A BATMAN BEYOND Live-Action Movie Almost Happened... With Clint Eastwood As Bruce Wayne!

A BATMAN BEYOND Live-Action Movie Almost Happened... With Clint Eastwood As Bruce Wayne!

Did you know that a live-action movie based on acclaimed animated series Batman Beyond almost happened in the early 2000s? According to Paul Dini, Clint Eastwood was even eyed for the role of Bruce Wayne.

By MarkCassidy - Apr 15, 2020 09:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Batman (Animated)

Batman Beyond fans have been hoping for some sort of live-action revival since the acclaimed animated series left our screens almost two decades ago, and it turns out we very nearly got one in the early 2000s.

While speaking to Kevin Smith on the latest episode of Fatman on Batman, Paul Dini revealed that he and fellow Batman Beyond co-creator Alan Burnett were hired to write the script for a live-action adaptation. Boaz Yakin (Remember The Titans) was on board as director, and the studio was even looking at Clint Eastwood to play the older incarnation of Bruce Wayne.

"It was set in Gotham's future, but it didn't quite have the fantastic, futuristic edge," Dini explained. "It was sort of like an amalgam. There was a little bit of Dark Knight, there was a little bit of contemporary comics and there was Terry [McGinnis] and the suit and everything. It was old Bruce Wayne."

Unfortunately, WB execs balked at the trio's much darker and nihilistic take on the Caped Crusader of the future, and demanded a more family-friendly version. Yakin refused to tone down his vision, departed the project, and the rest is history.

Could this still happen at some point? Well, Warner Bros. has certainly softened its stance on darker material over the years, so that wouldn't be an issue anymore. Of course, we've yet to meet our latest Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) on the big screen, so Terry McGinnis is probably still a long way off!

Would you guys be interested in a Batman Beyond movie? Let us know in the comments.

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MuadDib
MuadDib - 4/15/2020, 9:18 AM
Dream casting.. we can dream
dracula
dracula - 4/15/2020, 9:39 AM
@MuadDib - Clint Eastwood really is perfect for the role, for Terry I would go with Jamie Bell (in the erly 2000's, now he has aged out)
DannRamm113
DannRamm113 - 4/15/2020, 9:20 AM
I would love for this movie to happen some day.

But, for now, looks like were gonna have to stick to Spider-Man MCU, which basically ripped off aspects of Beyond, which basically ripped off elements of Spiderman to begin with
MrCamw1
MrCamw1 - 4/15/2020, 10:17 AM
@DannRamm113 - is this true cause I have many questions......and seeing that life is like a circle....ir never ends.
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 4/15/2020, 9:21 AM
If they ever do a Beyond movie they should cast Keaton or Conroy as old Bruce.

Not saying they should have it in the same universe as 89 or BTAS but it would be cool legacy casting.
CWBNGAJEEPGUY85
CWBNGAJEEPGUY85 - 4/15/2020, 11:49 AM
@Nightwing1015 - I'm 100% confident Michael Keaton would come back to the roll! And he would knock it out of the park! Kevin Conroy, while his voice as Batman is phenomenal, his live action acting skills are very limited (IMO of course). He just doesn't have the gravitas to pull off and aged and somewhat crippled Dark Knight, and Crisis showed that.
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 4/15/2020, 9:23 AM
Clint Eastwood
Written by Paul Dini and Alan Burnett...

Are you [frick]ing kidding me?!
teefurtree
teefurtree - 4/15/2020, 11:18 AM
@THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - I KNOW!
AHH!
Maybe one day yet...
polarkyle
polarkyle - 4/15/2020, 9:24 AM
Jeremy Jahns once mentioned this idea back during the Dark Knight trilogy days.
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 4/15/2020, 9:27 AM
Too good to be true.
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 4/15/2020, 9:27 AM
Knowing that WB actually had meetings with Paul Dini and Alan Burnett at one point makes me even more mad that they never went to them for the DCEU. Incredible missed opportunity.
MisterFreeze77
MisterFreeze77 - 4/16/2020, 8:04 AM
@THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - A DCEU run by Paul Dini and Alan Burnett? Oh. My. Gods just imagine the possibilities! I dare say that, if they had been attached from the get go, the DCEU wouldn't be in the shambles that it is now
IronGenesis
IronGenesis - 4/15/2020, 9:28 AM
In the past when considering Old Bruce Wayne...

Clint Eastwood (obviously)
Paul Newman (now deceased)
Michael Keaton (but only if Tim Burton returns to make it a Trilogy...Batman/Batman Returns/Batman Beyond)

More recently I’ve been looking at

Mel Gibson (he’s insane enough to have been Batman)

But I think the ultimate choice now would be Daniel-Day Lewis.
MuadDib
MuadDib - 4/15/2020, 9:42 AM
@IronGenesis - Sold list, Clint, Keaton and Conroy are all on my short list too. But I think your missing Peter Weller, he would be so amazing in that role too
TheOnlyWoj
TheOnlyWoj - 4/15/2020, 3:28 PM
@IronGenesis - Daniel-Day Lewis would be a great older Joker.
Fishandchips
Fishandchips - 4/15/2020, 9:30 AM
I'd [frick]ing love a Batman Beyond movie.

Clint Eastwood would be great, but I think Michael Keaton could be an amazing old man Bruce, and y'know, it would be nice call back
itzayaboy
itzayaboy - 4/15/2020, 9:34 AM
They should at least bring back the show. Why launch DC Universe if you are not going to produce all of the animated stuff that the fans want to see? I wish DC Universe was not such a failure. Harley Quinn and YJ are the only things going for it.
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 4/15/2020, 9:35 AM
Damn. Talk about a goldmine of ideas. Batman Beyond is such an interesting world, but even the show kind of stopped being interested in after a while. I'd love for this to happen with Michael Keaton and some unknown as Terry
GhostDog
GhostDog - 4/15/2020, 9:42 AM
WB actually talked with Paul Dini & Alan Burnett??!

How do you [frick] this up???
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 4/15/2020, 9:42 AM
The real enemy of DC comic adaptations has always been the executive structure at Warner Bros. Maybe they’ve finally turned the corner there, but the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that sunk so many DC projects is legendary at this point.
dracula
dracula - 4/15/2020, 9:43 AM
Would have been perfect

For Terry id go with Jamie Bell, back in the early 2000's he was young enough

a few years after that he would have been perfect
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