With the release of The Dark Knight Rises Christopher Nolan's Bat-trilogy comes to an end, which of course means it's time to immediately start working on the next Batman trilogy! Nolan's trilogy drew heavily on the Batman: Year One, Dark Victory and Knightfall storylines, but there are plenty of other epic Batman tales that could potentially be transformed into money-printing movie trilogies.
Once they're done with their caviar food fights and Uncle Scrooge-style money swimming, the bosses at Warner Bros. really ought to consider one of the following five Batman trilogy ideas...
Movie producers seem to be super afraid of Robin, but they really shouldn't be. I mean, yeah, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin completely fumbled Robin by casting a 35-year-old Chris O'Donnell and ramping the gay up to unprecedented levels, but kid superheroes can work on film. People seemed to think Kick-Ass was pretty okay, and the comic it was based on was not very good. By comparison Robin has some much better comics to draw inspiration from...
Movie 1 - The first movie would be based on Chuck Dixon, Scott Beatty and Javier Pulido's Robin: Year One. Dick Grayson is taken in by Bruce Wayne after his parents die and becomes Robin. As Robin tackles villains like Mad Hatter and Two-Face his bond with Batman and Alfred grow.
Movie 2 - Based on A Death in the Family. Dick Grayson has grown up and is trying to forge his own identity as Nightwing. Batman takes on Jason Todd as the new Robin, but the two clash, and ultimately Jason is killed by the Joker.
Movie 3 - Based on A Lonely Place of Dying. Batman is distraught and acting in a wreckless manner after the death of Jason Todd. Dick Grayson returns to help Batman take on Two-Face, but they're both nearly killed. Ultimately Bruce and Dick are saved by Tim Drake, a teenager who managed to discover Batman's secret identity. Tim becomes the new Robin and the core Bat-family is in place.
This would combine two of Hollywood's favorite things -- superheroes and disasters where people get sick and buildings fall down and stuff. I mean, it's actually kind of shocking that a superhero disaster movie hasn't happened before.
Move 1 - Based on the Contagion storyline. Gotham is stricken by a plague unleashed by that jerk Ra's al Ghul.
Movie 2 - Based on the Cataclysm storyline. Aw s--t, now there's an earthquake! Just uh, maybe use somebody slightly cooler than "Quakemaster" for the villain.
Movie 3 - Based on the No Man's Land storyline. Dayum, now Gotham's been declared a lawless no man's land! The city gets divided up between rival gangs Warriors-style, which is always awesome.
If producers decide regular old Batman isn't with it/hip/up on the scene enough for the kids today, then can always go with the futuristic Batman Beyond universe. I mean, Paul Dini actually wrote a Batman Beyond script back in early 2000s before it was ultimately decided to go the Batman Begins route. Just dig that script out of your filing cabinet Warners.
Movie 1 - Based on the two-part Batman Begins pilot episode The Call. It's more than 20-years in the future, and Batman is retired and very cranky. Terry McGinnis discovers Batman's secret identity and is eventually hired as the new Batman. Villains would be the Jokerz street gang and asshole business guy Derek Powers.
Movie 2 - Based on the episode Out of the Past. Bruce Wayne is tired of being old and cranky and accepts Talia's offer to let him use the Lazarus pit. Except Talia is actually Ra's al Ghul hoping to control a rejuvenated Bruce Wayne's mind. Globe hopping adventure ensues.
Movie 3 - Based on the direct-to-DVD movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. The Joker is back, and in the future! But that can't be -- he was killed by Robin 40 years ago! That's just the beginning of the craziness. This may be my favorite non-comic Joker story (and that includes The Dark Knight).
Okay, so probably a lot of Grant Morrison's run would have to be cut due to excessive craziness. I just don't see Bruce Wayne fighting cavemen or pushing a shopping cart around as the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh being embraced by casual movie-going Batman fans. But I think there's enough good, not totally insane stuff in Grant Morrison's run to support a trilogy...
Movie 1 - Based on Morrison's early Batman issues and the less wacky elements of the Black Glove storyline. Batman discovers he has a son named Damian with Ra's al Ghul's daughter Talia. Trains him as the new Robin. The Black Glove, lead by Doctor Hurt, a man claiming to be Bruce Wayne's father, try to take down Batman and the Wayne family. They fail.
Movie 2 - Based on the first Batman Incorporated series. Batman recruits Batmen from around the world to do battle with a criminal organization known as The Leviathan, which it turns out is run by Damian's mom. Awkward.
