About That JUSTICE LEAGUE Film.... Tuesday, September 4,2007 Author: Bill Ramey To my friends at Warner Bros. Pictures, As I’m sure you are not aware -- well, maybe you are, I’m not too fired up for this JUSTICE LEAGUE film that you’ve got cookin’. Specifically, I’m not too happy about seeing Batman in it. If this JL movie is made, I'd prefer Batman being left out -- at least for this first one. I’m on no island here either. 7 of every 10 emails I get concerning this JL film are from people who feel just as I do about including Batman in it. A few months back, I ran a poll asking readers if they wanted Batman in a JL film. Out of approximately 3,000 votes, 2,000 were against it. From where I sit, the left for dead BATMAN franchise was just revived back in 2005 with the magnificent BATMAN BEGINS. As we speak, director Chris Nolan is filming its sequel, THE DARK KNIGHT, which is due out in 2008. And this movie, TDK, looks to be unbelievably good. What fans are worried about WB (myself included), is that a JL flick could mean the end of the solo BATMAN movie series. We love what Chris Nolan is doing and want to see him continue after THE DARK KNIGHT. From what I’ve heard, Nolan and company planned to do three Bat-Films -- David Goyer has alluded to that in the past and Batman himself, Christian Bale, has mentioned “Batman 3” while doing press for 3:10 TO YUMA. I’m sure I speak for most Batman fans in when I say to you that we want to see a third Nolan-helmed BATMAN and would hate for something to mess up that possibility. So, what could do that? Well, I’m sure if THE DARK KNIGHT bombs at the box office, you would probably not OK another one. With that said, I’m not worried about how TDK is going to perform -- it’s going to make y’all lot’s and lot’s of money, be a critical darling, and loved by fans. The thing that worries me the most is that aforementioned JUSTICE LEAGUE y’all seem desperate to make -- one that includes Batman. If your JL movie features Batman as part of its lineup, that will mean that we would have two live-action Batmans, in two separate movie series, which are obviously portrayed by two different actors. Confusing? It certainly could be -- especially for the "non-fan." "Let's go see JUSTICE LEAGUE dear," says a Batman fan to his date. "OK, who is in it?" asks the non-fan girlfriend. "You know, the 'SUPER FRIENDS' people -- Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman...." "Batman? Wasn't there a 'BATMAN' movie last summer?" "Yeah, THE DARK KNIGHT, and it kicked ass! But this is a 'different' Batman." "'Different Batman?'" "Yeah, you know. This Batman is not the same Batman that was in TDK. Different actor and all." "So Christian Bale isn't playing him?" "No, but he's still Batman...he's just not this 'Batman.' But Bale is going to play him again in the next 'BATMAN.'" "'Next Batman?' This isn't the 'Next BATMAN?'" "No, it's 'JUSTICE LEAGUE.'" "Uh, OK. Batman's in it, but he's not the other Batman, he's a different Batman." "Right!" "So, who's on first?" Maybe someone from Warner Bros. -- who is a lot smarter than me when it comes to the movie business -- can explain HOW this won’t affect the solo Batman series? My primary concern is Batman overkill and the end of the solo Batman movie franchise. So that leads me to this: Since this looks like it’s going to happen, I might as well try to get behind it and lobby for it to be GOOD. With all due respect, your comic book movie history isn’t pristine. There‘s BATMAN AND ROBIN, CATWOMAN, STEEL…get the picture? The worst thing that could happen is for JL to be a cheese-fest that would then make things bad not only for the BATMAN series, but any future DC-based films. So here are a few things I hope you keep in mind and consider when you get around to making JUSTICE LEAGUE: 1) BAT-MEN To me, this is very important. It should be clear to the audience that the JL Batman is not the “Nolan Batman,“ if you will. No need to mention any of the events from either BEGINS or TDK either. I'd hate for the JL Batman say... "Even though The Joker just F'ed up my city real good and one of my allies had half of his face deformed and is now my coin-flippin' enemy, I'd love to fly into outer space in the rocket ship Lucius Fox built me and help all of you super-powered people fight aliens and robots! Just make it quick because I'm still rebuilding my house that burned down and re-tooling my headquarters in the cave underneath." I'm being a bit overdramatic, but I'm sure y'all get the point. Hey, simply make it so that Batman just “is” -- to borrow a term I once heard from a very smart man. No need for an origin, background info, or any of that sort of stuff. 2) DIFFERENT BAT-THREADS This is a must. Do not pull out any of the old suits from the BURTON/SCHUMACHER days, nor dress the JL Batman in either suit seen in BEGINS or TDK. Do something different and it’ll help in telling the audience “This is NOT the TDK Batman.” 3) GERIATRIC BAT Cast someone older than Bale -- a 40ish Batman I suggest. (Too bad George Clooney did B&R). He should be a grizzled veteran of the war against crime. This will help the audience understand that this JL Batman is not the Batman they will see in the summer of ’08 in THE DARK KNIGHT. 4) DON‘T TREAD ON NOLAN‘S BATMAN In other words, no wink-wink moments or allusions to what Mr. Nolan is doing in the solo BATMAN films. And don't "borrow" The Tumbler or Batpod either. Please keep ‘em separate. As I believe I heard someone from your studio once say, “No cross-pollination” of the franchises. 5) NO BATMAN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS No Joker, Catwoman, Two Face, Penguin, Robin, Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon, or even Alfred. Just leave ‘em out of it and keep them in the solo series where they really belong. I'll admit that I'm biased here -- I want to see the BATMAN film series have a long and successful run on the big screen. I wholeheartedly believe that Batman is your "Bond" and can have the same cinematic longevity as 007. To me, a JL film with Batman in it -- right now -- could affect that. I know that we Batman fans are only a drop in the ocean compared to the overall audience that you expect to see JUSTICE LEAGUE. However, we are the most passionate of the lot because we care deeply about the character and want Batman on film treated with respect. I think most Batman fans would be willing to get behind your JL film if the character is done right in it and the solo series is left alone -- I know I would. Hopefully you’ll keep some of the considerations in mind while developing JUSTICE LEAGUE. Or, everything could be solved by JUSTICE LEAGUE doing a BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN. Sincerely, P.S. Keep Brandon Routh as Superman too! "Jett" is the founder and editor-in-chief of BATMAN-ON-FILM.COM, BATMAN-IN-COMICS.COM, and ON-FILM.NET.