The History of Aronofsky's "Batman Year One" and Other Cancelled DC Movies
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- Опубліковано 19 вер 2024
- #DC #WonderWoman #Batman
While DC’s comic output is legendary, cinematically the brand has traditionally left some to be desired. Numerous in-development DC TV shows, video games, and especially films have been canceled over the years, some highly anticipated, others reviled both before and after cancelation.
In this video, we will discuss the troubled developments behind, and the stories five such films could have told, namely Lobo, Plastic Man, Green Arrow, Joss Whedon’s Wonder Woman and Darren Aronofsky’s Batman: Year One.
Previous video: • The History of Justice...
Written by Tyler “Bioshock” Rodriguez and Robb Gallo
Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Its ironic, dark, gritty 1970s inspired batman story staring Joaquin Phoenix was exactly what Joker is.
Tyler Bioshock Rodriguez yeah. If the next film in that story was a Batman story set in that same universe, with or without the Joker, that would be good.
@@p0rq I wouldn't be shocked if that's what happens. Another film set in the shitty Gotham era.
There's even a brief scene in the script set in Arkham where the Joker (not named but it's clearly him) already exists and is a patient there. So weirdly that Year One script could work pretty well as a sequel aside from the Little Al/Alfred thing.
@@KiramidHead Yeah I entirely agree.
Spot on. Looks like Aronofsky's vision, albeit almost two decades later, was finally realized in Joker.
Batman Year One sounds like the perfect sequel to Joker...?
Does it?
really good idea!
I would like to have seen Donner’s Superman & Burton’s Batman trilogy’s completed.
Well they weren't, so that's the end of that.
Rodney McKay Not sure Burton had a trilogy in mind. Returns was just a sequel the studio lured him back to do. I think he was willing to do a third one, but it would just have been another sequel.
110% Agree. Those were visionary film makers that we owe all the current crop of super hero films too.
@fortnite4201 x If no Keaton, then Kevin Conroy.
You can think superman returns (2006) as the third part of Donner's superman, since it is implied that it happens after the events of Superman II
Damn, Aranovsky's Batman would fit perfectly nowadays. Especialy after Joker
I feel like that would only work with the Joker character. A Batman who is a mechanic and no Alfred just doesn't sit well. Nolan's version was a proper reinvention.
I think the Idea for Green Arrow: Supermax and Lobo were awesome. Done right they could have been classics and I would definitely watch them.
Too bad WB didn't have the grapes to take a chance on them.
Micheal Bay wouldn't have been the worse choice for Lobo. That kind of charcter and aesthetic is kinda his thing.
An R-rated Batman could be pretty amazing. It could also put the franchise back in the grave if it failed.
I would like them to do a take on The Grimm Knight or The Batman Who Laughs if they’re going for an R rating
So a win-win
Under The Red Hood could only work with an R-Rating too.
Considering that the first Batman movie to come out after the Schumacher movies underperformed at the box office, I don't think an R-rated, loosely based on the comics version of the character do any better.
doesnt joker seem like one of these weird artist driven products that SOMEHOW got ACTUALLY made
When there were first rumblings about it, I didn't actually think it would see the light of day given WB's track record with DC projects.
Is it?
Fun fact: the character of Elongated Man exists because the editor of the Flash at the time didn't know DC acquired the rights to Plastic Man in 1956
The More You Know😊
FINALLY! You guys did another 'history of' video. Please do more! I really feel that this is Midnight's Edge's strongest type of videos.
Its certainly among the most fun to make.
Whedon never read the books. I know because he said on record that Wonder Woman had no city and no rogues gallery. Something is fishy is the authorship of the script.
It's great to hear about more cancelled projects that DC had. I would like to hear Midnight's Edge talk about cancelled projects that Marvel had
I never knew how much I wanted a Bruce Campbell plastic man
Jim carrey woulda been the ideal choice
As long as they change the uniform lol
the Green Arrow movie sounds great and still viable.
