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

[Frodo]

Batman and Superman World's Finest (1999)
Director : Martin Campbell
Music : James Horner

Batman/ Bruce Wayne : David Duchovny (The X Files)

Superman/ Clark Kent : Billy Campbell (The Rocketeer)

Lois Lane : Sandra Bullock (Speed)

Talia Head : Sophie Marceau

Joker : John Travolta

Harley Quinn: Hudson Leick

Lex Luthor : Billy Zane

Alfred Pennyworth: Michael Gough

Perry White: John Mahoney

Jim Gordon :Hal Holbrook

Jimmy Olsen : Seth Green

Alternate History : In the wake of the disappointment of Batman and Robin, Warner Brothers decides to push forward with another Batman related film, but there's a catch. Instead of doing a direct follow up to Batman and Robin, they decide to do a loose sequel / team up film which would also serve as a Launch pad for a rebooted Superman series of films unconnected to the Donner series.

The goal is to revive both film properties at once, with a fresh new cast for both.

Casting: WB decides to jettison Robin and Batgirl's characters in this very loose sequel, and in keeping with the tradition of outside the box casting for the Batman role, they cast X Files actor, David Duchovny ,to portray a more driven and brooding Batman akin to Keaton's version a decade earlier.

Since Nicholson still refuses to return to the role, they go with John Travolta due to his acclaim for playing Evil ,yet Funny villains in films such as Broken Arrow and Face Off.

For the role of Superman, the studio goes to lesser named, yet popular soap actor Billy Campbell who's had experience playing the Rocketeer and they go for recently ,popular, star Sandra Bullock to play the iconic Lois Lane.

Billy Zane is cast a younger, CEO, charismatic version of Lex Luthor reflecting more of the recent Lois and Clark Tv series and the Superman Animated Series.

Sophie Marceau is cast as the mysterious Talia Head who acts as a love interest and ally to Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent, while also having her own connections and agenda with regards to Joker and Lex's secret plan.

The rest of the cast is filled with familiar film and tv character actors, with Michael Gough being the only actor returning as a link to the original Batman franchise films.

They hire Martin Campbell of Goldeneye as the director due to his success at reviving the Bond and Zorro franchises. They feel he can balance the right blend of seriousness, fun, lighter moments, and action to make a film that will please audiences.

 

[Frodo]

Agree with what you say about Reeve. He had one more film in him.

Supes teaming up with Batman after BR. How cool wouldn't it have been to see Reeve & Keaton together.
Donnerverse Metropolis and Burtonverse Gotham in the same film would be heavy.
Who would have directed? Should Donner have come back for this? If so, how involved should Burton have been?

I've never heard of the Gerald Cristopher film. Was that really planned?
The rumour I remember, from 93, was with Reeve in the lead.

I don't think the Reeve and Keaton film ever got as far as even a director or script. I think it was mainly an idea being kicked around.

As far as the Gerald Christopher film, it was planned by the Salkind's I believe, and this may have been when Canon would produce a new Superman film post Superman 4: The Quest for Peace.

I think Canon Studios is what happened to it. Like the planned Spiderman film and He-Man sequel, I think the plans never materialized , probably due to money, and other drama.

WB then picked up the ball and ran with another Superman film.

Once it was in their hands fully, they eventually decided to follow the Death of Superman storyline with a new actor as Superman.

 

[Frodo]

BATMAN CONTINUES aka Tim Burton's Batman 3

Director: Tim Burton
Music: Danny Elfman

Batman/Bruce Wayne : Michael Keaton
Riddler/ Edward Nygma: Johnny Depp ( Ed Wood)
Two Face/ Harvey Dent : Alec Baldwin (Beetlejuice)
Chase Meridian : Geena Davis (Beetlejuice)
The Kid aka Dick Grayson : Matt Damon (School Ties)

 

[BobJM]

It's 1997 and WB is ready to relaunch the Superman franchise for new audiences:

Jon Peters owns the rights to the character and brings onboard Kevin Smith to hand in a first draft. Peters and WB love it and meet with Tim Burton to direct. Burton declines, uninterested in working on another blockbuster with Peters after Batman, but does offer an inspired pick for the title role: Nicolas Cage.

