The dead have all the time in the world to regroup, replan, and return. And that’s exactly what the Ghost With the Most will do when Tim Burton’s long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel comes to theaters this year. Michael Keaton’s iconic dead man finally has the opportunity to get everything he always wanted, because the latest trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice teases an even bigger threat in the afterlife. And that will lead Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz to ask for help from the last person, dead or alive, she’d ever want to see.

Waiting rooms, weddings, and a whole lot of worms, this latest trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has everything. That includes a missing teenager (Jenna Ortega’s Astrid) who accidentally ends up in the realm of the dead. And we know who calls that place home. Here’s the film’s official synopsis from Warner Bros. Pictures:

After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

The movie will also mark the return of Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz. New cast members include Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, and Willem Dafoe, maybe the most perfect human you could want for a Beetlejuice movie.

Will Beetlejuice finally marry Lydia? Or will Astrid prove to be the rotten apple of his eye this time? And why is the Ghost With the Most so cared of Monica Belluci’s spooky specter? We’re dying to find out the answers to all these questions. And we’ll get them when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice comes to theaters this fall on September 6, 2024.

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For decades now, we’ve heard rumors about a sequel to Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s 1988 hit, which cemented his signature style. The story of a young goth girl (Winona Ryder) who tries to help two ghosts in her haunted home scare her parents away. The ghost they hire is a “Bio-exorcist” named Beetlejuice to do the deed. A cult classic to this day, plans for a sequel have always been rumored. During the ’90s, they even floated “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian” to Kevin Smith.

But now, some 35 years after the original hit theaters, a sequel to the adventures of the “Bio Exorcist” is finally on the way. Original star Michael Keaton, director Tim Burton, and Scream and Wednesday star Jenna Ortega have all signed on for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

We love seeing them in this new poster:

And so, let’s bust out that Handbook for the Recently Deceased; here is everything we know about the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Title

As we hoped, the title for this movie is Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! We love it, because this way, if they ever make it a trilogy, they can call the third one Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! and Michael Keaton will magically appear when summoned, just by saying the title.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s Plot

The Beetlejuice sequel will center on the daughter of Lydia Deetz from the first film. And somehow, the previously unknown wife of Beetlejuice will play a part as well. We think it’s safe to say that both ghosts and the afterlife will play a rather large role. The teaser trailer also finally have our first look at Ortega and Keaton in their roles. We get to see Ortega’s character in deeper detail in another Beetlejuice Beetlejuice trailer.

The official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sheds more light on the plot, sharing:

Beetlejuice is back!  After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River.  Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened.  With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

Click To View Gallery

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s Cast

The cast for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is shaping up to have a combination of stars from the original, and other actors Tim Burton has recently worked with. Michael Keaton will return as the titular character, joined by Jenna Ortega, who recently worked with Burton on Wednesday, as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz character from the first film. Winona Ryder is returning as well, as so is Catherine O’Hara as her stepmother. Other original cast members, like Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, are likely not returning.

New to the cast is Willem Dafoe, who is playing a law enforcement officer in the afterlife. Empire Magazine revealed a new look at Willem Dafoe’s character ‘Afterlife Crimes’ cop Wolf Jackson.

Empire shares, “the film sees Dafoe play the brilliantly-named Wolf Jackson – an actor who, given that he was known for playing cop ‘Frank Hardballer’ when he was alive, has taken on a similar role in the afterlife as the head of the Afterlife Crimes Unit. Oh, and he has a segment of skull missing, leaving a bit of his brain exposed. ‘It’s not a normal role,’ admits Dafoe. ‘The most important thing for me was to find the tone. It had to be rooted, but it also had to be free enough that you could play with it.'”

Another new face is Justin Theroux, in an as-yet undisclosed role. Also new to the world of the afterlife is Monica Bellucci, who will play the previously unknown wife of Beetlejuice. This will be the first time working on a Tim Burton project for all three actors.

Behind the Scenes

Returning behind the camera is original filmmaker Tim Burton. Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the hit Netflix Burton/Ortega collaboration Wednesday, wrote the screenplay for the sequel. Tim Burton’s longtime friend and collaborator Danny Elfman is returning to compose the score. It just wouldn’t feel like Beetlejuice without an Elfman score, would it?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s Release Date

The long-awaited sequel to the Tim Burton horror/comedy classic Beetlejuice hits theaters on September 5, 2024.

Originally published on May 15, 2023.

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Beetlejuice fans, rejoice! The beloved trickster demon played by Michael Keaton captured the hearts of ‘80s and ‘90s kids. Now, a new generation gets to marvel in this world alongside us thanks to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel film with a trailer that perfectly captures all the weirdness. 

It always feels good to watch anything by Tim Burton and even better to see Keaton and Winona Rider reprise their roles as Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz. And how can you not love Jenna Ortega, who is a perfect choice to play Lydia’s teen daughter Astrid? 

In addition to the trailer, here’s the synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice:

After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River.  Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened.  With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

What Is the Release Date for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will hit theaters on September 6.

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Beetlejuice was the unlikeliest of hits upon release in the spring of 1988. Since then, the film has left an incredible pop culture footprint. The Michael Keaton-starring supernatural comedy introduced the Tim Burton aesthetic to the masses. It particularly resonated with a certain type of spooky goth kid who had a sense of humor about themselves. Decades later, Beetlejuice‘s popularity continues to endure, spawning a sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which will hit theaters in September 2024. In honor of Beetlejuice‘s enduring legacy, lets get into unlikely story of how Tim Burton’s sophomore film became a big hit and a cultural icon.

The Original Beetlejuice Script’s Inspiration: Annoying Neighbors and Ghostbusters

In the early ’80s, horror novelist Michael McDowell saw the success of movies like Poltergeist and Ghostbusters. Both of these films brought supernatural themes to mainstream audiences with a lighter touch and became huge successes. This inspired McDowell to try his hand at writing a story in the spooky realm with a similar approach. At this time, according to The Ringer, McDowell and his partner were living in Medford, Massachusetts when the yuppie explosion began. Annoyed at the pretentious new neighbors in their quaint town, McDowell came up with the idea of nice ghosts who need to get rid of awful modern living folks in their home. The “nice ghosts” call upon the services of a mischievous “bio-exorcist” who goes by the name Betelgeuse. Pronounced, obviously, as “Beetlejuice.”

McDowell’s script, which had revisions by writers Larry Wilson and Warren Skaaren, eventually landed at David Geffen’s production company before finding its final home at Warner Bros. Studios. Studio execs loved the script yet many were afraid it was too weird for a mainstream audience. The creative team even considered changing the name to House Ghosts. At one point, it had a much darker ending where teenage lead Lydia dies in a fire then haunts the home. At the studios’ behest, these darker and more sinister aspects were taken out. (In retrospect, this was probably a good idea.)

Director Tim Burton, who had just made a hit for the studio with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, wanted to helm the movie. He thought Beetlejuice matched his strange sensibilities… and the studio agreed. Warner Bros. rolled the dice with a relatively small budget of thirteen million dollars. Burton wanted Michael Keaton to star as the titular character although the actor was fresh off a series of flops. He also cast newcomer Winona Ryder as goth girl Lydia Deetz. The film’s leading roles were given to Geena Davis and Alec Baldwini as the ghostly Maitlands as well as Catherine O’Hara as Lydia’s annoying and eccentric stepmom. With everything in place, filming commenced in Los Angeles and Vermont in early 1987.

Beetlejuice Becomes a Sleeper Hit

Beetlejuice hit theaters on March 30, 1988 and was the tenth highest-grossing film of the year. It made a whopping seventy-three million dollars on a thirteen million budget! Keaton’s portrayal of the “bio-exorcist” created catchphrases that caught on with audiences. Everyone from late-night talk show hosts to kids on the playground were saying “It’s showtime!” or “I’m the ghost with the most, babe!” on repeat. Classic music like “Day-O” by Harry Belafonte, used in comedic moments from the film, suddenly got radio play again. And who can resist saying Beetlejuice three times? Beetlejuice came out in the heyday of VHS rentals and cable airings on a loop, which only added to its pop culture longevity. For a generation of goth and goth adjacent kids, Winona Ryder’s line “I myself am strange and unusual” became our mantra.

The “Tim Burton” Aesthetic Is Born in Beetlejuice

Tim Burton serviced Pee-wee Herman’s existing aesthetic for his first feature. But, for Beetlejuice, he got to go full Burton. The film is filled with his now-iconic swirly patterns, cartoon gothicness, and supernatural men in pin-stripe suits. Although he worked with composer Danny Elfman in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, the music created for Beetlejuice perfected the Burton/Elfman sound going forward. Beetlejuice also began Burton’s recurring collaborations with Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara.

Because of the success of the film, Warner Bros. felt comfortable giving Burton and Keaton the keys to Gotham City with Batman. As Burton’s career took off however, he didn’t seem terribly keen on returning to the world of Beetlejuice. The studio floated around sequels for other directors for years. In the ‘90s, Kevin Smith said Warner Bros. offered him a shot at directing “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian.” Smith—and all of us—are thankful that never came to fruition.

The ’90s Animated Series Extends the Popularity of the Beetlejuice Brand

A lot of Beetlejuice’s pop culture staying power lies with one piece of media in particular—the Beetlejuice animated series. It was a hit with viewers, even though it was very different from the film with Beetlejuice and Lydia as besties. The show premiered in 1989 as a 13-episode Saturday morning cartoon and continued for two more seasons on ABC, spawning a metric ton of merchandise. In the fall of 1991, it went to Fox Kids’ network, where it launched a weekday afternoon run. Along with Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men, the Beetlejuice cartoon helped cement Fox Kids as the #1 children’s programming hub. Much like The Real Ghostbusters found a whole new audience of kids beyond the more grown-up movie, the Beetlejuice cartoon pulled the same trick.

Beetlejuice Makes Its Way to Broadway and Back to Theaters Again

Beetlejuice found another revival in recent years thanks to the Broadway musical adaptation of the film. (This followed decades of an on-stage Beetlejuice show at Universal Studios.) Debuting in 2018, the show got decent reviews and several Tony nominations. The original production shut down because of the COVIID-19 pandemic. But it came to the Marquis Theater from 2022-2023 with a lucrative national tour to follow.

Now we are finally getting the very long-awaited film sequel! Will Beetlejuice Beetlejuice do well enough that we’ll get a third film? If history is any indication to this franchise’s success, it will probably happen. Beetlejuice has to hear his name three times to be summoned, so we hope the someone says Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice soon. We don’t want to wait decades for a third chapter. But, even if we do, we can always revisit the TV series or enjoy the landslide of merch that exists today. Beetlejuice is dead yet his legacy will never die.

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Last year, Michael Keaton returned to the role he last played thirty years ago when he played Batman again. Now, he’s returning to the role of Beetlejuice, over 36 years since he last played him. Now, we finally have a good look at Keaton in the role of the “bio-exorcist” in the first teaser trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s long-awaited follow-up to the cult classic supernatural comedy. You can watch the teaser below, which also features our first look at the returning cast from the original, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder, along with new cast member Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz.

Also among the new cast are Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe. Here’s the official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice from Warner Bros. Pictures:

Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

We have a strong feeling the “unexpected family tragedy” is the death of family patriarch Charles Deetz, played by Jeffrey Jones in the original, and who is not returning for this sequel. We have to say, we love that Lydia Deetz has never sold out, retaining her goth aesthetic into middle age. Although she doesn’t look too happy to see Beetlejuice back in the flesh (so to speak). We are curious as to what happened to the ghostly Maitlands. They agreed to cohabitate the home at the end of the original film after all. Maybe they finally moved on to their “great reward?” We can’t wait to find out when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hits theaters on September 6.

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Some films are obviously Christmas movies, like The Muppet Christmas Carol. But that designation is not so clear cut for others. They may be set during the holiday season, and they may even touch upon Christmas themes, but does that mean they truly qualify in the traditional sense? To find out we’re putting those movies on trial and laying out all the evidence for and against them by answering some pertinent questions, just as we did with Die Hard, Gremlins, Edward Scissorhands, Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Rocky IV. And the latest movie to take the stand in our great Christmas movie debate asked for a courtroom in Gotham. That’s right, it’s time to send up the Santa-Signal for Batman Returns.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, ask yourself…

How much of Batman Returns takes place at Christmastime?