A Green Arrow movie with a story like that could still work.
Yes and I'd love to see Aronofsky direct.
Lobo absolutely needs to be hard R,
you can NOT make it PG-13. Both because "biker" (or proper) Lobo is just too violent and you need that crass edge to make it justice.
Plastic Man has Jim Carry writing all over
Distinguished AllureProductions Jim carry is a washed up actor and he sucked mad balls playing the riddler
He needs a new outfit though. Dc has some of the worse costumes and names lol
@@luistorres6956 and marvel dosent lol? Fuck outta here
Clint Eastwood as Batman? Fancy that.
@@kellenorourke2155 Actually they considered casting Bowie as Joker in a (and you won't believe this) Bill Murray's Batman that was never made. I'm not kidding.
@@kellenorourke2155 And also I forgot to mention that not only Warner Bros wanted Bill Murray to play Batman thay also considered Eddie frickin Murphy to play Robin of all people.
And we need to remember that Eddie Murphy in 80's was on top of the world so maybe WB though this was a good casting choice.
@@kellenorourke2155 Tim Curry was considered to play The Joker, and that would have been glorious! Just picture him saying "Never Rub Another Man's Rhubarb".
@@maciekmysliwczyk5540 In other words, there were a couple of executives at Warner Bros at the time who SERIOUSLY needed to lay off the coke for a while.
When Clint was in his 50s, he'd have been perfect for Dark Knight Returns.
A few innacuracies with Year One part. The reason why it felt apart was because Miller and Aronoffsky disagreed on the direction. And the Clint Eastwood bit was a joke according to the book Development Hell
That Joss Whedon treatment seems really awful.
Fitness Pizza I can’t believe that the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the female-centric Dollhouse was going to make the most famous female hero a supporting character in her own movie! And I HATE stories where the hero loses their powers. Screw that!
@@jonbodhi Must've hated Spider-Man 2 then.
Lobo with a decent budget would definitely be a worthy film. Great video as usual, hail Robb!
After I finish watching Joker the other day, I thought about how a clever director could adapt Batman year One as a follow-up to the movie
Jim Carrey as PlasticMan: 👍
Keanu Reeves as PlasticMan: 😱
Who was the genius who had that idea?
it sounds like plastic man's leaked script was used to make both the Incredible Hulk and Venom
Jason would have made such a good Lobo...I mean his take on Aquaman is basically Lobo light
Batman: Year One idea sounds freaking cool. A shame they didn't have the balls to do it.
"Why is the character we need for the Chinese market Vietnamese?" - Bob Iger
9:46 did you say green "lantern" escape from super max?
Darren arenovsky's batman was even more bonkers, the climax woulda have loeb being killed with a knife to the eye! Also jack black rejected the green lantern thing because he knew it woulda bombed HARD.
...
Guy Ritchie's lobo would been the most badass movie ever.
Black Jack didn't want any part of it
Lobo and teenage girl tracking fugitives? No thanks. Why do they always have to bring them to earth?
Jack black as a green lantern? 😂 and i thought ryan reynolds version was weak.
A ring that leaves a mark on enemies he punches... Didn't they just rip that off of The Phantom?
Holy crap that Green Arrow movie idea actually sounds good! No wonder they didn't make it!
Jason Mamoa as Lob poo would've been 10 outta 10
Plastic Man does not have "a significant fanbase". He is an obscure character who the in itself small demographic of comic book nerds is vaguely aware of.
I remember him from the cartoon. My brother, who read comics but wasn't "into" comics, thought I made him up!
The Green Arrow SUPERMAX Movie would have been amazing. Let’s hope it can be made one day.
Green Arrow wasn't it?
Wadsworth lol. Damn! I’ll edit it
Wow. A big kudos to you guys. I had no idea about the backstories behind these shelved projects. This was quite the mind-opening video. Looks like you put a shit-ton of research into this. Big kudos.