Sam Raimi is finally hired to direct and reworks Smith’s original script with his writing partner and brother, Ivan Raimi. Pittsburgh is chosen as the filming location, with the City-County building doubling as Daily Planet and PPG as the looming LexCorp.

In the summer of 1998, Sam Raimi's Superman Lives is released (accompanied by a chart-topping original song by Lenny Kravitz) and Superman is once again a global icon.

SUPERMAN LIVES

Superman / Clark Kent: Nicolas Cage

Lois Lane: Courteney Cox

villains
Brainiac: Robin Williams

Lex Luthor: John Malkovich

Mercy Graves: Famke Janssen

Doomsday: CGI

daily planet
Perry White: Martin Sheen

Ron Troupe: Bill Nunn

Jimmy Olsen: Chris Rock

supporting
Jor-El: Anthony Hopkins

Lara: Lauren Hutton

Martha Kent: Ellen Burstyn

additional
Eradicator / K: David Hyde Pierce
L-Ron: Ted Raimi
Deadshot: Bruce Campbell
Cat Grant: Elizabeth Pena
Governor Bree: Anna Deavere Smith

cameo
Batman: Michael Keaton

concept art

 

[Airwings]

I don't think the Reeve and Keaton film ever got as far as even a director or script. I think it was mainly an idea being kicked around.

Strange that WB didn't get further with this. There were a lot of money to be made.
Maybe they dropped it because Keaton decided to not do the third Batman, and got replaced by Kilmer.
Could Keaton have been convinced to return if he was to star opposite Reeve? We'll never know (unless we ask him).

I would have liked to see the two superheroes share screen time. I would gladly have Bats Forever cancelled/scrapped.

I wonder how Donnerverse and Burtonverse could have matched together on the big screen. It's two very different worlds, in tone and style.
Yet somehow, both existed in the same world. The idea of a multiverse didn't exist back in, when it comes to films.
Who should have directed the project? Would Donner have agreed to return?

 

[Frodo]

Strange that WB didn't get further with this. There were a lot of money to be made.
Maybe they dropped it because Keaton decided to not do the third Batman, and got replaced by Kilmer.
Could Keaton have been convinced to return if he was to star opposite Reeve? We'll never know (unless we ask him).

I would have liked to see the two superheroes share screen time. I would gladly have Bats Forever cancelled/scrapped.

I wonder how Donnerverse and Burtonverse could have matched together on the big screen. It's two very different worlds, in tone and style.
Yet somehow, both existed in the same world. The idea of a multiverse didn't exist back in, when it comes to films.
Who should have directed the project? Would Donner have agreed to return?

I'm sure why they didn't go forward with a Batman and Superman film then.

It may have had to do with the fact the Salkinds were basically still in charge of the Superman films circa 1989 and the early 90s, and the Salkinds were thinking of a Superman 5 with Gerard Christopher .

You also add to that, that Reeve had pretty much sworn off the role after Superman 4.

WB would probably want a popular actor like Reeve to play Superman in a team up film than to go with the tv Superboy actor as Superman or to try to recast with another unknown.

At the same time, Superman 4 was a dud , so they maybe felt ,in the end, that tying Superman to wasn't a good idea?

WB may have ultimately decided it was a better idea to just keep the two franchises separate post B89 through the development of BR.

If we're talking post B89 that the team up idea was tossed around, it may have also been nixed because there was a ton of buzz about Batman 2 .

Audiences wanted to see another Batman film with characters like Catwoman, Riddler, Penguin, and Robin, as opposed to seeing a team up film with Superman, who at that point, had been played out on film.

At the same time, WB wanted to keep Burton for Batman 2, so they probably didn't want to scare him away with a team up film. In other words, in their minds, keeping a solo film franchise going full steam ahead was more of a priority then doing a crossover.

I'm speculating , but maybe that was their rationale back then.

All that said, had they decided to move forward with a team up film I'm skeptical Burton or Donner would have directed it.

Donner was still probably still bitter after what happened during the filming of Superman 1 and 2 which wouldn't have been that far in the past, and I think Burton wouldn't have wanted, at that point, to tell a story with both Batman and Superman. I think Burton would want to tell another Batman solo story.

Had they had the right script and director , had Reeve agreed to return, and had they been ready to do what it took to make the film good, I think it could have been ground breaking, and of course, that changes the course of Superhero cinema.