Outside of the opening scene, all of Batman Returns takes place during the Christmas season. Oswald Cobblepot is not born during the holidays, but by the time his parents decide to abandon their cat-eating newborn in the sewers their giant tree is already up. When his circus gang then attacks Gotham 33 years later it’s during the city’s big tree lighting ceremony. The entire movie, which is full of seasonal decorations, presents, and snow, then ends by Christmas Day.

Would Batman Returns be fundamentally different if it were set at any other time of the year?

The film features major scenes connected to the fact that it’s Christmas. There’s actually two big tree lighting sequences. (RIP Ice Princess who was also an actress.) Mistletoe also ends up playing a significant role in the development of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle’s relationship. And just like the North Pole, it’s full of penguins who shouldn’t live there. Yet, if you moved the film to any other time of year and slightly changed the details/décor you would still have the exact same story. The movie takes place entirely during Christmas. It’s just not really connected to Christmas beyond scenery. The tree lightings could just as easily be the opening of a new building. The mistletoe could be a star constellation.

The only thing you couldn’t change without ruining everything was how the city made workers clean up after a terrorist attack while dressed as elves. There’s no equivalent indignity.

Do any of the film’s major themes apply to Christmas?

Batman Returns is about the duality of self and identity, isolation, and acceptance. Batman, Catwoman, Penguin, and Max Shrek all have two different identities—their public persona and their secret self—and they struggle to find a balance between the two. Interesting, but not very Christmas-y. The movie’s also about revenge, power, greed, and class. The closest any of those come to being traditional holiday themes are greed and class, but considering Bruce Wayne is the film’s hero, it’s not exactly Gotham’s take on It’s A Wonderful Life. The billionaire is the guy we want to see come out on top.

Does watching Batman Returns at Christmastime enhance the experience?

Even though the film’s plot and themes have nothing to do with the holiday, the film is so specifically set during Christmas that watching it in December does enhance the experience.* It’s easy to get caught up in the characters’ lives while also personally surrounded by a Christmas tree and festive lights. And when Bruce Wayne ends up alone at the end you feel a little extra sting because you know it will be another lonely holiday for him. You can really feel the holiday blues in the moment.

*This was obviously not the case when it first came to theaters. Batman Returns premiered in June 1992.

Has this film been accepted as a Christmas movie tradition?

Some fans consider Batman Returns a Christmas movie, but not enough. The film also has yet to break into the holiday movie zeitgeist the way a movie like Die Hard has. Since it didn’t before the streaming era began we can’t imagine it will anytime soon. If will likely need to start airing on basic cable a lot more in December to do that. If/when it does we’ll reevaluate this section. For now it’s simply a niche Christmas-adjacent movie.

THE FINAL VERDICT

We love Batman. He’s also provided us with lots of great Christmas memories over the years. For those reasons and more it would make us very happy to judge this film a true holiday entry. We just can’t do it after looking at the evidence objectively. Because while this movie embraces the feel of the Christmas season, it’s not a Christmas story. Not by its plot, themes, or characters. And since it hasn’t established itself as a holiday viewing staple, there’s only one verdict we can give.

Turn off the Santa-Signal, because Batman Returns does not qualify as a Christmas movie.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Many still argue about which Batman feature film is the best. But there are very few disagreements on which is the best Batman feature film theme music. To this day, composer Danny Elfman’s iconic score from Tim Burton’s original film is still what many hear in their heads when they hear the words “Batman.” And now, Bat-fans will get the chance to hear that music performed live as part of the DC In Concert series, starting in 2024. All of this coincides with the 35th anniversary year of Tim Burton’s blockbuster film, which hit theaters in June, 1989.

The upcoming Batman tour kicks off January 2024 in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theater. After that, it will stop in twelve U.S. cities before heading to Paris and London. Guests who attend will enjoy the film projected onto a larger-than-life screen. All while a live orchestra performs Danny Elfman’s iconic musical score. They reused the classic Batman score in Tim Burton’s follow-up film Batman Returns. Which was also scored by Elfman. But perhaps it remains associated with the character so very much because of its inclusion in Batman: The Animated Series. While Shirley Walker composed music for the actual series, the opening title was a reorchestration of Elfman’s 1989 live-action film theme.

DC in Concert attendees enjoy an enhanced concert experience with spectacular stage lighting, post-event autographs, merchandise sales, and more. They even encourage guests to dress up as their favorite DC superhero. Who, we hope, are Gotham City-related in some way. Might be awkward to go to a Batman concert dressed up like Aquaman. Although we kind of hope someone goes as Bob the Goon, the Joker’s ill-fated henchman. That’s a deep-cut character we’d appreciate. You can visit www.DCFilmsinConcert.com for ticket information and to see the other 12 U.S. dates.

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Since first appearing on-screen way back in the ’40s, Batman has worn many variations of his costume. Many different actors have worn the cape and cowl of the DC Comics icon. But which version is the best one? We looked at almost 80 years of live-action Batman costumes, and ranked them from best to worst. We judged them on their accuracy in representing the iconic character, and their overall visual aesthetic.

1. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

While we might not be the biggest fans of the film it came from, there’s almost no denying that the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Batman suit looks absolutely perfect. The costume, designed by Michael Wilkinson, looks like it stepped right off the comic book page. Ben Affleck simply had the perfect jawline for this cowl. He wore the mask, the mask didn’t wear him.

The BvS suit took bits of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight, with a dash of artist Jim Lee’s, and the result is the most comics-accurate Batman costume of them all—one that actually looks good on-screen (and almost comfortable) on the actor wearing it. Also, unlike many other Batman costumes on this list, the bat emblem stands out and isn’t obscured by armor plating or other things. This one nailed it.

2. Batman, Batman Returns (1989, 1992)

Although the costume took some liberties with the source material, the Michael Keaton 1989 Batman costume creates one of the most striking silhouettes of them all. Yes, in the comics at the time, Batman wore blue and gray, or sometimes black and gray. The all-black suit was a complete Hollywood concoction. But it worked. True, Tim Burton’s Bruce Wayne might not have been able to turn his head with that rubber mask, but it looked so cool, we didn’t care.

The pitch-black body suit with the bright yellow emblem and yellow utility belt made a stark contrast that was extremely eye-catching. There were slight modifications for the Batman Returns version a couple of years later, but it was essentially the same outfit. When we saw Michael Keaton wear this one in the trailer for The Flash, we got all the nostalgic feels. Because it’s that good of a Batman costume, even years later.

3. The Flash (Michael Keaton Suit) 2023

In The Flash, we are reunited with Michael Keaton’s Batman, some 30 years since we last saw him in Batman Returns. And although now retired, he continued as the Dark Knight for many years after the Tim Burton movies. We saw many of Bruce’s former costumes in his Bat-closet, many based on old ’90s action figures. But we’re going to focus on the suit worn by Keaton in the film, which is an updated version of his Burton-era costume. This version is still black rubber, but with more details on the shoulders and more flexibility. It’s not quite as great as the original film suit, but pretty darn close.

4. Batman Forever (First Suit) 1995

For almost 30 years, people have clutched their pearls over the nipples on the Batsuit, first seen in Batman Forever on Val Kilmer. And they use it to knock this costume down. But you know what? This is a pretty cool upgrade to the Keaton suit. The only downside we can see is that the oval is mustard yellow. It doesn’t really pop like on the Keaton suit. Also, the utility belt is black. It should be yellow to break up the absence of color in the torso. Otherwise, we might have ranked this one even higher. Oh, and every other muscle and contour of the human body is replicated in this rubber on this suit. Who cares if there are two tiny dots representing nipples? Go outside.

5. The Batman (2022)

We love the most recent cinematic Batman suit, worn by Robert Pattinson in The Batman. Yes, it has too much padding and extra details in order to be “realistic” looking for a more grounded Caped Crusader, which kind of bugs us on other Bat suits. But the cape and cowl are perfection, and bring to mind great DC Elseworlds comics like Gotham by Gaslight. We also like the gauntlets above the hands, which make it look almost like a steampunk Dark Knight. We’re not crazy about the Bat-emblem on this one, we hate when it’s hard to make out. However, the good outweighs the bad here. Nice job, Matt Reeves.

6. Batman Begins (2005)

The original Batman costume worn by Christian Bale in Batman Begins was essentially a more modern, more practical version of the 1989 Michael Keaton suit. He still had a cowl that didn’t allow him to turn his neck, but it sure looked cool. This one was made of more flexible materials than the rubber body suit from the Tim Burton movies, without being overwhelmed by all the extra padding of the follow-up films. It also has perhaps the best onscreen Batman cape, that actually flows in the wind. We would vote for this one as “most underrated live-action Batman suit.”

7. Batman TV Series (1966)

Yes, by today’s standards, the Adam West costume is a totally ridiculous relic of a bygone age. The tights, the cape, the cowl, all look like a cheap Halloween costume. But in 1966, the Batman TV series suit did its job, which was to bring the comic book look to life. And the comic book costume of the time pretty much looked like that. It was a blue cape and cowl over gray tights with blue trunks, just like a Carmine Infantino Detective Comics drawing of the time. Is it silly looking? Yes. But it’s oh so iconic, so we love it.

8. The Flash (Ben Affleck) 2023

Although it only appears briefly at the start of The Flash, Ben Affleck’s Batman suit is the first big live-action costume since Adam West that is blue and gray. It only took five decades, but it finally happened. Unfortunately, like most modern Batman suits, it’s got way too much tactical gear and harnesses. It becomes kind of a mess. All of those things are distracting, but it’s great to see Batman in his old-school colors in a modern action scene context.

9. The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises (2008, 2012)

We understand all the reasons why Christopher Nolan updated the Batman suit for The Dark Knight, and later The Dark Knight Rises. He wanted even more realistic fighting gear for Bruce Wayne to use, and a cowl that lets him turn his neck for once. But from an aesthetic standpoint, the armor looks way too much like the hockey pads his fanboy imitators used in the film, which Batman openly mocked. It works in the movie, but it loses all its sleekness for the sake of realism. It isn’t that pleasant to look at overall. We do like the white eyes when he turns on his surveillance mode in his cowl. That scores it some points.

10. Batman v Superman Power Suit (2016)

We could easily go our whole lives without seeing Batman fight Superman in any media ever again. However, to give credit where credit is due, the folks behind Batman v Superman recreated the best Batman battle suit, from Frank Miller’s seminal 1986 story The Dark Knight Returns, to a tea. It genuinely makes Batman look like someone who could legit beat the Man of Steel in a fight. And the glowing white eyes? Again, we love when any live-action Batman suit gives us that. We wouldn’t want to see it all the time (or even ever again), but Zack Snyder deserves credit for bringing this iconic suit to life in such a faithful way. Martha would be proud.

11. Batman Forever “Sonar Suit” (1995)

As much as we loved the first Batman Forever costume we saw Val Kilmer wear in the film, the second chrome “sonar suit” felt like it was made for the Kenner action figure only. The extra details don’t look like muscles, just weird shapes that don’t make sense as armor-plating. If they were on a black rubber suit they might blend in, but in shiny silver tones, they pop out and are distracting. Everything about this outfit screams Happy Meal toy. Also, why do the Bat-ears have all those ridges? That’s weirder than any nipples. Still, it’s better than our next entry, also from a Joel Schumacher Batman film.

12. Batman and Robin “Ice Suit” (1997)

The first Batman costume we see George Clooney’s Dark Knight wear in 1997’s Batman and Robin is basically the same one Val Kilmer wore at the start of the previous movie, with only minor alterations. No, the truly terrible Batman costume Clooney made famous was the ice suit that he wore in the film’s big climax when fighting Mister Freeze. There is way too much silver plating all over this costume, for no real reason except, once again, to sell action figure variants. It’s an awful design overall.

