THE BATMAN MIGHT SKIP THE ORIGIN REBOOT, GET BRUCE UP IN DAT JLA

This sounds exactly like what WB said about the JLA movie a while ago.  I wouldn't be surprised if the scooper is correct.

This is exactly how I would go about it. Even like the title THE BATMAN.

See, that would just remind me of the weak-ass cartoon with the same title. It got better in the last two seasons, but with a few exceptions, the first three seasons are a cornucopia of executive meddling, bad decisions, and the only people giving it their all are the voice actors.

 

Well, except for Alastair Duncan's Alfred, easily the worst actor in the role, ever. Though he too gets a little better in the last couple seasons.

A superhero movie without an origin story would feel cut. How am I supposed to know about the guy if I'm not into comics? 

 

Problem's not the origin story. It's doing the friggin' same movies all over again every two years. 

Seriously, this is getting out of control.

 

Yes, that show was weak sauce (I really hated their Joker) especially when compared to the Timm series, but they did give us a BATMAN VS. DRACULA with a Dracula voiced by Peter Stormare, so for that they get a begrudging pass from me.

In an ideal world, The Batman adapts Matt Wagner's Batman & The Monster Men and Batman & The Mad Monk, which are modern retellings of early adventures. The stories do a fine job of showing an established Batman dealing with threats he's never faced before (genetically tampered monsters and the supernatural). 

 

Could even have Hugo Strange's Monster Men be comprised of Man-Bat and Killer Croc...

Better title: A BATMAN, about a guy named Alvin Batman who just gets dumb jokes made about his name repeatedly.
 

 

I would love a more supernatural take on Batman (I love the Wagner books you reference), but I doubt it will ever happen on film.

I can think of no fewer than a dozen potential bat-films I'd like to see. A justice league franchise isn't one of them. I don't want every superhero to have a homogenized universe so that he can coexist with a hero with wildly different powers.

I'm pretty skeptical about DC's ability to coldstart a Justice League movie without it feeling like "Batman and Those Guys He Hangs out With, Featuring Superman!" I liked The Avengers quite a bit, but that movie heavily relied on the other films doing the legwork in terms of establishing plot and characters. They barely managed to flesh out two relatively new heroes (Hawk + Widow) in a nearly 3 hour running time while giving the mains their propers. Can DC do the same thing with an entire team and villain, assuming they go for a completely fresh start? Which they most likely will, as I don't see anyone chomping at the bit to get Reynolds back in green.

I think we'll see Jon Stewart as GL in this one.

 

One advantage DC has is that the people the JLA will have to introduce are a lot simpler and in many cases much better known. Flash is incredibly straightforward and therefore easy. Wonder Woman is an icon. People have a sense of who Green Lantern is. even if they change the guy in the suit.  Practically everyone knows who Aquaman is. These characters will need minimal introductions. Martian Manhunter is complicated, but he may not even be in it.

 

It's not a deal breaker...they will simply have to be extremely confident in the filmmaking.  Audiences will buy anything on film as long as it's confidently made.  WB really needs to come out guns blazing with a JLA movie.  They will have to hire a talented, head strong director who will not be pushed around and who has a definitive, strong vision and the clout to see it through.  They need a Joss Whedon type for this...not in terms of style, but in terms of autonomy and skill.

I'd give my right arm to see Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire's take on the JLA with Batman as the leader.

 

 

Get outta my brain.

End the film on the mega-climactic Guy/Batman punch-up, it would be final battle to end all final battles.

Give us Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew, or leave us be.

What happens to Justice League if The Man of Steel's reaction is tepid or even Green Lantern-esque?

Then may God have mercy on all of our souls.

The second year of Batman is even more fascinating than the first. Matt Wagner's run, The Long Halloweeen, Dark Victory, Year Two. There's a ton of great material to cover. Just make sure they get a Batman who actually looks like he's traveled the world and seen some shit you wish you never will. My biggest fear is they get some pretty boy.

 

"Who the fuck is this Armie Hammer!?"

User_32, Arnie Hammer was cast as...Batman, in Wolfgang Petersen's Justice League film that fizzled out.  Arnie Hammer is now...The Lone Ranger!

Just make a film of the recent Brave and the Bold series and be done with it.

 

Getouttahere!!!!

He can take a step back and do what Les Grossman said. I'd rather see a Batman in his 40's played by Dominic West, Clive Owen or Josh Brolin before that.

 

Mars Needs Moms and John Carter effectively took care of that studio decision.

 

Exactly.  There's no way they will have Reynolds back (which is unfortunate, as I think he could do well in the right circumstances) and I doubt they will use Hal Jordan as a character either, if for no other reason than to give the team some ethnic diversity.

 

Cavill, however, will almost certainly be reprising Superman.  Unless Man of Steel under performs, in which case...

 

 

Then no Man of Steel 2 and no Justice League.  If that happens, we won't here a peep from WB until they are ready to reboot Batman on his own again.  Trust me, tThey aren't going to risk setting fire to their only proven "ace in the hole" by rebooting him with a team-up flick if Man of Steel can't bring in the dough.

 

As I've said elsewhere though, I can't see MoS crashing & burning.  If Superman Returns were released today, it would pull in around $245 million domestically.  The budget on MoS is supposedly around $175 million.  So even if it manages to only tie with Returns, it will still be profitable........where as Returns was in the hole domestically.  MoS will do just fine next summer.