 

[Eddie Dean]

After Tim Burton refuses to return to a second Batman film due to being hospitalized when Sean Young's audition for Catwoman gets out of hand, Warner Brothers scrambles to set the Batman franchise back on track. After going through various pitches and directors, they arrive in an unusual place: cult director John McNaughton has managed to convince Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese to respectively star in and produce a Batman if the studio will give McNaughton full control. WB jumps at the chance to attach the prestigious duo, unaware of how far McNaughton plans to push his film. McNaughton hires acclaimed writer Richard Price to co-write his script, taking inspiration from Frank Miller's Year One run along with vigilante films like Death Wish and real life serial murders Zodiac and Son of Sam. They drastically change many aspects of the mythos. Bruce Wayne is never referred to as Batman, only as the vigilante The Bat (a naming convention that extends to dominatrix turned thief Selina Kyle, aka The Cat). Alfred is no longer a British butler, but now an African American mechanic who serves as Wayne's father figure. McNaughton and Price choose The Riddler as the main antagonist, who is stripped of his comic book moniker as well, instead simply going by Nashon as his serial killings terrorize Gotham. Late into filming, a scene of The Bat taking down small time hood Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian, is added to set up a sequel that never comes due to the disastrous performance of the film.

Year of the Bat (1993)
Directed by John McNaughton
Written by Richard Price and John McNaughton
Produced by Martin Scorsese

The Bat - Viggo Mortensen

Edward Nashton - Eric Bogosian

Captain Gordon - Robert De Niro

Big Al Pennyworth - Yaphet Kotto

The Cat - Angela Bassett

Commissioner Leob - Peter Boyle

Detective Flass - David Caruso

District Attorney Dent - Andre Braugher

Spoiler

Bill Murray as Arthur Fleck

 

[BobJM]

lol poor Sean Young—I gave her the role of Ellen Yindel in the final Batman films.

love the creativity of that post, but thank goodness we didn’t get that! (But Angela Bassett as Catwoman )

 

[Eddie Dean]

I’d like to state for the record that I think Sean Young is awesome and got a really bum deal from Hollywood, but it was a good jumping off point lol.

 

[Airwings]

I'm sure why they didn't go forward with a Batman and Superman film then.

It may have had to do with the fact the Salkinds were basically still in charge of the Superman films circa 1989 and the early 90s, and the Salkinds were thinking of a Superman 5 with Gerard Christopher .

You also add to that, that Reeve had pretty much sworn off the role after Superman 4.

WB would probably want a popular actor like Reeve to play Superman in a team up film than to go with the tv Superboy actor as Superman or to try to recast with another unknown.

At the same time, Superman 4 was a dud , so they maybe felt ,in the end, that tying Superman to wasn't a good idea?

WB may have ultimately decided it was a better idea to just keep the two franchises separate post B89 through the development of BR.

If we're talking post B89 that the team up idea was tossed around, it may have also been nixed because there was a ton of buzz about Batman 2 .

Audiences wanted to see another Batman film with characters like Catwoman, Riddler, Penguin, and Robin, as opposed to seeing a team up film with Superman, who at that point, had been played out on film.

At the same time, WB wanted to keep Burton for Batman 2, so they probably didn't want to scare him away with a team up film. In other words, in their minds, keeping a solo film franchise going full steam ahead was more of a priority then doing a crossover.

I'm speculating , but maybe that was their rationale back then.

By 1993, Burton had already released his second Batman film. Then he left the franchise.
Catwoman and Penguin had already been used.
There wasn't really a need for another solo film to flesh out the Batman character before teaming up with Superman.

I know superheroes weren't seen as interesting stuff back then. Not many of those films were being made.
Studios couldn't see the point in having two of them teaming up. Gosh, how wrong they were.
Supes and Bats together, mid-90s, would have been a huge money-maker. Especially with the actors that already played them in several previous films.
I truly believe so, even it it was a whole other time. The cinematic landscape wasn't like it is now.
The action genre and blockbusters were different. The "muscle action" from the 80s still existed to some extent.

Can we imagine this team-up replacing Batman Forever (which shouldn't have been made)?

I see two villans working together in this film: Lex and Riddler. They would be the brains
Metallo could have been a henchman they send out to take care of the heroes.
I don't think it would made the film feel crowded (like Spider-Man 3) if the script was good enough.