13. Justice League Tactical Suit (2017)

This costume, which appears in both versions of Justice League, commits the biggest crime of all: it doesn’t quite look like Batman anymore. Yes, the extra armor plating is much like the Nolan suits, and is equally not aesthetically pleasing. But it’s not that which makes us rank it so low. The goggles and the ears on the cowl make Affleck’s Batman look way more like Nite Owl from Watchmen. Say what you want about the other suits on this list, they all instantly read like our favorite Gotham vigilante. He should never look like another famous superhero. We should never look at Batman and ask “hey, is that Batman?”

14. Batman Serials (1943, 1949)

Ok, this one is the worst of all. The Columbia Pictures Batman movie serials of 1943 and 1949 were done on the cheap, even by ‘40s standards. But still, there was no excusing that cape and cowl. The cowl literally slides down the actor’s face, looking extremely silly, and his ears don’t even look like bat ears. They look like horns on a devil costume. The Batman costume of the comics of the time looked much cooler, and unlike the ‘60s suit, this didn’t evoke the comics’ look sufficiently. We get it, it was a different time. But it’s still an embarrassing effort.

Originally published on March 28, 2023.

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Movies don’t exist in a vacuum any more than the people who make them do. That’s never been more true of a film than The Flash, a movie many will justifiably refuse to see because of the abhorrent off-screen actions of its leading star. We all have our own personal line of when we can’t—or simply won’t—separate the art from the artist, and Ezra Miller easily crossed that for some long ago. Despite all the awfulness surrounding DC’s latest feature film, though, it’s still a movie with huge ramifications for a billion dollar franchise. Moreover, it’s one that thousands of others who’ve done nothing wrong worked hard on. And it features characters that mean a great deal personally to generations of fans. The Flash doesn’t merely belong to the Flash. All of which is why it ultimately needs to be evaluated on its own merits.

By that standard it’s unlikely to make anyone happy. Because if you were rooting for The Flash to be a huge disaster, it’s not. It’s never really bad. If instead, you were hoping for the greatest superhero movie ever, it’s not even close to that. The Flash looks unfinished and is thoroughly mediocre until it realizes it’s an emotional drama and not a comedy. Once it understands what it should have been all along it really excels with a moving and powerful story. But that might be the most frustrating part of what this movie delivers on screen. It wasted an opportunity to make something special.

The first two-thirds of The Flash plays more like a whimsical comedy than the intense emotional drama its trailers promised. That approach, which has been done far better by far superior superhero movies, is completely at odds with the very nature of the story being told. Barry Allen is a sad, awkward, lonely superhero who realizes he can go back in time. That means he can stop his mother’s murder when he was a kid, which would also save his wrongly convicted father from prison in the present.

That approach might have still worked if the movie’s dialogue and gags weren’t woefully mediocre. Some jokes occasionally land, usually the ones that come entirely from characterization. But far too many feel easy if not downright lazy. Others are more clever than actually humorous. And making it all worse is that there are just far too many of them. This movie only takes off when it takes itself seriously. Some of the funniest moments actually happen when it does, because they’re organic and character-driven in the moment.

One huge issue that is true even when the film is at its best is that its CGI often looks awful. There are sequences in The Flash that look far cheaper, unfinished, and downright terrible compared to anything Marvel Studios has put out during its current VFX problem era. (Yes, I saw Quantumania.) There are moments when both versions of Barry Allen are on screen that look so clumsy it almost feels intentional. Apparently someone destroyed the technology that believably put two Lindsey Lohans on screen at the same time in Parent Trap 25 years ago.

However, what’s really bizarre about the film’s special effects is that not all of them look awful. Some actually look great, like when Barry travels faster than the speed of light. Clearly DC had the ability to pull off good VFX. (As it has in the past and surely will again.) Apparently nine years of development just wasn’t enough time for this specific entry.

So how can a movie that doesn’t look good and is stunningly mediocre for 66% of its runtime not be outright bad? The Flash has a high floor even at its relative worst because of its characters and cast. And the other third of the movie—the portion that knows why we love these heroes and understands the nature of the story it’s telling—is genuinely excellent. I was bored to tears for long stretches, yet still very emotional at others.

Ben Affleck is really good in what is likely his final, short Batfleck performance. His Bruce Wayne, first introduced as bitter and angry, has arrived at a place that resemble the best version of the character. Meanwhile, Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle are both standouts who lift every scene they’re in. Keaton’s return as an older Bruce Wayne feels true to the character we once knew. He fully commits to the role. There’s also just enough of him that he’s a major part of the film without it being his movie. And Calle is so good as Supergirl it would be a shame if this is her only time playing her. She does so much as Kara Zor-El without a lot of dialogue. Her mere presence outshines the size of her role.

It also does an incredible job of making them feel like an actual team. During their big battle they have defined roles that complement one another. These aren’t four heroes (there are two Barrys) working next to one another during a big fight. They’re working together, in a way that makes sense and makes the sum greater than the parts. This element is strengthened by the movie’s opening sequence, when we see the regular timeline’s Justice League mostly working as a group of individuals with a common cause. The Flash understands what a team is in a way most superhero movies don’t, not even some of the best.

But the best part of The Flash comes when it embraces the heart of its story, which is a tragedy and not a comedy. Inevitably Barry Allen must face the consequences of saving his mother. That forces him to make an impossible choice. The way that happens is among the script’s smartest, most well-written moments. And it leads to the film’s most emotional scene. It’s when we finally get the movie we should have been watching from the start, the one that lives up to its entire premise about facing our past, who we wish we got to be, and who we are. Sometimes the most heroic thing we can do is recognize “not every problem has a solution.”

Which brings us to The Flash‘s biggest problem, the one that does not exist in a vacuum. This is Ezra Miller’s movie in every way. And if you can’t separate the art from the artist, nothing else matters. If you can’t root for the two Barrys because of who plays them, don’t bother watching this film. It’s not nearly good enough to even try and overcome your misgivings if you’re on the fence.

All the fun surprise cameos in (the multiple versions of) the world can’t overcome The Flash‘s problems. Neither can its performances and the powerful, smart, emotional scenes that show how good this movie could have been in a different timeline. Average writing, below average effects, and a refusal to embrace its emotional core make for a mediocre viewing experience far longer than The Flash provides anything great. And that would be true even if everything outside the vacuum of this movie wasn’t so awful.

⭐ (2.5 of 5)

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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It’s been 31 years since Michael Keaton last wore the cape and cowl of the Dark Knight in Batman Returns. But after all this time, he’s back as Bruce Wayne in The Flash. As a way of celebrating his long-awaited return, Keaton was part of a special screening hosted by Empire Magazine of his 1989 Batman debut and the upcoming The Flash. At the Q&A, Keaton answered several questions about filming the original Tim Burton film, and how a certain iconic line was totally improvised on set. He explained the origin of “You wanna get nuts?? Let’s get nuts!” to the crowd.

“I don’t think ‘Let’s get nuts’ was in the script, that was me. That scene was never really that good as written, to be honest with you. That was one of the days when we went round and round. I think Kim [Basinger] is in it, me and Jack [Nicholson], nobody could ever find it. I thought, ‘Okay, pressure’s on, man. Pressure. Is. On.’ I thought he’d probably said, ‘Okay, I’m kind of cornered, I only have one way to go and I’d better let this character know that we’re gonna throw down.’

One of the other more famous things Michael Keaton invented for the big screen Batman is the idea that Bruce Wayne had a deeper, gravely voice when in costume. This was definitely not something Adam West did, and almost every other cinematic Batman has followed in Keaton’s footsteps here. Particularly Christian Bale in the three Christopher Nolan films. So what inspired the infamous Bat-voice? According to Keaton, it was really just logic.

“I actually bother people because I fall back to logic. And I remember standing there going, ‘Okay, how are we gonna do this?’ The scene was somebody standing right next to me and I said, this guy’s going to look at me and say, ‘Hey, it’s Bruce Wayne!’ It’s as practical as ‘How does the audience really believe that people don’t go, “clearly this is Bruce Wayne dressed up on a rubber suit…’ “

We are beyond excited to see Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader again The Flash. We can only hope it’s not the last time we see him in the black rubber suit. It’s an infinite multiverse, after all. And who wouldn’t want to see Keaton as “Old Man Bruce” in a live-action Batman Beyond project? To read more details on Keaton’s time making Batman, be sure to head on over to Empire Magazine for more.

The post Michael Keaton Reveals He Improvised Iconic BATMAN ’89 Dialogue appeared first on Nerdist.

An entire generation will always think of Michael Keaton as their Batman. And now, after over 30 years, he’ll be wearing the cape and cowl again for The Flash. His costume, although slightly altered for modern times, still has the familiar silhouette from Tim Burton’s classic films. Hot Toys is bringing the old/new Batman to life in a deluxe 1/6 scale collector’s figure. Is it just us, or can you already hear that classic Danny Elfman Batman theme? You can check out images of this new figure below in our gallery.

Click To View Gallery

The Michael Keaton Batman modern suit 1/6 Scale Figure features two brand-new, hand-painted portraits. Both of these are equipped with Hot Toys’ rolling eyeballs feature, allowing collectors to adjust the figure’s gaze. Owners of this figure can swap out the meticulously sculpted and ultra-realistic Bruce Wayne/Michael Keaton head sculpt for a cowled head, which includes interchangeable lower face plates to alter Batman’s expression. (He does have more than one, you know). This Batman figure stands at approximately 30 cm tall.

They’ve dressed the highly articulated 1/6 scale body in a detailed Batsuit, with two interchangeable fabric capes. These replicate the texture and detail of the updated Batman suit we’ll soon see in The Flash. The Dark Knight’s many accessories include his signature Bat-gadgets of course. These include a line launcher, a Batarang, a remote, a bomb timer, and more. The specially designed LED-illuminated display stand is perhaps the coolest addition. This deluxe collectible figure will set you back $305.00, and you can pre-order it now from Sideshow Collectibles. They expect the Batman modern suit figure to ship in July, 2024.

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A cinematic feature film for DC Comics’ The Flash was first announced way back in 2014. Since then, we’ve had several appearances of the Scarlet Speedster in movies like Justice League and Suicide Squad, as well as some TV cameos. Not to mention many seasons of a Flash TV series that gave us an enjoyable turn with the character. But ultimately, The Flash will arrive in theaters in 2023.

We guess we’ll have to wait and see The Flash before we think to hard about its sequel. Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming movie.

Title

Despite early reports that this film was to be called Flashpoint, based on the DC Comics event of the same name, it will simply be called The Flash. 

The Flash‘s Plot

Based on the DC FanDome 2021 trailer, it appears that The Flash is indeed loosely adapting the 2011 DC event series Flashpoint. In that story, Barry Allen uses his super-speed powers to run into the past, preventing his mother’s murder from taking place when he was a child. But when he returns to his present, he finds things are drastically changed. In the film version, it looks like Barry will somehow alter time and space and bring in Michael Keaton’s Batman from the classic Tim Burton films. Also, in this altered universe is a new version of Supergirl and at least one alternate Barry. Flash will also receive a new costume in the film, replacing the one he used in Justice League.

A poster reveals the Batman influence looming large in the world of The Flash. And the first trailer for the movie cemented that notion.

At a recent screening of The Flash, Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti discussed a possible sequel for the franchise and how it could fit in with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s newly restructured DC Universe. The director and producer had this say about the idea of The Flash 2:

We didn’t talk about it. I think that we’re all waiting to see how this movie does. Of course, there’s excitement about continuing the story, especially if this movie is successful. Of course, there’s an architecture in DC that is brewing and it’s being created. And the question is, will this new architecture absorb this story? The good thing about the multiverse is that it is possible. The multiverse allows all of these different worlds to coexist and interact, and so, hopefully, yes, I mean, we don’t know yet. That’s the truth.

Additionally, the creators noted of The Flash itself and its future, “We can’t predict the future; everything that we hear is gonna happen is very exciting. We don’t know much more than you do, honestly. But again, this is a movie about beginnings and not endings, and we certainly hope so.”

