Tim Burton’s Batman was one of the most important movies of all time. The film didn’t only show that Batman is a dark character who can entertain adult audiences in the modern world, but it also showed that superhero movies can be popular among mainstream audiences and become blockbusters in their own right.
That being said, despite the huge success of Batman and Batman Returns, Burton was removed from the director’s chair for Batman Forever. However, with news that Michael Keaton is set to don the cowl for the upcoming Flash movie, perhaps this could lead to another Burton led Batman movie.
10 Nostalgia
One of the selling points in movie production in the 21st Century is nostalgia, with movie franchises from the 80s being given belated sequels or remakes. Burton’s Batman was one of the biggest franchises of the last century and continues to be popular today, so it was only a matter of time before studios bring the franchise back.
However, it is vital that Burton helm the project himself. Batman Forever showed that gifting Burton’s Batman world to another director simply doesn’t work and a return to Burton’s original vision would be hugely popular among fans.
9 Two Face
In Batman 1989, Harvey Dent was portrayed by Billy Dee Williams. While the character didn’t turn into Two Face, Burton did intend for the character to undergo his villainous transformation in either the second or third movie.
Unfortunately, Burton was kicked off the Batman franchise for Batman Forever and Two Face was recast to be portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones. While Billy Dee Williams is obviously older now, it could be interesting to see his take on the character.
8 Robins
Tim Burton always planned on introducing a Robin to his universe, he just wasn’t given the chance to do it his own way. It would be interesting to allow Burton to return to this, potentially exploring how many Robins this Batman has had.
This could also allow for Nightwing to enter the mainstream movie universe, showing the character on the big screen for the first time.
7 Music
The music of Burton’s Batman stands as one of the best Batman soundtracks of all time. The Danny Elfman score is iconic and instantly makes one think of the Dark Knight upon hearing it’s incredible beats.
For many, bringing back Burton and the Elfman score would be a dream come true, with fans clamoring for more from the Burton universe since the director was removed from the franchise.
6 Multiverse
The news that Michael Keaton is set to return in the Flash opens up the possibility that the DC Multiverse will start to be adapted onto the big screen. While the MCU has created a shared universe, the DCEU may be aiming for something grander.
Not only will this allow Burton’s Batman to return to the big screen, but it could also allow other DC movies from the past to return to the big screen.
5 Gothic Villains
Tim Burton’s take on some of Batman’s biggest villains has become iconic in their own right. While Jack Nicholson’s Joker and Danny DeVito’s Penguin are both fantastic, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman has become a cultural phenomenon.
It would be incredible to get even more Burton takes on the iconic Batman rogues gallery, potentially seeing the likes of the Scarecrow or even Ra’s Al Ghul.
4 Batmobile
The Batmobile has been around almost as long as the Dark Knight himself and, as such, has been through several different designs. Recently, the trend has been to make the Batmobile look more like a tank, with the Arkham games, Nolan Trilogy, and DCEU all making their Batmobiles look more ‘realistic’.
However, the Burton Batmobile, like the rest of his Batman universe, was heavily stylized. The long, slender Batmobile design is iconic and remains popular with fans, so it’ll be great to bring it back to the big screen.
3 Loose Ends
Perhaps due to the fact that Tim Burton was unexpectedly removed from the director’s chair for the third installment in the Batman franchise, there were several loose ends that were left from the second movie.
The most obvious of which is, naturally, what happened to Selina Kyle? Similarly, what happened to Vicki Vale? These questions could certainly be answered with another movie.
2 Stylized Gotham
Without a doubt, one of the best elements from the Burton era of Batman was the stylized take on Gotham City. This was a city that didn’t look like any other city, it was gothic, dark, and grimy - perfect for a comic book hero.
It would be great to see Burton return to the streets of Gotham for another movie, to update the city for the 21st Century and see how the city has changed.
1 Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton stands as one of the most popular actors to take on the role of the Dark Knight. Many said that Keaton didn’t look the part because he wasn’t particularly muscular, but this simply served the character even better, further distancing Bruce Wayne from the Batman persona.
It would be great to see Keaton return to the franchise in his own movie, potentially either in a Batman Beyond movie or even a Dark Knight Returns movie.