Movie 3 - Based on the second Batman Incorporated series. We don't yet know where this series is going to end up since there have only been two issues so far, but I imagine Team Batman will eventually save the world. Hollywood is totally into super-hero team-ups these days -- how could they say no to one made up entirely of Batmen?
This story, like Grant Morrison's Batman stuff, is still in progress, but it's still the story I'd most like to see made into a new Batman trilogy. Why? Because it's really super great, that's why.
Movie 1 - Based on Batman: Gates of Gotham. The history of Gotham city, and its important families the Waynes, Kanes, Elliots and others are explored. Meanwhile, in present day a villain known as The Architect is destroying Gotham landmarks. Hints and references to the Court of Owls can be laced throughout.
Movie 2 - Based on The Court of Owls storyline. Legend has it Gotham City is actually controlled by a shadowy organization known as The Court of Owls. Batman doesn't believe it. He should. The Owls push Batman to the brink as he discovers Gotham City and even his family have managed to hide secrets from him.
Movie 3 - Based on, uh, whatever Scott Snyder's working on for the future. After a couple straight years of great Batman comics from Snyder, I'm sure it'll be rad.
So, how about you folks? Any good ideas for Bat-trilogies you'd like to see?
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1. a robin based trilogy would never work because it would not get green-lit. he has always been second fiddle to bats. it could only be a “b” movie at best.
2. the public is not ready for a batman sans bruce wayne.
3. batman vs. superman could work, but not as a trilogy, and there really isn’t anywhere you could go from there. maybe it could cap a trilogy.
4. we need something new now. unless they wait 10+ years to revisit batman, which everyone knows they won’t, we need to explore some new territory to avoid batman fatigue. it’s probably contingent on the success of the spider-man and superman reboots. too soon? but, i for one, would not mind seeing a grizzled bruce wayne.
Seems to me like Warner Broz will be plenty busy for the next decade with the Superman reboot; I don’t imagine them trying to relaunch Batman for at least five or six years.
Except DKR just made about a kabillion dollars. If you don’t think they’ll push another Batman movie for 2015 you’re insane-o.
I want to see Robin in the new trilogy and think it could work fine. My idea would center on the Court of Owls Storyline.
The first movie would involve the death of Dick’s parents and Bruce adopting and training Dick to fight. The Court of Owls wanted Dick to be their next Talon until Bruce Wayne screwed that up. Bruce continues to fight as Batman while training Dick for several years (until he is about 18) and then he becomes Robin. The villain could be Black Mask or Penguin who hired Tony Zucco to kill the flying Graysons because the circus failed to pay for the right to perform in Gotham. You could probably through in Killer Kroc as a villain/body guard for Black Mask (Croc from the Azzarello Joker graphic novel). Meanwhile the Court could be watching and hinted at throughout the film and allowing Batman to train Dick with the intention of eventually killing Batman and then getting Dick to be their next Talon. I might also introduce Barbara starting to train to become Batgirl. She could train in fighting with the police and become a love interest for Dick.
Movie 2: Could begin with Bruce meeting with Lincoln March (and build upon his character throughout the movie) only to be attacked by William Cobb. Batman would end up in the Maze with Robin being forced to act alone for the first and rescue Batman. Robin could later confront and defeat Cobb and rescue Bruce. In their fight, Cobb could reveal to Dick what his true destiny was meant to be and that he is a direct descendent of Cobb. Dick could fake joining the Court and be lead to a broken down Batman and offered the chance to prove himself by killing Batman. The two would then fight their way out, realize they are outnumbered and retreat. If also introducing Batgirl, Dick could seek her helping in finding Bruce, equipping Batgirl, and have both of them take down Cobb. While Bruce is in the Maze, he could learn the Court’s plan for the city and set up the third movie.
Movie three: This would the full on attack of the owl’s. Batman would be angry at Dick for dragging Barbara into their crusade. Begin hinting at tension between the two, but Bruce ultimately realizes they will need as much help as possible. The Owl’s unleash all of their talons on Gotham and the three heroes must defeat them and save the city. The concluding fight could be between Bruce and Lincoln and Dick and Cobb. With the city saved, and his last known relative defeated, Dick could in search of himself (setting himself up to become Nightwing in the next films while Bruce finds Jason).
Obviously that is a very rough idea, but something I have been thinking off thinking the midnight showing yesterday. The movies could play on the idea of family, loyalty and what family is. It is just a bloodline (Dick/Cobb, Bruce/Lincoln, Barbara/Commissioner Gordon) or the new family of Bruce/Dick and the Bat-family (Batman, Robin, and Batgirl).