Behind the Scenes 

In the years since the film’s initial announcement, many directors have come and gone. However, It and It: Chapter two director Andy Muschietti helms The Flash. The film’s final screenplay is from Birds of Prey and Batgirl screenwriter Christina Hodson, with a story by Hodson, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein.

The Flash‘s Cast

Ezra Miller returns to his role as Barry Allen/Flash, alongside Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Sasha Calle (Supergirl), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Antje Traue (Faora), and two distinct Dark Knights—Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as their universes’ respective Batman. And given the multiversal aspect of this movie, we do expect some surprise cameos. Perhaps Grant Gustin might appear? Only time will tell.

The Flash’s Release Date

The Flash speeds into theaters on June 16, 2023.

Originally published on March 8, 2022.

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Barry Allen (both of him) will endanger the past, present, and future in his standalone film The Flash. Fortunately, he’ll have plenty of help from other legendary DC characters to help him restore the timeline. The Flash‘s final trailer is a mini-reunion of stars spanning generations. For the first time, Michael Keaton’s Batman isn’t the most prominent Caped Crusader on the job. That title belongs to Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight. And he has his own help, too. Jeremy Irons is also back as his loyal butler Alfred.

The Batfleck isn’t just back; he’s still leading the team of heroes that protect the world. But it will ultimately be another, older Bruce Wayne (and the best Batmobile ever) who will need to protect multiple worlds when Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen races his way back in time. That attempt to prevent his mom’s death will lead to catastrophe. The Flash‘s final trailer definitely walks us through all of that. But for even more insight, here’s the film’s official synopsis from DC Studios:

Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

Directed by Andy Muschietti (IT Chapters 1 and 2), the film will introduce Sasha Calle as Supergirl. It also marks the return of Michael Shannon’s General Zod. He’s joined by two additional DC alums, Kiersey Clemons and Antje Traue. And Ron Livingston and Maribel Verdú round out the cast.

The Flash—and its many Batmans—speeds into North American theaters on June 16, 2023. That’s when we’ll find out just how big this DC reunion really is.

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With Michael Keaton returning as the Dark Knight in The Flash, we’re feeling nostalgic for the Tim Burton Batman films he starred in. We know most people’s favorite is the original 1989 Batman, but we have a soft spot for Burton’s weird and dark follow-up, Batman Returns. Now, LEGO has something amazing for all of our fellow Batman Returns fans, with a brand new Batman Returns Batcave Shadow Box set. The new set arrives on June 8, right before The Flash hits theaters. You can see several images of the LEGO Batcave set below:

Click To View Gallery

This super-detailed set showcases the full Batcave inside a display box with a cutout in the shape of the world-famous Batman emblem. At the heart of the set is the Caped Crusader’s Batmobile. And it’s sporting the same design as in Tim Burton’s 1992 blockbuster; it’s still one of the best Batmobile designs ever. This LEGO Batcave set features many clever functions and gadgets, including the ability to move furniture and change images on the big screen. You can also open a vault and open a door. There’s even a light brick.

To complete the tribute to the movie, the LEGO Batcave comes with several brand-new minifigures. These include Catwoman, the Penguin, as well as Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, and Christopher Walken’s character of Max Shreck. Alfred looks like he’s making tea for Bruce; we’d like to think he has some vichyssoise soup as well, just as in the movie. The Batman Returns Batcave Shadow Box set has 3,981 pieces. That’s massive! Its measurements are L: cm/in 51,2/20,16,​ W: cm/in 14,8/5,86, and D: cm/in 29,1/11,46. The new Shadow Box set will be available for LEGO VIPs from June 5 at LEGO.com/Batman. It will also arrive via LEGO Stores. It becomes available for all from June 8, priced at $399.99 / £344.99/  € 399.99.

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Soon, The Flash will give us something that superhero cinema has never shown us before: the multiverse! Kidding aside, the Andy Muschietti-directed movie will give audiences a fresh twist on DC’s iconic Flashpoint storyline. The 2011 saga from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert saw Barry Allen going back in time to try and prevent his mother’s murder. But he ended up breaking the past and the future in the process. And while The Flash will bring in many faces from DC Comics stories, some cameos did not make the cut.

The Flash will serve as the swan song for the current iteration of the DC Extended Universe. Newly minted DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have been candid about their plans to make a new unified DC Universe.

With The Flash serving as the end of an era, a lot is riding on its shoulders. Fortunately, the movie is pretty great, at least in the version that Nerdist screened at a special event. Director Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti were on hand to introduce what they called not quite the final cut of the film.

While we’ll save our super spoiler thoughts for after the film’s release, the filmmaking siblings shared some juicy details with the audience. With trailers confirming the return of Michael Keaton as Batman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Michael Shannon as General Zod, and the introduction of Sasha Calle as Supergirl, The Flash has plenty of iconic DC characters. 

And yes, the movie has even more cameos, guest appearances, and surprises for diehard fans of superhero cinema and comics. Andy Muschietti confirmed his initial assembly was four hours long. Therefore some choice cameos were left on the cutting room floor. When Q&A moderator Grae Drake asked the Muschiettis what characters or moments they couldn’t fit in the film, they obliged with a small sampling. The Flash cameos that unfortunately didn’t work out include Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman from the ‘70s TV series, Marlon Brando’s Jor-El from 1978’s Superman, as well as Burgess Meredith’s Penguin and Cesar Romero’s Joker from the 1960s Batman TV series. 

During the reception after the screening, Nerdist spoke to Andy Muschietti with a few other reporters. In response to a question from Dorian Parks from Geeks of Color, he confirmed that Grant Gustin almost had a cameo in the film as Barry Allen from The CW’s The Flash. Muschietti was very complimentary about what The Flash series accomplished. But unfortunately, there wasn’t room to include Gustin’s take on Barry Allen. Muschietti said, “Of course, as I said before the list of cameos…was huge. So obviously we played with the idea of including DC characters from TV, but we just had to pick.”

Sadly it won’t be Oops, All Barrys.

Nerdist also asked how Muschietti felt on his first day on set compared to the last day after such a long journey with this film with 120 shooting days. According to Muschietti, “It’s funny because the sense of accomplishment at the end is like, you feel like such a relief. At the beginning, you’re a ball of stress. Of course, it defuses after a few days. Every day is like an accomplishment. Then you relax and just keep going and going. It was a lot of fun.”

As for The Flash, the fun for audiences begins on June 16. Whether or not any of those cameos make their way back into the final cut, only time—or time travel—will tell.

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The big reset at DC Studios is already underway. New co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have already shared their plan for transitioning from the DCEU to the DCU, but it won’t truly begin until The Flash comes to theaters. The time-traveling epic will change much of what we know about the franchise. But the movie’s newest, emotional trailer is the latest reminder The Flash only needs to do one thing to promote itself. And that has nothing to do with what it means for the DCU. It just needs to remind us it will bring back Michael Keaton as Batman. (It doesn’t exactly hurt the rest of the movie looks fantastic.)

Michael Keaton’s Batman should run for President. Does anyone, real or fictional, have a higher approval rating? This isn’t really his movie, though. It’s a super team up about what defines us and how we deal with it. He’s part of a much bigger story that will span time and multiple worlds. Here’s the film’s official synopsis for DC Studios:

Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

Directed by Andy Muschietti (the IT films, Mama) with a screenplay by Christina Hodson, this trailer certainly makes it look like The Flash could deliver on Gunn’s hype. Its production predates his position as head of the DCU’s creative side, but he’s all in on this film. Before this latest trailer’s debut he called the movie “extraordinary.”

This trailer certainly is. As is the cast. Joining Ezra Miller and Keaton to save the multiverse from Michael Shannon’s Zod is Sasha Calle as Supergirl. The film also stars Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, and Antje Traue.

The Flash speeds into theaters in North America on June 16, 2023. But it’ll be even faster getting into ones internationally. It will arrive around for the rest of the world on June 14. Are we jealous? Of course! They get two extra days with Keaton’s Batman. We know fooling with the past causes problems, but any chance Barry Allen can do something about that?

The post THE FLASH Trailer Tackles an Emotional Past appeared first on Nerdist.

Michael Keaton is Batman. And he’s back. Keaton’s Caped Crusader made his official return before the Super Bowl in the first trailer for The Flash. It’s a good thing he still makes for a formidable Dark Knight, too. Barry Allen will need all the help he can. That includes from both himself and a Supergirl.

Star Ezra Miller’s mental health issues and legal problems have overshadowed The Flash for a while. But this fantastic trailer highlights the great work of the many other plays involved in the film. Seeing Michael Keaton’s Batman back in action is reason enough to get The Flash into theaters. (This is also true of the shelved Batgirl!) Plus, he’s bringing the greatest live-action Batmobile in history with him. And if that’s not enough, the movie will also introduce Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and mark the return of Michael Shannon’s Zod and Ben Affleck’s own Bruce Wayne. We get to see some exciting glimpses of them in the trailer for The Flash.

They’re all gathering for an epic adventure that will see multiple universes unite in what will be a very personal story for the film’s title character. Every version of him. Here’s the official synopsis from Warner Bros.:

Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

Directed by Andy Muschietti (IT, Mama), The Flash also stars Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, and Antje Traue. It sprints into theaters this summer on June 16. (Well, it sprints after a marathon wait.)

It wasn’t an easy path to get to even this point. And there’s still plenty of time for more to go wrong before that release date. But at the end of that long road lies Michael Keaton’s Batman, which will be reason enough to tune in.

The post THE FLASH’s Full Trailer Brings Back Michael Keaton’s BATMAN appeared first on Nerdist.

After more changed release dates than New Mutants, the next off-brand Marvel movie is here. And that’s really all there is to say about it. Jared Leto’s Morbius leads the cast—including standout fun-haver Matt Smith—through a CGI-filled routine until we get to the point of the movie: the two mid-credits sequences that Sony hopes will expand their non-MCU live-action Spider-Verse. If you haven’t seen the movie—or been on the internet—beware as spoilers abound.

Is the MCU’s Vulture in Morbius? Morbius’ First Mid-Credits Scene Explained

One of the most talked about moments from the Morbius trailers was the appearance of Adrian Toomes (Micheal Keaton) a.k.a. the Vulture. There we saw the Spider-Man: Homecoming villain quipping “What’s up, doc?” to Morbius. Spoiler alert: That moment does not appear in the final cut of Morbius. But in the first of two mid-credits scenes we do see Toomes. He joins the Sony live-action Spider-Verse thanks to a tear in the sky. It looks vaguely similar to the multiversal chaos from Spider-Man: No Way Home, though with far worse effects. As the sky opens we see Toomes appear in a prison cell where he quips, “Hope the food is better in this joint.” We then watch a news reporter explaining who he is and that, because he just “appeared” in the prison, the legal system would have to let the notorious—in the MCU—bad guy free.

Morbius’ Second Mid-Credits Scene Teases the Sinister Six

Sony has been trying to make the Sinister Six happen for a long time. In fact, almost a decade ago in 2013 they announced a Sinister Six movie. Although the supervillain team was teased at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, it never came to pass. Slowly but surely, though, Sony has once again been building towards bringing the Spider-Man baddies to life. The post-credits stinger from Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced Vulture to Mac Gargan a.k.a. the Scorpion. In the MCU’s No Way Home, viewers saw a collection of villains who were definitely inspired by the Sinister Six, even though they might not have been given that name. But with those baddies all sent back to their respective universes, Sony is trying to build its own. And it begins (again) with the second mid-credits sequence in Morbius, which is both baffling and simplistic.

After his murderous adventures stopping a less lethal murderous vampire than himself, Dr. Micheal Morbius drives into the desert. He’s there to meet the Vulture. Alas, Michael Keaton must have only shot enough for one scene, because Morbius comes face to face with a CGI Vulture suit. Morbius tells Vulture, “I’m listening.” Vulture tells him that he’s there because of Spider-Man—who doesn’t exist in the Leto-verse—and they should “team up to do some good.” Morbius replies, “Intriguing,” and the scene ends on Jared Leto’s serious face. It’s hardly the rip-roaring post-credits of superhero movies past. But it exists and teases something bigger.

