Could Tim Burton make another superhero film? The iconic director reflects on his journey directing the groundbreaking Batman film.
Tim Burton’s Batman film serves as an important piece of history. It was the director’s first big project after his breakout his Beetlejuice, and it was one of the progenitors of the modern superhero blockbuster. It’s a movie that holds a special place in the hearts of fans, DC and otherwise. And it seems it holds that special place in Burton’s mind as well.
“I was lucky because at that time, the word ‘franchise’ didn’t exist,” Burton explained during a recent chat with Variety. “So ‘Batman’ felt slightly experimental at the time. It deviated from what the perception [of a superhero movie] might be. So you didn’t hear that kind of studio feedback, and being in England, it was even further removed.”
“We really just got to focus on the film and not really think about those things that now they think about even before you do it. I never felt like I was misusing company funds with studios, if you know what I mean. But it also just felt kind of pure because I wasn’t really a proper filmmaker, so I just did things that I felt was me. It felt like that’s why they wanted me.”
It’s true that, despite projects like Christopher Reeves’ Superman being smash hits, there wasn’t an expectation that superhero films would get a franchise. Tim Burton was also breaking wildly new ground with his Batman film, with the tone being a massive departure from the Adam West incarnation of the character that was the most popular at the time.
Could Tim Burton Return To Batman And DC?
Given the current trend of revivals in Hollywood, and the fact Michael Keaton reprised his role as Batman in The Flash, fans wondered if Tim Burton himself could make a return to the superhero genre with a future project. Sadly, it seems that the director doesn’t have much interest in taking on such an endeavor, but admits that nothing is ever truly set in stone.
“At the moment, I would say no,” Burton admitted. “Like I said, I come at things from different points of view, so I would never say never to anything. But, at the moment, it’s not something I’d be interested in.”
With DC Studios putting a focus on storytelling with their new universe, many fans believe that the tone Tim Burton brought to Batman would be perfect for any number of projects. Every superhero from Deadman to Kid Eternity have been tossed around as potential projects for Burton to helm if he made his return to the genre, but it seems all of those hopes may simply fall on deaf ears.
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