All that said, had they decided to move forward with a team up film I'm skeptical Burton or Donner would have directed it.

Donner was still probably still bitter after what happened during the filming of Superman 1 and 2 which wouldn't have been that far in the past, and I think Burton wouldn't have wanted, at that point, to tell a story with both Batman and Superman. I think Burton would want to tell another Batman solo story.

Had they had the right script and director , had Reeve agreed to return, and had they been ready to do what it took to make the film good, I think it could have been ground breaking, and of course, that changes the course of Superhero cinema

Have you some suggestions for directors?
Who could have managed to combine the distinctive different Metropolis and Gotham in a believable way? Who could make us buy that both cities exist in the same world?

 

[Frodo]

BATMAN KNIGHTFALL aka Tim Burton's Batman 4
Director : Tim B

By 1993, Burton had already released his second Batman film. Then he left the franchise.
Catwoman and Penguin had already been used.
There wasn't really a need for another solo film to flesh out the Batman character before teaming up with Superman.

I know superheroes weren't seen as interesting stuff back then. Not many of those films were being made.
Studios couldn't see the point in having two of them teaming up. Gosh, how wrong they were.
Supes and Bats together, mid-90s, would have been a huge money-maker. Especially with the actors that already played them in several previous films.
I truly believe so, even it it was a whole other time. The cinematic landscape wasn't like it is now.
The action genre and blockbusters were different. The "muscle action" from the 80s still existed to some extent.

Can we imagine this team-up replacing Batman Forever (which shouldn't have been made)?

I see two villans working together in this film: Lex and Riddler. They would be the brains
Metallo could have been a henchman they send out to take care of the heroes.
I don't think it would made the film feel crowded (like Spider-Man 3) if the script was good enough.


Have you some suggestions for directors?
Who could have managed to combine the distinctive different Metropolis and Gotham in a believable way? Who could make us buy that both cities exist in the same world?

Oh yeah, he left in 1993, but from what I remember ,the Batman and Superman talk ,was prior to even Batman Returns. It was right after Batman 89.

As far as 1993 goes, I don't think a team up film was even on their minds. They were determined to make Batman 3 with at least the Riddler as the villain with or without Burton.

I agree with you that they wouldn't have needed another solo film for Batman before they teamed up, but in 1993 and 1994, their thoughts turned to having two separate franchises as opposed to crossing them together.

But if they decided to go for a team up film say around 1993 and 1994, then yeah, Batman Forever doesn't happen. Then again, it would also depend on who played Batman and who played Superman. I'm not certain it would have been Keaton and Reeve together at that point.

It may have been one or the another with a new actor playing either Batman or Superman. I think it really depends on timing.

On the other hand, If we're getting into 1993 or 1994, Keaton maybe still leaves the role, and Reeve refuses to return as Superman.

In that case, the project becomes more of a risk in that you have to recast with two new leads presumably playing the Burton and Donner versions of the characters.

The most ideal scenario is that Keaton hangs on for at least one more appearance as Batman and they're able to get Reeve to return to put on the suit again. They'd probably have to pay them a fortune and guarantee them a good script.

As far as a director for a Batman and Superman film circa 1993 and 1994, I guess I would look at Richard Donner the most, though it would take some fence mending in order to get him back.

I think he would know how to approach Batman in a darker and more serious way while keeping the lighter up beat feeling that he established with Superman.

If it's Donner, than I think the film stays fairy grounded with a portrayals of Gotham and Metropolis .

 

[Airwings]

Frodo: I remember reading about the rumour in 1993. The year when Burton left the franchise.

If Donner returned. Would he change the gothic feel from Burton's Gotham. It's that Batman Keaton was playing!

 

[Frodo]

I think if Donner comes back, I do think he gives us a different Gotham, though probably not as stylized as Burton's or Schumacers.

Probably more akin to Nolan's ,i.e, basically using a real midwest or east coast city the way Donner basically used New York as Metropolis, though with a modern, i.e. early 90s look to it as opposed to the 30s and 40s look of the first two Batman films.

As far as if Keaton is playing Batman, that's still a question mark for me if we're talking 93 through 94.