What Does it All Mean?

Well, that all depends on how successful Morbius is. The two outrageous Tom Hardy Venom movies made a ton of money and launched the Sony-verse again. But without a Spider-Man it’s hard to imagine a Sinister Six. Toomes suggestion that they “do some good” matched with Morbius’ lackluster moral journey in the movie hints this wouldn’t be a supervillain team-up but instead would reimagine the crew as anti-heroes who save the day. That seems… hard to pull off. But all of this is hypothetical until Sony announces its plans. Still, with multiple other Spider-centric movies including Kraven and Madame Web in the works, this could be the start of something…

Featured Image: Columbia Pictures

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“We all have monsters within us. It’s up to us to control it.” Okay, sure. But that’s a lot easier for some people than others. For most of us, our inner monster is not a living vampire. It’s not as easy to control your worst impulses when your body needs human blood to live. But that’s what Jared Leto will face as the star of Sony’s latest Spider-Man villain standalone film. And the final trailer for Morbius shows it won’t be easy for Michael to keep his inner vampire under control. Especially if he accepts he’s now a villain.

Sony‘s last trailer for Morbius is big on baddies and vampire attacks. Michael Keaton’s Vulture is back. He’s seen here pushing Michael Morbius to embrace his new position in life. And this promo also features our best look yet at what we can expect from Matt Smith. Like Morbius, his character also has a debilitating condition. But unlike Morbius, Smith’s character seems ready to unleash his rage on everyone.

Will having another villain around keep Morbius firmly in the antihero camp? That’s where Sony’s Venom now resides. Or will Morbius give in to his most dangerous tendencies and embrace his new role? The film’s official synopsis doesn’t offer any more clues than this trailer. From Sony:

One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen as Oscar® winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges? 

Directed by Daniel Espinosa, the film also stars Jared Leto, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson. Hopefully, all of them will follow Madrigal’s lead and keep holy water with them. It’s better to be safe than sorry. You never know when someone’s inner monster will break free. And on rare occasions that monster turns out to be a living vampire.

Morbius swoops into theaters on April 1. (No fooling.)

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We learned (via Comic Book) that while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he revealed he will soon shoot something with the character of Adrian Toomes. All Michael Keaton would tell Kimmel was “I’m shooting tomorrow; I’m shooting Vulture stuff.” You can see him spill the beans around the fourteen-minute mark in the video below:

But what kind of Vulture stuff are we talking about here? Keaton wouldn’t say. And honestly, seeing as he gets pretty confused at the complexity of the MCU, he might not even really know. Sometimes the actors shoot cameos for Marvel projects and have no idea what they’re for. Remember when Gwyneth Paltrow had no idea she was in Spider-Man: Homecoming, years after the fact? Of course, we have a few guesses as to what the Vulture could be up to.

Our first, less exciting guess is that he’s simply shooting more scenes for Morbius. We already know he’s in that movie, thanks to the trailers giving it away. So extra scenes with Vulture are possible. But more exciting is the possibility that they’re adding him in for some kind of post-credits sequence for No Way Home. We know that Spidey fights five classic villains in the movie. That’s one villain short of a Sinister Six.

We could see a scenario where the five Spider-baddies are stuck in the MCU for good at the end (hence the title No Way Home). Imagine if Vulture approaches the five of them at the end and simply says “we need to make this a sinister six.” Sony has been trying for years to get a Sinister Six movie off the ground. Who better to head the cast than Michael Keaton? And before you say it’s too late to shoot anything for the film, we will remind you that they shot the shawarma scene in Avengers after the film’s premiere. Anything is possible these days.

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One of the most highly anticipated movies coming from DC is the long (very long) awaited Flash movie. This puppy has been in development for over 17 years, since 2004. Long before they cast Ezra Miller in the role of Barry Allen or announced a Flash TV series for The CW. But in 2022, the Fastest Man Alive will finally get his “solo” film at long last. We say “solo” in quotes, because they jam-packed this movie with heroes. And at DC FanDome, we finally got to see many of them together in The Flash sneak peek.

Not only is Ben Affleck returning as Batman, but original big-screen Caped Crusader Michael Keaton is as well. And we’re meeting our new big screen Supergirl for the first time, newcomer Sasha Calle. Reprising her role from Justice League as Flash’s love interest Iris West is Kiersey Clemons.

Warner Bros.

This movie will explore the DC Multiverse and canonize earlier pre-DCEU films, such as Tim Burton’s Batman movies. We even got a behind-the-scenes look, which features our first glimpse of Keaton in the Bat-suit (from the back anyway) for the first time in 30 years. Not to mention, the classic Batman ’89 Batmobile… well. almost. It’s under a tarp. But we know that shape! And we also see that Ezra Miller will play more than one version of the Flash.

Warner Bros. 

They loosely based the film on Flashpoint, the 2011 comic book series where Barry Allen travels back in time to prevent the murder of his mother. In doing so, he ruptures the fabric of space and time, resulting in a heavily altered present. Could this film lead to a new, Multiversal Justice League in the DCEU? No one would confirm that, but we’re guessing it’s more than a possibility. We expect other big surprises in the final film as well.

Warner Bros.

Rounding out the cast for The Flash is Office Space’s Ron Livingston as Barry’s wrongly jailed dad, Henry Allen. He replaces Billy Crudup, who portrayed the elder Allen in Justice League. Maribel Verdú portrays Barry’s mother, Nora Allen. The Flash races to movie theaters on November 4, 2022.

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Who is your Batman? There’s only one answer for some: Michael Keaton in his iconic rubber Batsuit from the 1989 version of the film. That’s definitely how Stephen Colbert feels. The late-night show host had Keaton on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and admitted that the actor’s version is the one near and dear to his heart. But that didn’t stop him from lightly roasting Keaton about his turn as the Dark Knight.

“Did they have to let it out?” Colbert asked as the conversation turned to Keaton’s upcoming reprisal of Batman in The Flash. To this, Keaton responded with a resounding, “No!” And a majestically affronted face. He definitely created our next reaction gif, all that stand-up training shows through here.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

“Come on, it’s 30 years ago, really?” Colbert defends. But, come on, Batman can do anything! “Svelte as ever,” Keaton says affirmatively. Obviously, he won’t wear the same suit from 1989 in The Flash. But the dimensions, he confirms, have not changed with time. Batman might be just a human, but you can never count him out. And hey, rubber is stretchy, right?

Colbert and Keaton also discuss the idea of a Bat Club. A club that gathers all “the like 77 Batman” in existence. But Keaton says they’d have to unionize and get the ground rules in place before any formal meeting can take place. We’d sure like to be a fly on that wall when they do. As long as the bats aren’t hungry. What do you call multiple iterations of Batman in the same room? Is it Batmen? Regardless of semantics, somewhere out there, Gotham’s villains just got a cold chill up their spine.

But honestly, we think it’s an excellent pitch for a movie, The Batmen. Bring Keaton, Clooney, Arnett, Affleck, Pattinson, and more into a room together, and let’s see what happens. Of course, Michael Keaton’s Batsuit can come along.

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After months of rumors, Warner Bros. animation revealed that DC’s popular Injustice franchise is getting its own animated adaptation. It’s the story of an alternate world where the Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane, only to see Clark Kent become a mad tyrant. And it’s coming on October 15 as a DTV film. A new trailer for Injustice recently came out, and it looks super faithful to the source material.

But an Injustice fan trailer from YouTuber Darth Blender has also just come out. And it somehow improves on the animated one. All they had to do to make it more awesome was to add in some Christopher Reeve, Michael Keaton, and Lynda Carter. This is similar to the ’90s Justice League mashup trailer that came last year. (Although shouldn’t that have been ’80s? We digress). You can watch the full Injustice ’80s Mashup Trailer right here.

It’s always fun to see the classic versions of DC’s Trinity “team-up” as the JLA. But the best part of this mashup trailer is that “despot Superman” of Injustice is actually all culled from scenes from Superman III. For those of you who have not seen that 1983 masterpiece, there’s a whole bit where synthetic Kryptonite splits Superman into two. Kinda like that Star Trek episode where William Shatner splits into “evil Kirk” and “good Kirk.” Only less subtle.

Warner Bros.

Anyway, this Superman is only “evil” in that he wears a dirty version of his costume. And he drinks a lot. He’s also just an overall jerk. All the cheesy “bad Supes” footage was used to significant effect in this fan trailer, we must say. Christopher Reeve was having just way too much fun playing bad Superman, and it’s the best part of that movie. We’re happy to see it find new life. There’s also a Snyder-verse version of the Injustice trailer. But isn’t Snyder’s dark DC Universe basically just another version of Injustice anyway? You can watch that one by clicking here. At least it has more Harley Quinn.

Darth Blender was also responsible for the recent Masters of the Universe: Revelation mashup trailer. That one blended the 1987 live-action He-Man with Kevin Smith’s Netflix show. Before that, the Avengers: Infinity War and Star Trek mashups were also the bee’s knees. And their Marvel retro mash-up is also fantastic. To check out more fun trailer mashups, be sure to head on over to the Darth Blender YouTube channel.

Featured Image: Darth Blender

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For most people who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, Michael Keaton is Batman, and Beetlejuice. Since then, he’s appeared in close to 100 films and television shows, ranging from comedies to dramas to action movies. He’s a very versatile actor; one of our favorites. But did you know he used to also do stand-up comedy? It’s true! In the 1980s, there was something of a stand-up comedy boom, where people could make a lot of money doing stand-up. There were television shows devoted to it, including the once-ubiquitous An Evening at the Improv, which ran from 1981 to 1996.

The official YouTube channel for An Evening at the Improv recently uploaded one of Keaton’s sets from the show in ’81. Behold the pre-stardom stand-up of one Michael Keaton.

This whole clip screams the ’80s to me. The Improv, one of Los Angeles’ most famous comedy venues, has a brick wall in front of which the comedians perform. This became so well-known that merely the sight of a brick wall, a microphone, and a spotlight is still the go-to shorthand for stand-up comedy.

Keaton’s set itself isn’t anything too special. Bits about talking to yourself, lunatics on the street (a very common LA phenomenon), family road trips, stuff like that. But what’s immediately evident is his focus was clearly on specificity in character work. He embodies the guys talking to themselves, his sister whining, his dad smacking them while driving the car; it’s all very mannered and clearly based on long observations. That’s a very Michael Keatony thing.

An Evening at the Improv

Not one year after this TV appearance, Keaton began his string of successful movies; Night Shift, Mr. Mom, Johnny Dangerously, and so on. By 1988, he had Beetlejuice, in ’89, Batman. And then it was off to the races. But it’s a lot of fun to see where he got his start, telling jokes for the nightclub folks.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

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Long before the MCU or the DCEU, the world’s finest big screen superheroes were Superman and Batman. This is due to the massive success of Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie in 1978, and Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989. Now, it’s time to revisit the worlds where Christopher Reeve is the Man of Steel, and Michael Keaton is the Dark Knight. DC Comics has announced new digital first series Superman’78 and Batman ’89, both coming this year. You can check out the first artwork for both series  below.

Batman ’89

DC Comics

Continuing the twisted adventures of DC’s Dark Knight from Tim Burton’s seminal classic Batman movies movies, Batman ’89 brings in screenwriter Sam Hamm (Batman, Batman Returns) and artist Joe Quinones (Dial H for Hero) to pull a number of threads left dangling by the prolific director. The gothic mentality behind the world, while still rooted in a sense of realism, helped inform many of DC’s global fans’ first impressions of the Dark Knight’s Gotham.

In the new Batman ’89 comic, Hamm and Quinones will help usher in the return of Selina Kyle/Catwoman and will debut a new Robin. Plus, Quinones has a vision for Harvey Dent/Two-Face that is as close to movie magic as a comic can get. Could this be our Billy Dee Williams’ Two-Face? It only took 32 years! It will be interesting to see if the Robin will be based on Marlon Wayans. The actor was meant to play Dick Grayson in Batman Returns.

Quinones shared some of his concept art for the series on Twitter, and one of the characters looks like Prince’s Joker from the Batdance music video!