*This* is the kind of content that keeps me subscribed to Midnight’s Edge! The news stories are...fine and all, but they’re so many and there’s always a focus on negative stuff (there’s been no coverage of James Gunn post getting rehired except for one video about the general state of DC comics).
Videos like this and the Conan retrospective are highly appreciated.
I also wouldn’t say no to a vid about Gunn’s Suicide Squad, especially since the journey from the first film to this film has been long, complicated, and fraught with spinoffs.
That will be forthcoming, in due time.
Midnight's Edge What about the rumors that it’ll be R rated?
@@MidnightsEdge would you guys ever talk about cancelled star wars projects
I would have killed for a Lucy Lawless Wonder Woman
@Leon Robinson Agreed. Complete with a discount Steve in Autolycus and a fairly good version of Ares and Stryfe.
@@Guardias yeah maybe bill Pullman as Steve trevor
Yoooooooo!!! That Green Arrow would’ve been amazing!!
I can remember when batman begins was out in total film, uk film mag, they had all the failed batman films that never came. One was indeed your description of Aronofskys year one. Things was they claimed that Bret "hitman" Hart was offered the role.
Funny, but comic fans might remember the incessant discussion in various forums, about who should be cast, in case DC's "Kingdom Come" should ever get filmed. Most people tended to opt for Tommy Lee Jones as the aged, crippled Batman, but my personal choice would always have been Clint Eastwood. Nice to hear that some director's had a similar picture in mind.
(And if you ask me, whom I would see as Batman & The Joker, once the stench of Batman v Superman has cleared, and if they should ever film "Dark Knight Returns", my vote would go to Michael Keaton and Javier Bardem as Joker).
I would love to see a deep dive of more cancelled/shelved projects, they are fascinating.
Excellent job as always guys!
One thing: the company is just called DC. It's letters that don't mean anything. Their original name was National Periodical Publications, then they did change it to Detective Comics (a name that never made sense, since it made them Detective Comics Comics) or "DC" for short, but soon they dropped all pretense that the letters meant anything. In their official paperwork they're just DC now.
EDIT: Oh, and thanks for the video! It was really interesting. I love these looks at what could have been.
I heard that Terry Gilliam was going to direct Watchmen in the early 90's!
That's mind bending to think about!
We're getting a TV show instead
Except that he decided that it was IMPOSSIBLE to adapt it to film and flat-out gave up
The script was written by Sam Hamm and Gilliam was unhappy with his script!
Wally Gator Yeah. Hamm reduced the high tier material into a generic time travel story this side of the Dead Zone
Aquaman sucked hard. I don't care how much money it made.
A homeless or poor BATMAN who has never handled money then gets the family's fortune back? That plus no Alfred is the beginning of the end.
i would like to know how they would explain a car mechanic pulling off some of batman skills. since bats is basically a super ninja.
That sounds like Linkara's Crazy Steve theory surrounding Batman being an out-of-character lunatic in All-Star Batman.
I'd would've loved to see a Lobo or Green Arrow movie much earlier. I can live without a "Return of the Dark Knight", but man I'd wish that was just 90% of the plot for BVS. Plastic Man would've helped make R-rated Superhero comedies more known before Deadpool.
Great video and thank you for researching and posting this.
Comic fans looked on in horror...
Hilarious wording, and very accurate
I remember Chris O’Donnell in an interview said “Joel has created a living breathing comic book”
After seeing the movie, I remember thinking “Chris O’Donell has obviously never read a comic book”
I love this channel.
plastic man had his own saturday morning cartoon with live action bumpers
Now i see what took so long to get these movies. 90% of these scripts and ideas are trash. How do they get paid for so much money for such low brow content?? WB ain't innocent but still...
Even with the more reverent takes with Donner's Superman and Burton's Batman, producers still considered the comic book medium "kid's stuff," as did many of the people they went on to appoint for writing treatments and developing the ideas. And from the looks of some the current DCEU content, aside from the singular successes, it appears to have remained as such.