We know that one of the reason's Keaton wanted to leave the role in 1994 , was that he felt like his character was being overshadowed, and he wanted more focus on the Bruce Wayne character as opposed to the villains basically running the show.

Would he have felt sharing the screen with Superman and potentially a couple of villains and Lois Lane, would take time away from Batman character or potential focus on his character?

It would have to depend on where his head is at in 93 or 94, and whether or not a great script with the right balance of multiple characters could ease any fears of Batman getting the shaft in a new film.

I don't know. Its hard to say.

I think if Keaton walks as he did with BF, whoever picks up the mantle would probably be the same Batman of 89 and Returns. I don't think they would have tried to give us a new version from a different continuity .

If it's Donner and Keaton doesn't return, I wouldn't be surprised if he asks his Lethal Weapon lead Mel Gibson to play the new Bruce Wayne. They liked working together, Gibson was still a big star, and he would have in his late 30s, just a bit younger than Keaton, and a few years older than Kilmer. ..

 

[BobJM]

This is pretty well made—it’s a fan trailer for A Justice League film released in ‘93 featuring Superman, Batman, Flash, and Wonder Woman (and a secret character at the end of the trailer).

Would have been interesting too to see who GL of the 90s would have been. Maybe Tom Cruise?

 

[Airwings]

I think if Donner comes back, I do think he gives us a different Gotham, though probably not as stylized as Burton's or Schumacers.

Probably more akin to Nolan's ,i.e, basically using a real midwest or east coast city the way Donner basically used New York as Metropolis, though with a modern, i.e. early 90s look to it as opposed to the 30s and 40s look of the first two Batman films.

Maybe Burton could be an advicer for the aestethic matters. Making sure Gotham remained similar to some degree.

We know that one of the reason's Keaton wanted to leave the role in 1994 , was that he felt like his character was being overshadowed, and he wanted more focus on the Bruce Wayne character as opposed to the villains basically running the show.

Would he have felt sharing the screen with Superman and potentially a couple of villains and Lois Lane, would take time away from Batman character or potential focus on his character?

Teaming up with Superman means Batman would be explored more as a character. How would Burtonverse react to the kryptonians godly powers, and how could they even manage to work together (with their differences)?

I think if Keaton walks as he did with BF, whoever picks up the mantle would probably be the same Batman of 89 and Returns. I don't think they would have tried to give us a new version from a different continuity .

If it's Donner and Keaton doesn't return, I wouldn't be surprised if he asks his Lethal Weapon lead Mel Gibson to play the new Bruce Wayne. They liked working together, Gibson was still a big star, and he would have in his late 30s, just a bit younger than Keaton, and a few years older than Kilmer. ..

It would be the same Batman.
Recasting didn't mean reboot by default, back in the 90s.

 

[Frodo]

Teaming up with Superman means Batman would be explored more as a character. How would Burtonverse react to the kryptonians godly powers, and how could they even manage to work together (with their differences)?


It would be the same Batman.
Recasting didn't mean reboot by default, back in the 90s.

Yeah. The whole recasting implying rebooting thing is more recent. In the 90s they were still wary of restarting a franchise soon after a previous iteration.

As far as their differences go, I think that that would be the major crux of the plot. I could see Donner in particular play up the differences between Reeve's Clark and Keaton's Batman, much like he did in the Lethal Weapon films, though probably not as comical.

I could totally see the two heroes clashing on a personality level and on methodology,.

Putting aside the differences between Batman and Superman as characters, Keaton and Reeve are vary different physically, and as actors, so it would have been great to really see these two different characters with two very different views on the world work together. Unfortunately the only hint we get the two actors working together is in the film Speechless.

The contrast between the two heroes would be very stark and could make for some really compelling moments and dialog, in addition to some lighter moments between Reeve's bubbling Kent and Keaton's aloof Bruce Wayne. I'd certainly have liked to have seen Kiddler's Lois's reaction to Keaton's Wayne.

 

[Airwings]

Frodo: The Reeve and Keaton characters are what I'm modelling a live action Supes & Bats team after, in my mind. And have always done so. Atleast since the 1993 rumour.
Their specific portrayals, their on-screen looks/personalities.... they ARE the characters.
I'm sure most people think the same way

And just as it should be, Reeve and Keaton played total opposites. More difference between them, than it were in the case of Cavill/Affleck.
This is a crucial thing when the two heroes work together. It's the whole point of the team-ups. They are not like each other AT ALL.
The heroes' respective style/energy/mood is incompatible, and that should be pointed out.