Superman ’78

DC Comics

Robert Venditti (Hawkman) and Wilfredo Torres (Batman ’66) will collaborate on Superman ’78 to tell stories set within the world Richard Donner and Christopher Reeves created in Superman: The Movie. In Superman ’78, bystanders are surprised and delighted by Superman’s abilities. And Lois Lane doesn’t (yet!) know that Clark Kent is secretly Superman. Inspired by Donner’s timeless style of superhero storytelling, in Superman ’78 Venditti and Torres will show fans that a man can truly fly. Hopefully this comic will give fans things we never got before in those classic films. Perhaps villains like Bizarro and Brainiac.

Superman ’78 and Batman ’89 will debut with six digital chapters each on July 27. New chapters of each comic book will debut for the following six weeks. The 12 chapters of each new series will also publish as six printed comics between August and October. Hardcover collections will arrive in October (Batman ’89) and November (Superman ’78). This is similar to how DC rolled out Batman ’66 and Wonder Woman ’77 a few years back. We know that we can’t wait to return to the versions of these characters that made the DC Comics heroes cinematic icons.

Featured Image: DC Comics

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The surprise return of Michael Keaton as Batman for the upcoming Flash movie has opened up many possibilities. Many fans want to see him as “Old Man Bruce” in some kind of live-action Batman Beyond project (and so do we!). But another idea would have him reunite with Michelle Pfeiffer, who played Catwoman in Batman Returns. Who’s to say those two didn’t end up together?

Warner Bros. 

ScreenRant recently asked Pfeiffer is she would be interested in taking the whip and costume out of storage to reprise her role as Selina Kyle for The Flash. Here’s what she had to say: “I would if anyone asked me but no one’s asked me yet.”

First off, someone at Warner Bros.: please ask Michelle to come back as Selina Kyle! Secondly, let’s say she does return in some capacity. Imagine a scenario where Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle reunited after Batman Returns and married. And if so, it would be a perfect way to introduce a version of their superhero daughter Helena Wayne, a.k.a. the Huntress.

DC Comics

Now, some of you may be a bit confused reading this. Especially if you only know Huntress from the movie Birds of Prey or the Justice League Unlimited animated series, That version is Helena Bertinelli, not Wayne. She is the daughter of a Gotham crime family who became the vigilante called Huntress after her family’s brutal murder. She first appeared in the comics in the late ’80s and has been a mainstay of DC Comics ever since. But she’s not the original Huntress. That would be Helena Wayne, the adult daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.

The History of the Huntress

DC Comics

To explain this version of the Huntress, we need to go back to the Bronze Age of comics—roughly the ’70s and ’80s. During that period, the original World War II era DC heroes, the Justice Society of America, continued to live on the parallel world of Earth-Two. That includes the original Batman and all his friends and foes. Now relegated to their own separate Earths, they were allowed to age up. Batman got older and retired, Robin grew up, and Bruce Wayne eventually married Selina Kyle. The two had a daughter named Helena.

An adult Helena Wayne made her debut as a superhero in 1977. An old rival of her mother’s blackmails Selina into resuming a life of crime again as Catwoman; Selina does so and this eventually leads to her death. Helena decides to avenge her mother and starts a costumed heroic identity of her own as the Huntress. Even after bringing her mother’s blackmailer to justice, she continues her superhero career, following in her father’s footsteps. She partners with the adult Dick Grayson, who still goes by Robin. When Batman dies, she takes his place in the Justice Society.

The Death and Rebirth of Helena Wayne

DC Comics

Huntress was instantly popular and soon got her own series—of a sort. Huntress stories appeared as back ups in the pages of Wonder Woman. She heavily features in the the yearly Justice League/Justice Society crossovers as well. She even made a live-action debut years before more well known heroes in the ultra-cheesy television special Legends of the Super-Heroes. But in the mid-80s, DC decided to streamline their comics. That meant no more multiple versions of their main heroes. So Earth-Two was relegated to non-existence, and Huntress died helping to save the universe.

But of course, no one stays dead forever in comics. The Helena Wayne version of Huntress returned with a new Multiverse in the New 52 era of DC. And a few years prior to that, she appeared in live-action in the original Birds of Prey TV series. Only, in that series, she was Helena Kyle rather than Helena Wayne. Batman was still her father, but it’s not a fact she discovered until he died. Also, this version of Huntress inexplicably had super powers. But The Flash movie could give us the ultimate version of Huntress, as the daughter of the Burton-verse Dark Knight and Princess of Plunder.

Warner Bros.

Imagine how cool a Helena Wayne born from the union of Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman would be. In this reality, they both could have trained her to follow in their footsteps. Much like her original comics counterpart, Helena could struggle with the dark side of her personality she inherited from her mother. But unlike the comics, we wouldn’t kill off Selina or Bruce. Instead, they’d be mentors to Helena, and train her to be Gotham City’s new protector. They’d have big roles as her teachers as well as her parents.

The timeline for this scenario to play out fits perfectly. Batman Returns came out in 1992. If Bruce and Selina had a kid just a few years later, she’d be in her mid to late twenties now. All of this sounds like it would make for a great film, or a possible HBO Max series. Helena Wayne is a great character who deserves a return to the spotlight. And the Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer versions of Batman and Catwoman deserve their happy ending. Sometimes, the stars just line up for something like that to happen.

Featured Image: Warner Bros. / DC Comics

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After the release of Wonder Woman 1984 to theaters and HBO Max, Warner Bros. took no time at all announcing plans for the future of their DC Comics films and streaming series. And according to a New York Times profile on DC Films’ Walter Hamada, fans are getting a metric ton of new DC Comics inspired content. In fact, there were will be at least four theatrical DC films hitting theaters in 2022. And then two more films hitting HBO Max during the same year. And that’s in addition to DC-themed shows like Green Lantern and Peacemaker.

Yeah, it’s a lot. Dan Casey breaks this news down for us in today’s Nerdist News.

One of the biggest takeaways from this news is that Hamada is doubling down on the whole Multiverse angle.  A concept that has been prominent in the pages of DC Comics for decades. The upcoming Matt Reeves reboot of the Dark Knight in The Batman will take place on “Earth-2,” separate from the the “Earth-1” of the regular DCEU. And that Batman (Ben Affleck) will soon be replaced by the original Batman, Michael Keaton. An ambitious plan such as this might have been way too confusing for general audiences just ten years ago. Hamada trusts in modern audiences as sophisticated (and nerdy) enough to understand it.

Readers of the original article suffered some confusion due to the the fact that Hamada mentioned two cinematic Batmen. But luckily, the original author of the piece clarified things on social media. While Robert Pattinson will remain the solo movie Bruce Wayne in his own franchise (on its own parallel Earth), the other cinematic Caped Crusader will be part of ensemble movies which require his broody presence, like The Flash. Given his age, one of those projects for the Michael Keaton version should definitely be Batman Beyond though. Maybe as an HBO Max series?

DC Comics

As for the DC movies that are said to be “riskier,” and therefore going to HBO Max with a smaller budget, the names mentioned were Batgirl and Static Shock. Having the “riskier” projects name dropped as ones with a female and African-American leads is a wee bit concerning. With nothing confirmed though, it is possible we may yet see both heroes grace the big screen.

So what DC stories can fans expect to see on the big and small screens soon? 2021 brings James Gunn’s Suicide Squad and its HBO spin-off Peacemaker, not to mention a certain Snyder Cut. But the following year brings The Batman, the Gotham Central spin-off series, The Flash, Aquaman 2, Black Adam, and presumably the Green Lantern streaming series. 2023 brings Shazam: Fury of the Gods and possibly the third Wonder Woman film, Zeus willing. And there is still other DC projects in various forms of development, like and a New Gods film, and a Justice League Dark series. Although the status of those is a mystery.

All of these projects are in addition to the six DC-themed CW series on the air, as well as shows like Doom Patrol and Titans, which began on the DC Universe app. Hamada doesn’t seem to have influence over those series, so they didn’t get much of a mention when talking about his big DC plans. But long story short, the 2020s will have a treasure trove of DC Comics related content. Now, here’s hoping they mostly stick the landing. A Multiverse can get unwieldy. No one needs another Crisis on Infinite Earths event to streamline it all in ten years time, do they?

Featured Image: Warner Bros. 

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Before Tim Burton’s Batman came out, lots of fans were furious that the director had chosen then-predominantly-comedic actor Michael Keaton for the role of the Caped Crusader. Truly, complaints about Batman casting is Hollywood’s version of golf’s Masters tournament, “a tradition unlike any other.” But this old news clip featuring fans’ reactions to the film’s trailer serves as a wonderful reminder that not everyone was worried about his performance. And more than that, this video serves as a terrific time capsule for the era. Every time you think you’ve seen the most ridiculous late ’80s hairstyle or outfit possible, someone comes along with an even better look.

This old news segment, shared by the Twitter account RealE0C_Videos, features a reporter interviewing audience members who have just seen the trailer for Tim Burton’s first Batman film. Everyone seemed overwhelmingly positive about it, especially for the movie’s three stars: Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and Kim Basinger. Although there did seem to be a slight undercurrent of people thinking Keaton would be “adorable” in the role, as opposed to the great, moody Batman he was.

This seems to be the trailer they watched:

The reactions to the trailer aren’t even the best part of this video though. That goes to THE HAIRCUTS AND CLOTHES. Goodness gracious what a glorious video, which somehow features an actual clown in full makeup. And every time you think, “Okay, no one is topping this person’s look”—boom! A guy with a mullet wearing aviators and a tank top shows up. Perfect. Perfect.

You may have noticed how many people in the video focused primarily on how attractive the cast was. Has Batman ’89 always been a thirst trap? …Oh, the answer is “yes?” Okay! Fair enough!

Warner Bros.

Unlike some very wrong fans back in 1989, we have no complaints about anything related to Tim Burton’s Batman. Including the people who saw it in theaters.

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

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The collective jaws of DC fandom dropped with the announcement that Ben Affleck would return as Batman for the big screen Flash movie. Even more exciting: his Batman will appear alongside Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight. In the Vanity Fair article that dropped the news, director Andy Muschietti suggested that the world of Tim Burton’s Batman isn’t the only alternate Earth we’d see. Here’s what he had to say:

“This movie is a bit of a hinge in the sense that it presents a story that implies a unified universe where all the cinematic iterations that we’ve seen before are valid. It’s inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you’ve seen exists, and everything that you will see exists, in the same unified multiverse.”

This quote suggests that we’ll see more than just one alternate DC Earth in the film. While I think it’s likely that only Keaton’s Batman will play a larger role in the narrative, the Flash film could rival last year’s CW Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover for sheer amount of DC live-action cameos. Down below are seven we’d love to see the most.

The Arrowverse Flash

The CW

The most likely DC live-action universe to appear would have to be that of the CW’s Arrowverse. And who better to represent the six CW DC-based shows than Grant Gustin as the Flash? After all, Ezra Miller and Gustin’s Flashes already met once in Crisis on Infinite Earths, establishing the big screen DCEU as part of a larger Multiverse. I’d say it’s time for a reunion. Besides, after seven seasons playing the Scarlet Speedster on TV, it is only fair to Gustin that he make some kind of contribution to any cinematic Flash endeavor.

The 1990s Flash

Warner Bros.

If Grant Gustin’s Flash gets to show up, then I think that the original live-action version of Barry Allen should too. I’m talking about John Wesley Shipp, who played him for one season of The Flash TV series in 1990-91. Now, fans who watched the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover last year know that Shipp’s version of the Flash died saving the Multiverse. However, a new Multiverse reformed after the events of Crisis, meaning another version of 1990 Flash may exist out there somewhere. If Grant Gustin shows up, we think Shipp should too.

The ’70s Wonder Woman

Warner Bros.

Speaking of Crisis on Infinite Earths, that TV crossover made reference to almost every single DC Comics-based TV series. From Batman ’66 to the 2002 Birds of Prey, almost everything got a shout-out… with the big exception of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman. Word was they were saving Carter’s Wonder Woman for something bigger. Could it this upcoming Flash film give Carter the chance to twirl her lasso like it’s 1977? We’ll forgive her not being in Crisis if she gets a big screen appearance in The Flash!

