What theme should the next Batman reboot be?

What theme should the next Batman reboot be?

Comic/supernatural or real world, Nolan-like?

Feature Opinion
By aaronversch - Aug 07, 2012 11:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Batman

Nolan took the Batman franchise to the top of Wayne Towers and beyond. We needed something, anything to cleanse or palletes from the bitter taste that Schumacher left. But will Warner Brothers want to back to Schumacher's comic book feel? Will they want to ride Nolan's (and the other recent superhero franchises) theme of superheros exsisting in our modern day real world? I hope the latter is true.

I have read articles where people are sick of the same villians being reproduced from the 90's Franchise to the Dark Knight Trilogy. But it's funny how everyone likes Ledger's Joker over the iconic Nicholson's take and Hathaway's version of Catwoman over Pfeiffer's. I would argue Seymour Hoffman would do a better job of the Penguin than DeVito's freakish, uncomfortable at times Penguin. Anyone would've done better than Tommy Lee Jone's Two Face so Eckhart didn't have too much to worry about even though his story arc was way too rushed. Carrey's Riddler would've been tough to match but I am sure Johhny Depp would be game.

I do get the arugement of wanting to see Batman fight Killer Croc or Clayface. I do understand how comicbook junkies want to see the supernatural powers of the Lazurus Pit. I argue we can still see that in the Nolan-like universe. In GI-Joe: The Rise of the Cobra,an invisble suit was easily explained as taking pictures of what is behind you and projecting them in front of you. So why not explain a man dresses in a suit that morphs in and out of strange forms? Why not explain a huge man has a rare skin condition or his DNA was mixed up with crocodile DNA to fill in certain DNA gaps? Even Man-Bat's backstory can explain his freakish appearance.

There are plenty of villians the reboot can explore that don't require supernatural powers. Deadshot, Black Mask, Victor Zsasz (Jason Statham anyone?), The Mad Hatter (Daniel Day Lewis), The Ventriloquist, Calendar Man, Harley Quinn (played by Rooney Mera?), Hugo Strange (Robin Williams or Jeff Bridges) and Tweedledee and Tweedledum all don't have the same other world characteristics as Croc and Clayface.

Let's leave all that supernatural stuff to the kiddie Team Jacob girls. Or if Warner Brothers was deadset on supernatural villians they could take a page from the X-Men Series that made mutants believable in the real world. Kinda like MIB makes aliens seem half belivable especially when they disclose Lady Gaga, Dennis Rodman and Joan Rivers are aliens.

Even if 5 years pass before Warner Brothers begins discussions on a reboot, I really can't see them wanting to do a complete 180 from Nolan. Iron Man, Spiderman, and Superman will still be current so I suspect WB will want to stay true with them. If it ain't broke don't fix it. The only think broken about Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy are box office records.

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Fantine
Fantine - 8/7/2012, 11:49 AM
I never thought about Rooney Mara for Harley Quinn. Her Lisbeth Salander, was the best performance in a movie last year. She could do wonders with Harley Quinn.
RunDTC
RunDTC - 8/7/2012, 12:55 PM
Jason Statham as Mr. Zsasz? *vomits*
JoshAsAMarvelfan
JoshAsAMarvelfan - 8/7/2012, 4:36 PM
Seriously? Look, I know that The Dark Knight Movies were great,They're by far the greatest BATMAN movies of all time. That being said, I can't in good conscience say that they portrayed the comic-book batman correctly! the only reason I say they're the best batman movies is because they didn't have any competition!
Please tell me, why people think TDK is "one of the best super hero movies of all time"!
In my opinion, I think they should go for a batman who is still plenty dark enough for nolan fans, yet suspended enough in fiction to be part of a shared universe. Like Arkham Asylum! What is wrong with that?
amazingwebhead1
amazingwebhead1 - 8/7/2012, 6:08 PM
it's still got to have the dark gritty theme cause that's batman and it works for batman tim burton movies and nolan movies were the top
amazingwebhead1
amazingwebhead1 - 8/7/2012, 6:10 PM
@csvictory the amazing spider-man was nolan like i bet you thought that was a great movie even thought marc webb clearly took the same look and feel as how nolan does his movies for guess what batman
Rise
Rise - 8/7/2012, 11:43 PM
I'd love to see the classic grey and black suit in the reboot, with a focus on his gadgets and detection skills. Set in a realistic/noir setting with a much more personal focus on the Batman and none of this "huge scale" feeling of Nolan's films. A Bruce Wayne narration would work well. Think a significantly less stylised version of Sin City or the Spirit.
jumpingJellybeans
jumpingJellybeans - 8/8/2012, 12:01 AM
Arkham City/ 90s The Animated Series tone. Jesus [frick]ing jones, I'm a genius.
CapFan79
CapFan79 - 8/8/2012, 12:31 PM
I think they should make a film in the future. Sort of Dark Knight Returns. They can sort of have it be a distant sequel to both the prior quadrilogy and Nolan's trilogy.

Just sort of like "we thought he was dead" sort of thing and have him come back older.
Bumble
Bumble - 8/8/2012, 1:35 PM
I like the idea of going with the sort of theme the New 52 has and sort of the same way the 1989 Batman movie did. Make Batman more of a legend that some people don't even believe he exists. Keep it grounded in reality so that it gels with what has worked so well with recent movies.

I think that you can still make the jump to use other villians (such as Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, I personally would like Hush, etc.) but, in keeping with theme, creatively interpret those characters to exist in a more believable plain of existence.
randomizer9870
randomizer9870 - 8/8/2012, 1:52 PM
They should either make the movies based off of the Earth 31 Graphic Novels (Batman Year One, All-star Batman And Robin, The Dark Knight Returns/Strikes Again). Or make them based off of the new 52, a Court/City of Owls Movie would be awsome
aaronversch
aaronversch - 8/8/2012, 6:58 PM
CapFan79- I like your future idea. The Dark Knight Returns was a great graphic novel. I wonder who would play Batman in his 50's. Too bad Clooney already had his time. But Richard Geere and Sean Penn would be awesome choices. Jeff Bridges? It would totally reboot Cosner's career. You gotta believe he has a few great roles left in him. It just cant end with Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard and Field of Dreams.
PJ
PJ - 8/10/2012, 6:56 AM
I'd like dark ones but, not so dark that a superhuman couldn't exist.
This also opens the door for ClayFace and Killer Croc.
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