This is valid for the whole Justice League, in fact.
That's why it's so intriguing to see all the heroes next to each other.

 

[Frodo]

Catwoman (1994)

Director : Shane Black
Producers: Jon Peters and Tim Burton
Music : Michael Kamen

Catwoman/Selina Kyle : Michelle Pfeiffer

Chip Schreck : Andrew Bryniarski (Batman Returns)

Red Claw : Lena Olin (Romeo is Bleeding)

Lady Shiva : Ming-Na Wen (Joy Luck Club)

Deathstroke : Patrick Bergin (Sleeping with the Enemy)

Deadshot : Robert Patrick (Terminator 2)

Holly : Fairuza Balk (The Craft, Return to Oz)

Max Shrek : Christopher Walken (Flashback scenes)

Interpol Detective : Jean Reno

Plot: Taking a place a couple of years after the events of Batman returns, Catwoman has disappeared from Gotham , presumed dead , and there is no trace of Selina Kyle who's now a missing person also presumed dead.

Selina, in reality has fled Gotham, and the states and has been nomadic traveling from town to town, city to city in Europe under different aliases. She's died her hair brown and cuts her hair into a short pixie cut. She looks miles away from the mousy blonde haired secretary who worked for Shrek. She takes different jobs and lives a quite life she struggles with the darkness inside her which longs to come out.

Every once in a while when she confronted by muggers, or see's an injustice , the Cat comes out and lays waist to those who get on her bad side. At the same time, her thoughts still linger on Bruce, and the life should could have had. This keeps her from getting romantically attached despite several men along the way showing interest in the mysterious beauty.

She resists getting close to anyone until she forms a friendship with a teenage runaway Holly with her own mysterious background. The two of them begin to form a sisterly bond and begin to look out for each other.

In the meanwhile, a broken Chip Schreck mourns the loss of his father while he inherits his father's vast domestic and international empire and legacy.

While the details to his father's shady dealings and criminal actions remain secret the the publi, it is believed that Penguin and the Catwoman murdered him. After his body is found , Schreck is considered a hero who sacrificed himself and stood up to Penguin and Catwoman.

Chip suspects that Catwoman is alive and soon puts together that the Selina Kyle , his father's former secretary , is Catwoman.

He wants Kyle dead, not only for killing his father , but for all the information and knowledge Kyle has that could potentially ruin the Schreck family empire and expose Max's other allies . He knows that his own hired muscle won't stand a chance against an almost superhuman foe, so instead he decides to level the playing field with international professionals outside of Gotham.

As a result, he calls on several of his father's criminal, terrorist, shadowy organizational contacts and puts a bounty on the head of Selina Kyle aka the Catwoman. Several people such as Deadshot, Slade Wilson, Lady Shiva, answer the call to hunt down the Catwoman and anyone helping her.

This time, Selina is physically outmatched and outgunned by assassins such as Deathstroke, Deadshot, and Shiva, all the while trying to protect Holly. In this globe trotting adventure, Catwoman has the odds stacked against her, and it will take her wits and luck to survive.

 

[Frodo]

JLA AND THE LEGION OF DOOM (1994)

Director : Roland Emmerich


Superman: Chris Reeve
Batman : Michael Keaton
Wonder Woman: Lynda Carter
Flash : John Wesley Shipp
Green Lantern : Patrick Swazye
Aquaman : Dolph Lundgren
Lex Luthor: Gene Hackman
Joker : Jack Nicholson
Cheetah : Joanna Cassidy
Reverse Flash : Kiefer Sutherland
Sinestro : Alan Rickman
Black Manta : Wesley Snipes

 

[Frodo]

BATMAN KNIGHTFALL aka Tim Burton's Batman 4

Batman/Bruce Wayne : Michael Keaton
Bane : Arnold Schwarzenegger
Scarecrow : Jeff Goldblum
Riddler : Johnny Depp
Two Face : Alec Baldwin
Mr. Freeze : Ben Kingsley
Ventriloquist : John Lithgow
Poison Ivy : Sarah Jessica Parker
Firefly: Michael Rooker
Robin: Matt Damon
Mad Hatter: Mike Myers
Lucius Fox :Louis Gossett Jr.
Alfred : Michael Gough

 

[BobJM]

It's 2007 and WB is trying to solve its Superman after the release and performance of Superman Returns. The B.O. returns were promising, but not much else excited. Cameras are rolling on The Dark Knight and WB execs can already see that something special is in the works--they want the same for Superman continuing forward too.