"Let's kick some ice!" - Mr. Freeze.
Excellent video
That first Batman Year One Script sounded pretty badass to be honest, but the version we got is badass. The third one was a bit lacking, but at least we had a cool Catwoman.
Why is Plastic Man bent over like that in the thumb nail?
@@magellanthecat the Rabbi is correct.
Cuz dc. Smh
18:00 abit ironic
I'd be down for Aronofsky/FrankMiller's BatmanYear One to be the sequel to 2019's Joker. Make it happen!
Yeah. That one seems the best
I thought BvS was bad and Justice League started with a bad premise...then I listen to this. It could have been worse for them. They actually got something with Shazam and Aquaman. The key is to not let guys obsessed with sacrifice and death run the series into the ground.
Kingly One aquman sucked
@@billsye5703 But Aquaman didn't.
@@kinglyone7172 i have to finish it myself but it kinda did lol
We got Plastic man .... twice. It was The Mask and unfortunately, Son of the Mask....
you said green lantern escape from supermax at about 9:47. it was pretty awesome.
The further writers stray from the comic book characters' origins, pursuing their own selfish visions, the less successful they deserve to be.
That's my take.
The Batman story with the garage origin sounds great, but it's so different they might as well market it as a new anti-hero with a different name altogether. I'd be interested in that movie if the script stayed the same though. Just change the mark the ring leaves. Lots of possibilities.
Is it just me or should Jason Momoa played Lobo in the movies and not some stupid version of Aquaman.
Green Arrow Escape from super max sounds like it could have been dope
"Predator Producer" has a little different vibe to it in this post metoo era...
Yeah it kinda does.
Do a video on the Batwoman audience score controversy.
I read that leaked Plastic Man script. It was actually really good. They got the character of Plastic Man and his powers perfect. It was a fun read. The Joss Whedon Wonder Woman script, on the other hand, was absolutely horrid. It was shocking to read how misogynistic it actually was coming from this so-called male feminist.
Yeah, I'm hardly the most feminist person but good lord did he sideline Wonder Woman. It would have been a true mess.
I would have liked to see Plastic man if Jim Cary was Plas and Bruce Camble was the villain
He did the movie “Mother”! I don’t ever want to see a movie by him again!! Keep him away from DC!!
Ok... R-rated Batman movie staring Juaquim Phoenix stylised on 70's era gritty movies like The French Connection? Sounds familiar ;-P
Pity we now can't have Phoenix play Batman.
I'm so happy that this version of Year One didn't happened...
Same
In my opinion I wouldn't have liked Aronofsky's version of Batman but I am happy we did get to see The Dark Knight Trilogy. As for cancelled DC films I really would of liked to have seen Justice League Dark it would of been nice to see the supernaturalside of the DC universe explored. Also a Lobo film would of been great too. Hopefully the Joker film will open up to more DC projects. Right now I am not actually excited for the Harley Quinn movie.
Well now that Joker is made, I wonder if Aronofsky's Year One will be adapted to be more like the comic story but with a toke akin to Joker and the original idea.
Also make Aronofsky's Dark Knight Returns but replace Eastwood with Michael Keaton.
Bruce doesn't loose his money in Year One's script, he simply didn't meet with Alfred (Pennyworth) after the murders, Alfred is still looking for him as he is just about to loose his entire inheritance if he doesn't show up in court at a certain time...
That Plastic Man pitch sounded horrible. I think Plastic Man should be played by two people - an actor specialized in playing villains would play Eel O'Brien, a bonafide thug, while another actor would portray the more comedic looking Plastic Man (in the original comics, it was stated that Eel uses his powers to alter his appearance). The story would portray Eel's redemption and transformation into a hero.
10:50 In 2010, I wanted a WONDER WOMAN movie with Nolan at THE director chair. Gail Simone head script writer.
