Iconic director Ivan Reitman sadly passed away this month, and leaves behind a massive legacy with many beloved and classic films that includeGhostbusters, Twins, Stripes, Kindergarten Cop, and more. In the 1980s, at the same time as Reitman seemed to make hit film after hit film, Warner Bros. were working hard to get aBatmanfilm off the ground. They had so much success with another DC character, Superman, and audiences loved Christopher Reeve in that role, so the studio were desperate to launch another series of films with the Dark Knight himself.
This movie eventually becameBatman(1989), directed by Tim Burton, but went through many iterations and versions before the final product. One of these was a project that that Reitman planned, but ultimately never came to fruition, and the director had chosen Bill Murray to play the hero. Here’s everything we know about this Batman film that never was.
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As stated, the filmhad gone through many different versionsbefore Burton. While one of these was Reitman, it’s important to note the very beginnings of this project. AfterSupermanin 1978, Warner Bros. were more willing to green light a Batman film, as the success of another DC character gave the studio the confidence to make a movie starring the Caped Crusader, whose popularity had declined in the years prior.
One of the earliest versions was written by Tom Mankiewicz, son of iconic screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Mankiewicz wrote a script that focused on the origins of both Batman and his superhero sidekick, Robin, aka Dick Grayson.It was his script that Warner Bros. were confident enough into officially announce the project, after having bought the rights to the character a few years prior.The inclusion of classic characters like Robin, the Joker, and the Penguinalongside Batman helped sell the world of Gotham City to the studio. Despite the familiarity of these characters, all of whom had appeared on several occasions in Adam West’sBatmanTV show and films, there were plans to alter some of them to some extent, something that never came to fruition, the same fate as Mankiewicz’s version of the film.
Mankiewicz’s script was said to be lighthearted and fantastical in nature, an homage to Adam West’s iteration of Batman and aligned with the tone that many at the time seemed to expect to come with the character. These elements did appear in the final version of the film, as Tim Burton was insistent on retaining elements of this tone while also including darker, more mature visuals and themes. Despite the studio liking aspects of this script, they decided to move on and bring in new writers and directors to form a creative team to evolve Mankiewicz’s screenplay.
Several directors were brought in, and many more were considered at this time. Wes Craven, famous for his work on the iconicScreamandNightmare on Elm Streetfranchises, was one of those who had conversations with the studio about joining the project, but this never came to fruition. As well as this, many famous actors held talks about coming onboard,including William Holden, David Niven, and Peter O’Toole.
One person who had signed on to the project was, as stated previously, Ivan Reitman. Reitman, alongside Joe Dante (most notable at this time for his work onGremlins), used aspects of Mankiewicz’s script to form their ideas. Based on the often comedic and lighthearted works of Reitman and Dante, it seems plausible, if not likely, that their version of this Batman film had kept the tone from the Mankiewicz script.
The core ideas of Reitman’s iteration were formed on back of the two leads of the film:Batman and Robin. In particular, Reitman had two actors in mind to play these characters. Bill Murray, who had worked with Reitman at many times in his career already at this point, most notably inGhostbusters, was Reitman’s first choice for Batman. Alongside Murray, Reitman wanted Eddie Murphy to play Robin, thus forming and completing this superhero duo made and performed by two iconic comedic actors of their generation.
Understandably, some fans have voiced confusion to say the least regarding the choice of Murray as Batman. He certainly looks different compared to other actors likeChristian Bale and Ben Affleck who went on to play the Caped Crusader, and is arguably most known for his comedic work. However, Murray has since proven to be a prolific drama actor in the years since, working with directors like Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola. The latter directed Murray alongside Scarlett Johansson, no stranger to superhero roles as she went on to play Black Widow, inLost in Translation. For his performance in this film, Murray earned several nominations and awards, including at the Golden Globes and the British Film Academy. Fans already know of Murray’s comedic flair, which would have been the aspects of his talents on show in Reitman’sBatmanfilm, but had they gone down a more serious route (as is the norm for Batman in the modern day, hence Matt Reeves’ film pushing the PG-13 rating), Murray could have done a great job too.
Similarly, Eddie Murphy is another choice that, while might seem a tad strange to look back on, would have made a degree of sense. Murphy had already earned several nominations, most notably at the Golden Globes, for his comedic exploits in the early eighties. Clearly, Murphy had the talent and range to play a role like Robin, and could have made a great companion for Murray in this film that never was. Murphy has shown his range in many projects, often playing several characters in the same scene, such as inComing to America,Norbit, and more. The casting of Murphy would have also been a great show of diversity for the Batman franchise,including an African-American actor in such a prominent role that was usually held by a white male in the comics. Such progressive casting choices are common place today, but Reitman’s preferred actor for the co-lead character of Robin shows that his version of Batman could have been a trailblazing and revolutionary step forward for the genre and the industry more broadly.
All of this planning and the ideas of Ivan Reitman and Joe Dante ultimately never came to fruition, as the studio moved away from the screenplay by Mankiewicz in favor of a new direction. Tim Burton did seem to have similar ideas to Reitman, though, as he cast Michael Keaton in the lead role. At the time, Keaton was known almost exclusively for his comedic work, and this casting led to extreme backlash from fans who claimed he didn’t resemble Bruce Wayne enough and didn’t have the darkness to play Batman. Of course,Keaton’s Batman is now regarded as an iconic version of the characterwho is now returning the role after so many years inThe FlashandBatgirl, and possibly many other projects down the line.
Ivan Reitman’s tragic death has left fans reminiscing over his iconic films, and rightfully so. His works are some of the most classic and influential of the modern era, proving his status as an all-time great creative mind in Hollywood. In honoring Reitman,it’s also fascinating to look back on hisBatmanfilm, a superhero story that nearly came to fruition and would have been very unique to say the least.
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