In your list, I think the Contagion story line could work if the Lazarus pit is introduced. You could play up the fact that both Bruce and Dick lost their parents and could bring them back with the pit. Maybe one has to stop the other as they argue about the ethics. I do think think that Ra’s might be a little played out, but he could be a common link between all of the movies.
I think No Man’s Land is too similar to TDKR and I saw a that as being on the more influential comics in the movie (beside Knightfall). If you wanted to go to tribal/gang war far why not do an Arkham City movie or a War Games movie?
Other story lines I think could be interesting story lines for a movie: Hush, Prey, or Batman: Gothic.
The idea that you can’t do a serious batman movie that isn’t grounded in reality is silly. All of these stories, directed (and cast) well, make terrific, gajillion dollar Batman movies. I’m partial to court of owls, because, um, it’s fantastic so far. I reserve judgement for if Scott Snyder falls apart, but I don’t see it happening.
I agree with everything you said. Watch Batman: The Animated Series. It is a solid, entertaining series that balances the “grounded reality” with more the comic side of the spectrum. Another suggestion for what direction to take the next movies: Strange Apparitions
I wouldn’t mind the new movie series starting In Medias Res with the current continuity (Batman, Nightwing, Red Robin, Robin, Batgirl). We’ve already seen Batman by himself (Dark Knight Saga), now lets see him with the rest of the Bat-Family.
And before you mention Batman Returns Forever and Robin, I mean a good story like the Dark Knight Series, not Damn, That Good Gothy Dark that turns into Buy These Toys, Kids!: The Movie.
I can see WB greenlighting the “No Man’s Land” storyline, since the current Nolan movies are one earthquake away from being pretty much the same story.
Yeah, definitely some No Man’s Land DNA in Dark Knight Rises. Little different though — the situation in No Man’s Land is set off by an act of nature as opposed to a villain, which is an important distinction I think.
“Batman: Battle for the Cowl” would make a great trilogy
“Zack” Snyder?
Holy s–t, thanks for the catch man. Apologies to Scott Snyder for the comparison. Sometimes my proof reading don’t work so good at the end of the day on Friday.
I totally would be down for a Batman Beyond movie. To make it cooler I would even cast Michael Keaton as the older Bruce Wayne. I’d also love to see a Batman and Robin movie with Grayson as Batman and Damian as Robin (I thought the chemistry between the two in the comics was great), but I don’t know how you could feasibly pull that off.
Michael Keaton would actually make a better Batman now than when he was actually Batman. Back in the 80s/90s he was this poofy-haired comedy guy — now he looks kind of weathered and more believable as a guy who might have actually thrown a punch in his life.
Why not do something different and borrow elements while crafting something new?
For instance, let’s do Freeze justice again as a complex morally ambiguous character and set him up as the first movie’s villain on his standard revenge as justice mission against his old employers. It’s a perversion of Batman’s own mission of justice, and, since we’ll be jumping into Batman’s career late in the game, it gives the dark knight a new emotional crisis to wrestle with. And, since we HAVE to make this a trilogy, we’ll have him teamed up with Robin. Freeze kills Robin, pushing Batman to the edge of his morals, but Batman comes back, takes down Freeze. Etc.
Next movie, Batman takes up a new Robin, and has to keep a mob war between Black Mask and Two-Face from tearing apart Gotham. A body count starts racking up as an anonymous hit-man starts taking down high profile Wayne Enterprise employees, and Batman has to scramble to figure out which crime lord unleashed him. He also has to wrestle with the constant reminder of his failure to protect the old Robin. In the end, he learns to trust the new Robin’s abilities, takes down both kingpins, but the hitman escapes.
To close it all out, the last movie starts with Robin going missing, as the hitman from the second resurfaces. Batman works to locate his protege and stop the killer, while struggling not to give in to his guilt at losing another sidekick. After discovering Robin’s being kept in Arkham, Batman infiltrates the facility to rescue him. Robin reveals that he had uncovered the identity of the hitman was Red Hood aka the former Robin, and went after him alone to spare Bruce the pain of having to fight the one he had let down. Red Hood ambushes Batman in Arkham, and Bruce discovers Dr. Strange as the man behind the curtain. The doctor deduced Bruce’s identity and had secretly engineered the events of the previous movie to weaken him. Batman takes on Strange, while Robin fights Red Hood. Batman wins (because he’s the goddamn Batman) while Robin, still weak from the drugs they kept him on, is beaten by Red Hood forcing Batman to square off with his old student. Almost losing because of his guilt, Wayne puts it aside and knocks Red Hood out. Unmasking him, the twist is it wasn’t the old Robin at all, Strange had merely psychologically programmed some random dude (I dunno Zsasz or something but who gives a fuck) into thinking he was Robin based on everything Hugo had dug up and from what he had concluded, so that he could push Bruce even further to the breaking point. Accepting his failure for the original Robin’s death, Batman decides it’s time to hang up the cowl and passes the mantle on to a recovered Robin, who becomes the new Batman.