Richard Donner’s Superman

The CW

Richer Donner’s Superman: The Movie started it all back in 1978, so some kind of nod to that film should be in order. Obviously, Christopher Reeve is no longer with us, and we hope Warner Bros. isn’t tempted to bring back Reeve as Kal-El via CGI.  They have a solution staring them in the kisser: Brandon Routh played an older version of the Donner-verse Man of Steel already in Superman Returns.

Last year he reprised that role in last year’s CW Crisis on Infinite Earths event. That storyline explains how Superman became a darker version of the character based on the comic book series Kingdom Come. As the Multiverse is reformed at the end of the crossover, Routh’s Superman is seen again, smiling and wearing his traditional colors. Let’s see that version of Superman—complete with John Williams’ music—make an appearance in The Flash. Fans would lose their minds.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman

Warner Bros.

It’s highly doubtful that Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy will get heavily referenced in The Flash, or that Christian Bale would make any kind of cameo. Bale seems very done with playing Batman, having once said that he felt that The Dark Knight Rises was a perfect ending for his iteration of Bruce Wayne. Nevertheless, the final movie in the Nolan saga did set up Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character to take over as Gotham’s new Batman. So why not fulfill that promise and give us a JGL cameo as the Caped Crusader of his own universe?

The Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern

Warner Bros.

As we’ve seen from Deadpool 2 and his own social media account, Ryan Reynolds has no problem poking fun at his big movie bomb Green Lantern. Based on how good-natured he is about it all, we think he’d hop on board for a cameo as Hal Jordan if it offered another opportunity to be self-deprecating about the whole experience. Just please, whatever they wind up doing, make that CGI costume looks better than it did in the actual Green Lantern film.

Joel Schumacher’s Batman

Warner Bros.

Like Ryan Reynolds, George Clooney has had no trouble making fun of the fact that his take on the Dark Knight in 1997’s Batman and Robin buried that franchise for years. Seeing as how he has a good sense of humor about it all, why not show up for a brief appearance as the Shchumacher-verse version of the Dark Knight? Or should that be the “Bright Knight”? And while we’re at it, bring along Chris O’Donnell as an older Robin. We’re pretty sure audiences would get a huge kick out of this.

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

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The saga of Batfleck is never ending! Even though there’s already a new Batman movie in the works in a completely different movie continuity, it appears Warner Bros. and DC are truly not finished with characters from the so-called Snyder-Verse. The long (some would say too long) gestating movie starring Ezra Miller’s version of the Flash is finally taking shape with It director Andy Muschietti. Earlier talk had Michael Keaton returning to the role of Bruce Wayne for the movie; now Vanity Fair has confirmed Ben Affleck, who played the character in three movies to date, will play an important role as well.

Warner Bros.

As has always been the talk, The Flash will be an adaptation of 2011’s DC Comics event series Flashpoint which saw Barry Allen meddle with the time-space continuum and encounter different versions of characters we know. There was a scene foreshadowing this eventuality in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; I’m told by many experts that 2016 was only four years ago. At any rate, Muschietti told VF that Affleck’s Bruce Wayne will play a key figure in the Flash movie.

“He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie. The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before,” the director added. “It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in.”

Muschietti also says in the piece that for the movie to have resonance for Barry, this Barry, the connection would need to be with Affleck’s Batman. After all, they’re the ones who had the rapport in Justice League and, “He’s the baseline,” the director said. “He’s part of that unaltered state before we jump into Barry’s adventure. There’s a familiarity there.”

Warner Bros

The director also confirmed Michael Keaton will also appear in the movie. This will not only play with the DC timeline but also the multiverse. The CW series did this during its “Crisis” event last year. Muschietti says Keaton’s role will also be “substantial,” which has us guessing The Flash could be a fan-servicey movie. But we’re pretty okay with it.

Featured Image: Warner Bros

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

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With the DC FanDome event coming up, many fans are wondering if there will be a secret announcement for a new Justice League project of some sort. A continuation of Zack Snyder’s Justice League? An animated revival? Well, here’s one Justice League project that it won’t be, but we desperately wish had been. A DC fan and YouTuber named AListProductions has created a trailer for the Justice League movie that never was, “hitting theaters in the summer of 1993!”

This fantasy JLA movie has the Joker (Jack Nicholson) teaming up with Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), and Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Michael Keaton’s Batman, and TV’s Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter) and Flash (John Wesley Shipp) team up to stop their deadly plans. You can check out the full trailer down below:

There are a bunch of great touches in this trailer. The start of it blends John Williams’ iconic Superman: The Movie theme with Danny Elfman’s theme from Batman. Which, in our humble opinion, are still the two best superhero movie themes of all time. Also, the old Warner Brothers logo inclusion is a wonderful little detail. Even if that logo was already out of use by 1993, nevertheless the vibe feels right.

AListProductions

Sadly, back in the day, none of the studios would have thought to make a superhero team up movie like this. But thanks to this fan made trailer, we can’t help but wonder what could have been. If only there had been some forward thinking thinking Warner Brothers exec. One who had pulled out all the stops, and called Christopher Reeve and Lynda Carter out of capes and tights retirement. A brilliant person who’d team them up with Batman. It might have given Jurassic Park a run for its money in 1993. Or, at the very least, made more money than Last Action Hero did!

Featured Image: AListProductions

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With news of Michael Keaton reportedly in talks to return as Batman for the upcoming Flash movie, an exciting new world of possibilities seem to be opening up for the DC Cinematic Universe. Dan breaks down all the details in today’s Nerdist News.

What other DC characters would you like to see appear in the Flash? Let us know in the comments!

The post How Michael Keaton’s Batman Will Reunite the DC Cinematic Universe! (Nerdist News w/ Dan Casey) appeared first on Nerdist.

Looks like the best Bruce Wayne is heading back into the DC Universe. After a stint in the MCU as the Vulture, The Wrap reports  Michael Keaton might be reprising his role as Batman in the upcoming Flash movie. And we are stoked to report that Warner Bros. have confirmed this to Nerdist.

Warner Bros.

According to report which has now been picked up by multiple other sites including /Film and THR, Keaton is in talks to return to the cape and cowl in Andy Muschietti’s long-awaited Flash movie. The Wrap reveals that the “plot will introduce general audiences to the idea of the multiverse, one of the core concepts underpinning DC Comics. For the non fanboy set, the multiverse refers to a shifting number of alternate universes that coexist within the larger reality depicted in DC comics.” This won’t be too surprising to anyone who watched the recent Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event on The CW which focused heavily on the concept of the Multiverse and even featured Ezra Miller in a cameo that tied the movie and TV worlds together.

Warner Bros. 

So if this comes to pass then what could Keaton’s return look like in a narrative sense? Well, the obvious angle here is the Flashpoint comics event which imagined a world where Thomas Wayne never died and instead became Batman. That has long been something fans have been keen to see seeing as Jeffery Dean Morgan is the Thomas Wayne in current continuity. It’s likely he could return to play the vicious vigilante, and perhaps the Flash has to find other Batmen to stop him? That could be a smart way to pull Keaton into the role once again.

Batman Beyond is the smart Bat-fan’s bet if  this is a multiple movie proposition. The new Flash movie could be a way to re-introduce Keaton as a retired Batman before spinning him off into his own film. In a dystopian future a retired Batman recruits a young man to take on the mantle. A live-action Batman Beyond film with Keaton reprising his role seems almost too good to be true, but at this point anything is possible. The fact that Keaton is in talks at all is incredibly exciting and we can’t wait to see what happens next!

Header Image: Warner Bros. 

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Although Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was Tim Burton’s first feature film, his second outing is what really defined the whole Burton aesthetic to the general public. I’m speaking, of course, about Beetlejuice, one of the greatest supernatural comedies of all time. Now, a Beetlejuice super fan has created a documentary chronicling the making of this classic comedy, with Documentary for the Recently Deceased: The Making of Beetlejuice. And they’ve just released a new teaser for the doc, which goes into the location shooting in the small town of East Corinth, Vermont.

You can check it out down below:

The film was directed by Fred China, a French filmmaker and  die-hard fan of Tim Burton’s “ghost with the most.”  He teamed up with producer Adam F. Goldberg (The Goldbergs) and Lee Leshen, who produced the Back to the Future documentary Back in Time, as well as the Ghostbusters doc called Ghostheads. Just like those feature length documentaries, this one is also being brought to life with help from the fans, via a Kickstarter campaign.

Fred China / Warner Brothers

Documentary for the Recently Deceased will cover all the aspects of the making of Beetlejuice, from shooting the film in Vermont, to all the stop motion and special effects work, along with several interviews and rare behind the scenes archives acquired by China over the last several decades. China has already met and interviewed several prominent folks involved with the production, although whether or not he was able to get any cast members or Burton to participate remains a mystery. However, the Kickstarter page has promised a few surprise interviews. Here’s hoping that means we get interviews with Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and maybe Burton himself.

Documentary for the Recently Deceased is the latest in a long line of crowd-funded, fan produced documentaries made about iconic movies. In the early days of DVD, the studios themselves poured time, energy, and money into making great behind-the-scenes docs about classic films. But as the physical media market has shrunken down, the studios no longer bother with this sort of thing. Luckily, the fans have picked up the slack. And this is looking to be another great entry in that library.

Documentary for the Recently Deceased doesn’t have a release date yet. However, filmmakers are the aiming for a December release.

Featured Image: Warner Brothers

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This is a big anniversary year for DC Comics’ Dark Knight. Not only does Batman turn 80 years old, but it’s also the thirtieth birthday of the Tim Burton 1989 blockbuster Batman. And that little film then launched the character into perennial movie stardom. Of course, one of the most iconic elements of the original Batman film is its Batmobile, which roared through the streets of Gotham City with a sleek, Art Deco design.

Now, that film’s Batmobile is coming to life as an all-new LEGO collector’s set which will blow your mind. The new set arrives at LEGO Retail Stores and LEGO.com on November 29. Appropriately enough for Batman, this new set launches on Black Friday. Although for Bruce Wayne, every Friday is a black one. And all the other days of the week too.

LEGO / DC Comics

The 1989 big screen Batmobile is built from over 3,300 pieces, and measures over 23” (60cm) long and sits on a rotating display plate. The sleek design makes this set a highly rewarding build that is perfect for displaying in the home of any Batman aficionado. This LEGO set includes three new-for-2019 minifigures based on characters from the film. Of course, there’s Michael Keaton’s version of the Dark Knight, who sports a new and unique cape. Then there’s Jack Nicholson’s iteration of the Joker, with a new face and torso decoration. And Gotham Gazette photographer Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) is also on hand, featuring a brand new torso and legs.

LEGO / DC Comics

The Tim Burton big screen Batmobile comes with a new-for-2019 wraparound windshield element and decorative grappling hooks on both sides of the vehicle. Place the Batman minifigure into the car by opening the slide-open cockpit before turning the car’s turbine exhaust to make the two machine guns hidden under the hood pop up. The Batmobile also comes with detailed Bat emblems on the wheel trim and a set of specially designed tires for the front wheels.

LEGO / DC Comics

There have been many live-action Batmobiles going back over fifty years, to the time of Adam West’s reconfigured Lincoln Futura from the Batman ’66 TV series. Then of course there was the Alien inspired car from Batman Forever, and Christopher Nolan’s tank version, better known as “the Tumbler.” But for my money, the coolest of all the cinematic Batmobiles is the one from the pair of Tim Burton films. It’s simply the sleekest and most Gothic of all of them, and no big screen Bat ride has ever come close to matching its coolness.

Although the coolest of all the Batmobiles is still the one from the early ’90s Batman: The Animated Series, but in terms of live-action ones, the prize goes to designer Anton Furst’s version.

LEGO / DC Comics

The 1989 Batmobile is launching as part of LEGO Black Friday events and those who purchase the set between November 29th and December 5th will receive an exclusive mini replica of the original model as a free gift available in limited quantities. This new Batmobile will set you back  $249.99 US, and  $299.99 Canadian. For more images of this awesome collector’s LEGO set, check out our images in the gallery below.