WB doesn't ask Bryan Singer to return, and decides to move away from the Donner-verse by dropping the vintage aesthetic (explained away in the Daily Planet bullpen as renovation /revitalization projects across the city after the earthquakes/destruction in Superman Returns) and removing the Lex Luthor character & real-estate scheming entirely, looking to portray Superman in a more earnest fashion akin to Nolan's Batman Begins and in-progress sequel.

James Mangold is hired after his character work on Walk the LIne and recent drama actioner 3:10 to Yuma to helm the project and promises two things to WB execs: character & action.

plot synopsis

It's been 3 years since Superman returned to Earth and reclaimed his role as humanity's hero. The people are happy and the world is safe once more. But in the shadows, a seedy government organization called Cadmus is working to create their own dark vision of 'Superman.'

When an international incident erupts in Corto Maltese, former USAF pilot & current international correspondent for Daily Planet, Richard White--an ex-lover of fellow reporter Lois Lane-- is caught in the crossfire, spurring Superman to intervene. Though Superman saves White, he's horribly injured and the world is now questioning Superman's role in foreign affairs.

Lane and White have separated since their son Jason demonstrated his super-strength in Superman Returns and was assumed to be the son of Superman. Cadmus, run in secret by General Sam Lane and Director Amanda Waller, gets to White after Corto Maltese and offer him the chance to be a superhero for his son. White, clinging to life, agrees and undergoes the transformation to Metallo.

Superman meanwhile is trying to delve further into his Kryptonian origins in the Fortress of Solitude--studying the crystals and their secrets. It's this activity (and the rock of Kryptonite floating near Jupiter) that prompt's the arrival of Brainiac, an extraterrestrial cyborg driven to collect the total information of a planet and its inhabitants before annihilating it completely. The US military, not keen on again blindly trusting an alien visitor, uses Metallo as its champion.

Throughout the story, White's grip on sanity slips as he turns more machine than man--guided, in secret, by implanted behavioral modifications courtesy of Cadmus--pitting him against Superman.

At some point, Brainiac would confirm to Superman that he is the last son of Krypton. Superman would make an allusion to Jason, but Brainiac, upon scanning the boy's body, would dryly note that he is genetically-modified human, not a Kryptonian--this would be the huge reveal. Jason is in fact Lois & Jason's son, but at a young age his DNA was gradually overwritten with Superman DNA by Cadmus during regular check-ups at his pediatrician (orchestrated by his grandfather, General Sam Lane) to be an American hero for the next generation. In essence, Jason would be the film universe's Superboy.

Richard White/Metallo, salvaging his last bits of humanity, would sacrifice his life at the end of the film to help Superman stop Brainiac's global invasion, dying a hero his son is proud of. Before he dies, he tells Clark to take care of Lois & Jason.

SUPERMAN: LAST SON
directed by James Mangold
Summer 2009

Clark Kent / Superman: Brandon Routh

supporting.
Lois Lane: Kate Bosworth
Jason: Tristian Lake Leabu

villains.
Brainiac: Tilda Swinton
Richard White / Metallo: James Marsden
General Sam Lane: Ed Harris
Director Amanda Waller: Angela Bassett

daily planet.
Perry White: Frank Langella
Jimmy Olsen: Sam Huntington
Ron Troupe: Jesse L. Martin

additional / minor.
Senator Ordway: Diane Lane
Bibbo Bibbowski: Jack Larson
Martha Kent: Eva Marie Saint

 

[Airwings]

It's 2007 and WB is trying to solve its Superman after the release and performance of Superman Returns. The B.O. returns were promising, but not much else excited. Cameras are rolling on The Dark Knight and WB execs can already see that something special is in the works--they want the same for Superman continuing forward too.

