It’s been known for a while that Michael Keaton is on pace to reprise his role as Batman on the big screen. However, the topic popped up again recently when head of DC films Walter Hamada revealed to the New York Times there will be “two different film sagas involving Batman” and one will have Keaton at the center of it as Bruce Wayne.
Warner Bros. can handle Keaton’s return to the cowl more than one way. However, there’s a specific route former Batman writer Scott Snyder would like to see done on the big screen, which he discussed on GWW Radio’s TLDR podcast while talking about the end of his Dark Nights: Death Metal event for DC Comics.
“I’m so excited to have Michael Keaton back. He holds a dear place in my heart. I remember waiting in line with my dad in 1989 at 12 years olds, waiting to go in. I had my glass that I got at McDonald’s right before — they were selling glasses with the Batman designs, and that was the first time the marketing had been so amazing where it was just a bat symbol. I remember like drove me insane, I was so excited,” Snyder said on TLDR. “So, I’m thrilled he’s coming back. My guess — I know less than most of you guys only because I haven’t been following the news about it beyond the headlines, because I’ve been so buried — but I would hope that it’s like a Batman Beyond role. Because I feel like we’ve done The Dark Knight role a lot. We’ve seen him battered and dark, and I think it would be really cool to see him training the next generation of Batman.
“That’s one of the things that I really do wish they would do more of, in general, with Batman. I know it’s just a take, it’s like a take that I like. I do think it’s like after so many years of really good interpretations, but of him being so dark and grim and sort of militaristic in different ways, I had so much fun doing Zero Year, remembering The Batman Strikes animated series — which was a short-lived but I thought underrated take — where it was like, Batman can also be funny and young, and clever and fast, (with) like Mission Impossible action, and really dynamic. You know, can be a fast-paced action movie, too — where he doesn’t have to be so dark and haunted and established already. I like the idea a of young Batman coming up, figuring himself out in a way that’s also not funny, that’s the wrong word, but almost like exuberant and badass. You know what I’m saying? Like a Batman that’s not in a car that’s like the black Batmobile tank, but instead in a crazy-futuristic hot rod that you’re like, “holy shit, that’s the coolest car” — that’s like today’s car and it’s fast, high-tech, modern, not armored.”
Snyder also added he’s excited to see Robert Pattinson take on the role. To hear more on that, as well as Snyder’s thoughts on his major DC Comics event, check out his full conversation with TLDR on GWW Radio.