Enough inside stuff to keep the fanboys happy, but enough twists to keep everyone surprised enough at least.
I think the kingdom come storyline would work
YES
elements of No Man’s land were used in TDKR
in a zillion years, and this would be impossible. you do this
crisis on muhfuttin infinite earths style
the animated batmen (including Beyond), adam west, michael keaton, val kilmer, christian bale, john blake, azbat, etc. are all from different universes
these parallel universes are under one single threat.
they team up. And yes, there would be some Roger Rabbit shit going down with animated things interacting with real people.
I dig the Batman: Beyond story something fierce. But it would have to be a sorta one off (but not really) like X Men: First Class (yeah, I know there’s a sequel in the works, which is why the “not really” came in).
Also, they should just rip off the Shadowland story from Daredevil and make Batman an unwitting pawn of a secret society of ninjas and a bad guy until a team of lesser characters have to team together to knock his ass straight.
back too me ass were one is happpy (: sunn hot
I would love to see a movie based on “The Long Halloween” Though they would have to consolidate all the villian cameos into just a few rogues gallery villains working with the mob.
I want good poison ivy wit her played by a proper actress…no offense to uma, but seriously…that hair is terrible…and poison ivy is suppose to be sexy…pick up a comic book…anyway…i would like to see a trilogy on the Gotham Knights series with characters like Hush and Poison Ivy.
Also how wonderful would it be to have an inside look at Arkham…[www.youtube.com]…pretty good fan-made trailer. love the idea of Harley Quinn in a movie…wanted Britney Murphy and Heath Ledger to play together…but now that will only happen in my dreams…so many ideas…..
did nobody mention frank miller’s dark knight returns and strikes again? new era of batman for big screen. great story. we could see batman beat the shit out of superman multiple times, and supes knock up wonder woman. it would get a little crazy cgi with strikes again, but even just returns could be cut up into a hollywood trilogy. reading those stories gave me chills.
in a few more years we can reboot the joker and do killing joke.
“acting in a wreckless manner” … no! Please allow us our wrecks! How dare he!
My dream for a Batman film is similar to Grant Morrison’s epic run and borrows heavily from it.
Movie 1: Batman is confront by the Joker after two or three years of protecting Gotham. It’s a hard-fought battle, blah blah blah, Batman wins, Joker’s in Arkham.
Movie 2: Batman cleans up Gotham and questions what to do next. The whole Black Glove thing starts to happen and he faces off the three other Batmen at the conclusion, although he’s not quite defeated, he’s exhausted.
Movie 3: Dr. Hurt reveals his goal to utterly destroy Batman (he can be a bit like the Emperor from Star Wars, the ultimate puppet master) and with Batman against the ropes, Hurt unleashes the Joker to finally beat Batman. Thing is, Joker doesn’t want to defeat Batman, and they kinda-sorta team-up against Hurt. Perfection.
how about arkham city & arkham asylum games being turned into movies.
Batman beyond!!
I,m reading some of the ideas and while some are great…don’t over saturate batman. Chris Nolan had a formula that nobody is gonna touch for a while so first of all lets accept that. Secondly bring Robin in…ONLY ROBIN…don’t try to throw everyone from the Bat universe in without fully developing their story, remeber this is why Venom flopped in Spiderman 3. The first trilogy kept it simple…it was all about Batman…we loved it, we ate it up, we damn near maturbate on it. The Next trilogy introduce and develop Robin and keep it equally simple. We got enough Batman to where we didn’t miss Robin in Nolan’s film…I think with a fresh Nolan like approach we can get the same feeling with Robin…we won’t miss batgirl at all.
guys what do use think about a reboot of the riddler or penguin .maybe johny depp as riddler and a sick penguin
How about first movie introduce Robin even under the John Blake handle. Second movie use the “Death In The Family” arc. Third movie use the “Red Hood” arc. Great storylines with the usual tragic/noir Batman feel and can be ended with closure to the particular story