WB doesn't ask Bryan Singer to return, and decides to move away from the Donner-verse by dropping the vintage aesthetic (explained away in the Daily Planet bullpen as renovation /revitalization projects across the city after the earthquakes/destruction in Superman Returns) and removing the Lex Luthor character & real-estate scheming entirely, looking to portray Superman in a more earnest fashion akin to Nolan's Batman Begins and in-progress sequel.

James Mangold is hired after his character work on Walk the LIne and recent drama actioner 3:10 to Yuma to helm the project and promises two things to WB execs: character & action.



SUPERMAN: LAST SON
directed by James Mangold
Summer 2009

Clark Kent / Superman: Brandon Routh

supporting.
Lois Lane: Kate Bosworth
Jason: Tristian Lake Leabu

villains.
Brainiac: Tilda Swinton
Richard White / Metallo: James Marsden
General Sam Lane: Ed Harris
Director Amanda Waller: Angela Bassett

daily planet.
Perry White: Frank Langella
Jimmy Olsen: Sam Huntington
Ron Troupe: Jesse L. Martin

additional / minor.
Senator Ordway: Diane Lane
Bibbo Bibbowski: Jack Larson
Martha Kent: Eva Marie Saint

What a reveal that Jason isn't Clark's son. This would take away some of the good things from SR
I have to admit that the CADMUS twist for the boy, is a bit far-fetched.

Richard White as Metallo is interesting. Is he going to fight Supes? You don't mention if he will.

Swinton as Brainiac is BRILLIANT!!!

 

[Airwings]

There was some Superman project, with producer Jon Peters involved. I remember something about im being dead-set on changing the character, taking away his ability to fly.
And there shouldn't have been any suit either.
In that strange film, Superman was going to fight a HUGE giant spider.
Brainiac was mentioned as the villain.

This Peters guy didn't understand the character.
I remember how his plans caused an uproar online. It was good that we didn't get this film.

BUT, as it is now, maybe some of his ideas can be used for a new Superman film.
To explore the hero in a new way. To tell a different story. Both the character and the audience need to be challanged.
During the film, the suit could disappear.
For a part of the film, Supes can also have lost his flight power after being exposed to a new kind of kryptonite. At the end, he gets it back of course.

 

[BobJM]

What a reveal that Jason isn't Clark's son. This would take away some of the good things from SR
I have to admit that the CADMUS twist for the boy, is a bit far-fetched.

Richard White as Metallo is interesting. Is he going to fight Supes? You don't mention if he will.

Swinton as Brainiac is BRILLIANT!!!

I feel like Jason being Superman’s son made Superman Returns so tricky to make a sequel for. He’s a boy that Clark has absolutely no relationship with, and who already has a seemingly great father in Richard White. Why would I root for Superman to jump in and disrupt that family?

The question of Jason’s true father would be the seed of doubt that Cadmus uses to twist Richard White/Metallo to fight Superman. I see Metallo akin to TDK’s Two-Face—he’s the tragic, emotional tether for the film. Although, instead of “living long enough to become the villain,” like Harvey in TDK, Metallo would ultimately redeem himself in the 3rd act, rebel against and expose Cadmus, and “die a hero.”

Jason is retconned into being a quasi-Superman clone instead of his biological son, more akin to Connor Clark aka Superboy of the Post-Crisis comics. A third film could potentially tackle that storyline with Jason becoming a burgeoning superhero—maybe a spinoff Teen Titans film?

 

[Airwings]

I feel like Jason being Superman’s son made Superman Returns so tricky to make a sequel for. He’s a boy that Clark has absolutely no relationship with, and who already has a seemingly great father in Richard White. Why would I root for Superman to jump in and disrupt that family?

The question of Jason’s true father would be the seed of doubt that Cadmus uses to twist Richard White/Metallo to fight Superman. I see Metallo akin to TDK’s Two-Face—he’s the tragic, emotional tether for the film. Although, instead of “living long enough to become the villain,” like Harvey in TDK, Metallo would ultimately redeem himself in the 3rd act, rebel against and expose Cadmus, and “die a hero.”

Jason is retconned into being a quasi-Superman clone instead of his biological son, more akin to Connor Clark aka Superboy of the Post-Crisis comics. A third film could potentially tackle that storyline with Jason becoming a burgeoning superhero—maybe a spinoff Teen Titans film?

The story for a planned sequel had Brianiac killing Jason. So there was a way to continue having him as half-kryptonian