Thomas Roach speculates about whether Warner Bros. could be planning an adaptation of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns….
There is a rumour that the next standalone Batman film will come out in 2019 and will have the title of The Batman. However, the way the DC film series is going there is reason to believe that the film could follow a well-known Batman story: The Dark Knight Returns.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is currently in production and due for release in the summer of 2016. There’s talk that we’re going to see a teaser trailer this month at Comic-Con, as well as the line-up for the future DC movies over the next few years, which consists of:
– Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – May 2016
– Shazam – July 2016
– Sandman – Christmas 2016
– Justice League – May 2017
– Wonder Woman – July 2017
– Flash/Green Lantern – Christmas 2017
– Man of Steel 2 – 2018
If this is true, then there is no standalone Batman film until 2019 at the earliest, but naturally it will happen at some point. Batman is one of the most popular comic book characters around, so not to give him a rebooted standalone film would be foolish. However 2019 and beyond is a long way off and Ben Affleck is currently 43 years old. Therefore, it’s pretty safe to assume this will be an older Batman story.
Whilst the The Dark Knight Returns is said to have influenced Batman v Superman, could it be that with the film now looking up the Justice League movie, a live action adaptation of the graphic novel could be reserved for Batman’s first solo movie? Think about it. Ben Affleck is already said to be playing a tired and weary Batman in these films. We do not need another origin story as most people already know who Batman is and how he came to be. With Affleck pushing 50 by the time 2019 comes around would this be the perfect opportunity to do The Dark Knight Returns.
Maybe this won’t happen, owing to the fact that Batman and Superman will likely be adversaries in the upcoming film and doing The Dark Knight Returns may just mean covering old ground. However Batman does seem to be an outsider amongst Justice League members and just because he works with them to save the day does not mean he has to get along with them constantly.
Showing the tension between the two characters in Batman v Superman without allowing a complete resolution will allow The Dark Knight Returns to happen. Realistically, Warner Bros. may want a few standalone Batman films before tackling The Dark Knight Returns. Fans will want to see some more Batman movies before Ben Affleck hangs up the cape, but rest assured that may be a while yet.
While 2019 for The Dark Knight Returns adaptation may be a push, sometime when Affleck is in his 50s we could get a faithful adaptation of the famous story. Of course, all of this is merely speculation, and we will likely have a clearer idea of what will happen with DC movies over the next few years during Comic-Con later this month.
Would you like to see a live action version of The Dark Knight Returns? Or do you think Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will resolve any tension between Batman and Superman permanently?
Thomas Roach
Originally published July 3, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
