis Hopper would have been a good Joker around that time.

3. That can be solved with time travelling

Hopper is another one who could have made a Great Joker as well. I've also got to check out Blue Velvet.

 

[Frodo]

I actually think a lot of Lynch themes would work well with a Superman story. Even with the darkness he believes in an underlying goodness and the need to fight back against the darkness. It would be a little Straight Story - you could even get Richard Farnsworth as Pa Kent next to Kyle’s Superman.

Never thought of that, but that could work. I had trouble coming up with a Pa Kent, but Piper Laurie came easier to me.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Harry Dean would be a good Pa Kent for Kyle too.

 

[Airwings]

Harry Dean would be a good Pa Kent for Kyle too.

Or Alfred to Kyle's Bruce Wayne

 

[Eddie Dean]

HDS as Alfred would have been incredible.

 

[Airwings]

HDS as Alfred would have been incredible.

Best Alfred actor that never played the role, or top-3.