NO ONE WANTED CAPTAIN MARVEL. 1ST FEMALE HERO MY ASS
Sorry...”success of Shazam...” in what elseworld universe did that occur? 🧐
The early '90s Plastic Man screenplay was a period piece set during WW2. The consensus was that the failure of Disney's "Rocketeer" (also a period piece) spelled doom for Plas. Though not a great script, it's worth noting how the WW2 Plas screenplay was light years ahead of the lazy hot mess the Wachowskis eventually tried selling twice.
That gritty take on Batman would complement the new Joker movie perfectly. WB make it happen!
I LOVE WONDER WOMAN Movie ❤ is one of best!!! dc films/ DCEU series ever!!! ☺👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Eastwood Dark knight Returns sounds fun. But thanks for curing me of thinking "what if" about Arronovski's Year One. The Nolan version will do fine.
It’s a shame Midnights Edge sucks now. These videos were ACTUALLY GOOD
What if Lobo hadn't starred in Aquaman?
Its like they said screw the source's concept of the character. Let's just write whatever and slap a title that ppl will recognize on it.
Burn that Batman script.
Before all the marvel ones man I would have seen them all. That plastic man one sounds interesting
Speaking of which, where IS our Black Adam movie?
So WB didn't want to ruin Batman with an R rated movie and then went on to make a whole slew of Batman movies that werent for kids.
Based on these outlines, it's unlikely that the pictures that may have resulted would have succeeded financially. They would, however (with the exception of the Whedon Wonder Woman, which sounds like tripe), have probably been just as or even more interesting additions to DC's cinematic output than much of what has made it to screen.
Batman Year One might have a chance now that Joker opened the door to a more realistic DC universe. Hopefully Warner has the balls to push the door open and step through.
A fascinating insight regarding the what if's?
Plastic man would have way too ahead of it's time and the Aronofsky Batman would have been a film, I am sure Martin scorsese would have approved...????
19:30 Well we'll get an answer to that in about a year with Matt Reeves batman movie
Teenage Girl? WTF were they thinking? Can the stop with the buddy cop Super Hero movies? What they need to do is pre- "Kingdom Come" DC Universe or "All-Star Super Man" and "New Frontier" group of movies.
I like Arronofskis' work, but MY GOD! That Batman movie he pitched would've been AWFUL!
I love Plastic-Man, but I’d really rather have him in a Justice League or other team movie.
George Miller's Justice League, Dark Knight Returns with Clint Eastwood could've been amazing
Thank Hera Whedon’s Wonder Woman never came to be. Trevor being sentenced to death by the Amazons, Diana fighting her mother to save his life, Diana having to give up her powers all ring of the patriarchy that truly has no idea who the character is and seek to subjugate her with terrible scripts.
God forbid we get a movie made with an interesting director. I'm all over with his films, some love, some not so much, but he's interesting at the very least.
Of the cancelled projects, Plastic Man oddly seems the most viable. Something heading towards the Mask, or Shazam. A lighter counter point to stuff like the Joker. Weirdly DC movies seem to work best at the extremes. When they aim for the center you get bland shit like Justice League. The Green Arrow Supermax sounds great, but we essentially already got it between the Arkham games and the CW’s Arrow. All the rest is better left dead. The Joss Wheedon Wonder Woman sounds horrible. As does Batman Year One. That one rips off too many other classic characters instead of Batman.
I'd love it if Brad Garrett played Lobo, he had the best voice for the character when he appeared in The Justice League cartoon and he would certainly have the height to carry it off. I know he is getting on but its all makeup and suits for Lobo... And ive always said Clint Eastwood would be perfect for old batman or Batman of the Future.....
These days Lobo would be CGI, but you'd still need a talented actor for the motion capture.
14:16 Artist?
I found troubling how nobody founds shocking how similiar Batman Year One and Joker are... Was Hack Snyder right and Batman is just a serial killer with too much money?
We need more rated R super hero movies