5 Directors Who Almost Helmed A Batman Movie (& 5 Who Should)

Getting to direct a Batman movie is a huge opportunity for any filmmaker. Not only does helming a huge blockbuster with guaranteed audience appeal open a lot of doors in Hollywood; the creative possibilities allowed by Bruce Wayne’s complex characterization and the noir-tinged Gotham setting are practically endless.

Some directors (i.e. Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton) have been better-suited to telling Batman stories on the big screen than others (i.e. Joel Schumacher and Zack Snyder). Over the years, plenty of filmmakers have been considered for the director’s chair on Batman movies, and there are plenty of others who should be given that opportunity.

10 ALMOST DIRECTED IT: The Coen Brothers (Batman)

Before Tim Burton was hired to bring the Caped Crusader to the big screen in the late ‘80s, the studio’s top choice to direct Batman was the Coen Brothers.

Having helmed their debut feature Blood Simple as one of the greatest neo-noirs put to film just to name a few, it’s easy to imagine that the Coens could’ve done wonders with Gotham City as a playground.

9 SHOULD DIRECT IT: Denis Villeneuve

The complicated psychology of the Dark Knight means that Batman movies have the capability to be more sophisticated than the average blockbuster. One of the best directors making sophisticated blockbusters today is Denis Villeneuve.

Movies like Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049 have more than proven Villeneuve’s ability to make dark stories and heavy themes accessible to a wide audience.

8 ALMOST DIRECTED IT: The Wachowskis (Batman Begins)

Warner Bros. offered the Wachowskis a choice between shooting back-to-back sequels to their passion project The Matrix and rebooting the Batman movie franchise. Naturally, the pair chose to work on completing their passion project.

When the Wachowskis turned down this offer, Christopher Nolan was tapped to helm the Batman reboot and ended up turning out the wildly popular The Dark Knight trilogy. The Wachowski’s choice paid off in the long run, as they’re now back in the world of the Matrix with a fourth entry currently in production.

7 SHOULD DIRECT IT: Shane Black

Although Marvel fans who felt personally attacked by the Mandarin twist in Iron Man 3 would probably disagree with the prospect of Shane Black being allowed to direct any major comic book movie, his creative voice would be perfect for a Batman movie.

His ability to tell engaging action-driven stories as a screenwriter is well-established, while his directorial efforts like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys succeed as detective stories with a dry comic wit. That is, of course, provided he doesn’t treat the material like a joke as he did with The Predator.

6 ALMOST DIRECTED IT: Sam Raimi (Batman & Batman Forever)

When the 1989 Batman movie was in development, Sam Raimi was briefly considered to direct, but the studio eventually deemed him to be too inexperienced at the time. Years later, when the director had more experience and Tim Burton stepped down from helming Batman Forever, Raimi was once again considered before Joel Schumacher was chosen.

Raimi was also attached to a Thor movie in the ‘90s, directed the Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man trilogy, and is currently working on the MCU’s next Doctor Strange movie. The closest thing to a Batman-styled superhero movie Raimi directed was Darkman, which is regarded as one of the best original superhero movies ever made.

5 SHOULD DIRECT IT: Nicolas Winding Refn

The crime-ridden urban setting and vigilante protagonist of Batman stories place them firmly in the noir genre. Any truly great Batman movie would fall into the neo-noir category.

One of the greatest neo-noirs in recent memory, the slickly designed Drive, was helmed by Nicolas Winding Refn. His unique directorial voice could bring an intense incarnation of the Bat to the big screen.

4 ALMOST DIRECTED IT: Darren Aronofsky (Batman: Year One)

Before Christopher Nolan rebooted Batman with Batman Begins, Darren Aronofsky pitched an adaptation of the Year One comic to Warner Bros. He even brought the comics’ writer Frank Miller to co-write. Aronofsky wanted to cast Joaquin Phoenix as Bruce Wayne, but the studio wanted Freddie Prinze, Jr. This was just one of many clashes between the director and the studio.

Ultimately, executives didn’t like the drastic changes that Aronofsky and Miller made to the source material and scrapped their project. Some changes included the fact that Batman was now homeless and Alfred ran a car repair shop, where he’d train Bruce Wayne. Phoenix, in a twist of fate, went on to portray Batman’s nemesis in Joker, which like Year One was a drastically different take on the comics with close to no superhero trappings.

3 SHOULD DIRECT IT: David Leitch

Since working as an uncredited co-director on John Wick, David Leitch has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting filmmakers working in action cinema with movies like Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and Hobbs & Shaw.

His background in stunt coordination has given him the ability to stage breathtaking brawls and some of the best fight scenes of the 2000s, which is an essential component of Batman movies that even the best, like The Dark Knight, have fallen short on.

2 ALMOST DIRECTED IT: Ben Affleck (The Batman)

Back when Ben Affleck was still playing the DCEU’s Bruce Wayne at a full time capacity, he was attached to write and direct his own solo movie in addition to starring in it. However, he lost interest in the franchise due to the negative response to Batman v Superman and the troubled production of Justice League, which then convinced him to step down from the role.

BatFleck’s original solo movie was retooled as a reboot, with Robert Pattinson playing the Dark Knight and Matt Reeves was hired to write and direct it. However, Affleck is set to wear the cape and cowl one last time for The Flash, which is rumored to be using the Flashpoint event, where Batman plays a significant role.

1 SHOULD DIRECT IT: David Fincher

David Fincher was apparently one of the directors under consideration to take over The Batman after Ben Affleck departed. Fincher is known for his Hitchcock-inspired style of neo-noir filmmaking and bringing a realistic edge to genre stories, making hi the perfect choice for a Batman movie.

The indistinctive urban setting of Se7en could easily be Gotham City. Additionally, the unconventional five-act structure of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo could provide the groundwork for a curious, unique Caped Crusader epic. It’s worth noting that after the trailer for The Batman finally dropped, many were quick to favorably compare it to Fincher’s works (especially Se7en), with some even comparing The Riddler to the Zodiac Killer from Zodiac.

About The Author

Ben Sherlock
(3465 Articles Published)

Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

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