The new LEGO version of the Tim Burton Batmobile from the 1989 film

LEGO / DC Comics

The limited edition version of the new LEGO Batmobile

LEGO / DC Comics

Minifigures for Vicki Vale, Batman, and the Joker.

LEGO / DC Comics

Batmobile cockpit

LEGO / DC Comics

Back view of the LEGO Batmobile

LEGO / DC Comics

The LEGO 1989 Batmobile's custom Bat-tires

LEGO / DC Comics

Side view of the new LEGO 1989 Batmobile

LEGO / DC Comics

The back view of the Batmobile LEGO build with erupting flames coming out of the back.

LEGO / DC Comics

LEGO minifigure of Michael Keaton's Batman

LEGO / DC Comics

LEGO minifigure of Jack Nicholson's version of the Joker, aka Jack Napier

LEGO / DC Comics

The new LEGO Batmobile collector's build, along with minifigures of Batman, the Joker, and Vicki Vale

LEGO / DC Comics

The box art for the new LEGO version of the Tim Burton Batmobile from the 1989 film.

LEGO / DC Comics

Images: LEGO / DC Comics

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Coming straight from Tim Burton’s 1989 ground breaking film, Batman officially joins the Mezco Designer Series. The MDS Deluxe 1989 Batman stands approximately 6” tall and features 12 points of articulation, and features an oversized head. It comes packaged in a window box, perfect for display. He also  features an all-new movable eye function, so he can give the bad guys his legendary side-eye glance!

Equipped complete with his trusty Batarang and grappling gun, as well as 6 interchangeable hands, the Mezco Designer Series Batman includes a posable leather-like cape so he can recreate many dynamic poses from the film. You can check out several images of the new (and frankly adorable) figure down below.

This year marks thirty years since Michael Keaton first donned the cape and cowl of the Dark Knight in Tim Burton’s Batman, changing superhero cinema forever. And although there have been many great cinematic Caped Crusaders since 1989, for many fans no one can truly top Michael Keaton’s original portrayal of Bruce Wayne. He should even play older Bruce in a Batman Beyond movie! Now for all the hardcore fans of the first cinematic Batman, Mezco Toyz are giving them their due.  This rendition of the Dark Knight is a true, adorable treat.

Now that we’re getting a 6″ version of Bat-Keaton, here’s hoping that Mezco Toyz gives us similar iterations of Jack Nicholson’s Joker, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, and Danny De Vito’s Penguin to complete the Tim Burton era Batman characters. Heck, throw in Jim Carrey’s Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face while you’re at it. We don’t think that lil’ Keaton Bats deserves to sit on the shelf alone with that signature pout! He needs his iconic rogue’s gallery with him!

You can pre-order the MDS Deluxe Batman for $38 at this link. It is expected to ship from Dec of this year to February of 2020.

Images: Mezco Toyz

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By the time I found myself prepping for an evening viewing of Disney’s live-action Dumbo remake, most of my standing curiosities about the movie—how Burtony will Tim Burton get with this one? How buck-wild will Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton go? How likely is it that they actually do “Pink Elephants on Parade”?—had effectively been drowned out by one reverberating question: How much will I cry?

If you’re like me, you’ve come to terms with the fact that crying at least a few tears at a Dumbo remake is an inevitability. I can promise you that Burton’s firmly maudlin take on the animated classic will earn a couple of sniffles. I may have had to choke back a whimper the moment you catch sight of the innocent newborn elephant’s Disney-grade baby blues, and again at the eventual separation of the sweet li’l fella and his loving mama. But that Dumbo didn’t leave me a blubbering mess seems like a shortcoming. If the legacy of the original was in any way factored into the appeal of a remake, the studio must’ve been hoping to smudge some mascara.

So why then, even as the get-’em-sobbing moments struck all my most sensitive nerve endings—cute animals, mom-and-child stuff, the pangs of being a social outcast—did Dumbo fall shy of undoing the past six months of CBT? Ultimately, that does come back down to how my other curiosities were satisfied.

Surrounding Baby Dumbo is a cast of characters as starkly hit-or-miss as your standard gallery of circus acts. We’ll start with the high points: Danny DeVito, doing a sweeter variant of the very same scrappy blowhard shtick on which he founded his career, is a joy to watch without exception. His second-rate circus ringleader is not totally bright, not totally honest, and not at all without a soft spot that he’s ever eager to keep concealed. He is by far the best thing Burton’s human race has to offer, which is a failing only in that the lion’s share of the emotional narrative is shouldered elsewhere.

Namely, the Farrier family (Colin Farrell and young Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins): a good-hearted clan who are programmed by the script to be serious to a fault. Surrounded by brighter performances by DeVito, Eva Green (as an acerbic French acrobat), Alan Arkin (as a big time investor who wants a circus but settles for a hotdog), and Michael Keaton (who is doing a whole thing here that is far too much to limit to parenthetical), the Farriers wind up being a part of the movie to deal with until something more fun comes along. But then there’s the other end of that spectrum: Keaton, who, as millionaire entertainer V. A. Vandevere, is so off the wall that even his pronunciation of words like “protégé” and “schedule” are downright jostling.

The film by and large hits Farrier-grade dourness and Vandevere-level mania, never quite finding true peace with either extreme. Human-exclusive material doesn’t have the narrative weight to warrant its tone, and the absolute mayhem of the film’s largest set pieces seem like Burton indulging his wishes for a different film altogether. And at the bizarre nexus of these moods is an all-bubbles version of “Pink Elephants on Parade.” For the life of me, I didn’t know what to do with myself during.

Overall, Dumbo seems to be bouncing between a series of polarities. It’s never quite sure how sad or happy it must be, nor how lifelike or cartoonish, nor how beholden to or independent from its forebear. But chaos theory allows that it does hit some positive marks amid this cataclysm. The sweetest are generally anchored to Dumbo himself; the most joyful to DeVito. And let it be said that when the little elephant flies, it can be genuinely thrilling. So yes, be they happy or sad, a few tears are bound to find you upon your reunion with Dumbo. Adjust your eyeliner accordingly.

2.5 out of 5

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It’s been 27 years since Danny DeVito and Tim Burton first collaborated together, on 1992’s Batman Returns and 16 years since their most recent team-up on Big Fish in 2003, but if you ask DeVito what it feels like to return to another film with the director, you get the sense that almost no time has passed. “It’s always the same. It feels like we don’t see each other for a really long time, and then you just pick up. He’s that kind of friend.”

Nerdist, along with a small group of other journalists, had the chance to sit down with DeVito on the set of Burton’s latest directorial effort, a live-action version of Disney’s classic film Dumbo, where the actor discussed how it felt to reunite with his longtime associate on his latest project how it felt to finally be the “good guy” against co-star Michael Keaton for a change.

In this version of Dumbo, set in 1919, DeVito plays Max Medici, the ringmaster and owner of a humble circus who finds himself desperate to keep his business — and his livelihood — afloat. In a last-ditch effort to attract more ticket-buyers, he decides to purchase an elephant for his new act, not realizing that she’s pregnant, or that her baby will change everything. “He has a big pressure, in the beginning, to keep the circus alive, because it was a very, very tough time. They were fading, the little circuses, because all the big ones were taking over. We get a windfall when I buy Mrs. Jumbo.”

According to DeVito, when Burton called him up to ask him to be in the film, he referred to it as “the completion of the circus trilogy.” Direct lines connect Medici and Big Fish‘s ringmaster Amos Calloway, and even the Penguin to some extent. But DeVito told us that Medici is still different than the other circus-themed characters he’s played for Burton in the past. “He’s a showman. He’s like a Barnum. He’s not as slick and maybe not as savvy, but he’s a showman. He’s a barker. He’s a guy who wants to get people in and have a good time and enjoy themselves.”

Burton wasn’t the only person DeVito’s reunited with for this project, however. Dumbo also gave him the opportunity to act against his former Batman Returns co-star Michael Keaton, albeit with the roles largely reversed this time around: it’s a fact DeVito couldn’t help but note with some personal relish when asked about it. “It’s really fun that Michael’s here and it’s also very interesting. We’ve done a couple of movies together, Michael and I, but the last movie with Tim and Michael and I, of course, we were both in suits, right? I was in the penguin suit, he was in the Batman suit. He was playing the good guy in that movie. I’m the good guy in this movie. So it’s a little bit of an evolution here.”

Ultimately, it was clear from our conversation with DeVito that whenever Burton asks him to lend his talents to another project, he’ll say yes without hesitation. “I love Tim and I would do anything to be in a movie with him. But what are we going to do next? Who knows? Something really weird. Really. That’s an understatement.”

Dumbo is currently slated for a U.S. release on March 29.

Images: Disney

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It’s been 27 years since Danny DeVito and Tim Burton first collaborated together, on 1992’s Batman Returns and 16 years since their most recent team-up on Big Fish in 2003, but if you ask DeVito what it feels like to return to another film with the director, you get the sense that almost no time has passed. “It’s always the same. It feels like we don’t see each other for a really long time, and then you just pick up. He’s that kind of friend.”Nerdist, along with a small group of other journalists, had the chance to sit down with DeVito on the set of Burton’s latest directorial effort, a live-action version of Disney’s classic film Dumbo, where the actor discussed how it felt to reunite with his longtime associate on his latest project how it felt to finally be the “good guy” against co-star Michael Keaton for a change.In this version of Dumbo, set in 1919, DeVito plays Max Medici, the ringmaster and owner of a humble circus who finds himself desperate to keep his business — and his livelihood — afloat. In a last-ditch effort to attract more ticket-buyers, he decides to purchase an elephant for his new act, not realizing that she’s pregnant, or that her baby will change everything. “He has a big pressure, in the beginning, to keep the circus alive, because it was a very, very tough time. They were fading, the little circuses, because all the big ones were taking over. We get a windfall when I buy Mrs. Jumbo.”According to DeVito, when Burton called him up to ask him to be in the film, he referred to it as “the completion of the circus trilogy.” Direct lines connect Medici and Big Fish‘s ringmaster Amos Calloway, and even the Penguin to some extent. But DeVito told us that Medici is still different than the other circus-themed characters he’s played for Burton in the past. “He’s a showman. He’s like a Barnum. He’s not as slick and maybe not as savvy, but he’s a showman. He’s a barker. He’s a guy who wants to get people in and have a good time and enjoy themselves.”Burton wasn’t the only person DeVito’s reunited with for this project, however. Dumbo also gave him the opportunity to act against his former Batman Returns co-star Michael Keaton, albeit with the roles largely reversed this time around: it’s a fact DeVito couldn’t help but note with some personal relish when asked about it. “It’s really fun that Michael’s here and it’s also very interesting. We’ve done a couple of movies together, Michael and I, but the last movie with Tim and Michael and I, of course, we were both in suits, right? I was in the penguin suit, he was in the Batman suit. He was playing the good guy in that movie. I’m the good guy in this movie. So it’s a little bit of an evolution here.”Ultimately, it was clear from our conversation with DeVito that whenever Burton asks him to lend his talents to another project, he’ll say yes without hesitation. “I love Tim and I would do anything to be in a movie with him. But what are we going to do next? Who knows? Something really weird. Really. That’s an understatement.”Dumbo is currently slated for a U.S. release on March 29.

Images: Disney

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Two decades ago Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, and Paul Dini had the unenviable task of following a network mandate about making a “teenage Batman cartoon show” called Batman Beyond. They decided to think outside the box, making a follow up to their already classic Batman: The Animated Series, but setting in a neo-noir future, with a teenage boy named Terry McGinnis taking up the mantle of the Dark Knight from an elderly, embittered Bruce Wayne.What sounded dubious on paper ended up being amazing. Batman Beyond was relatively short-lived, but it certainly has remained in the hearts and minds of Batman fans all this time, to the point where DC Comics has made the character a staple of the comics lore as well. But on this, the 20th anniversary of Batman Beyond‘s series premiere, we are going to make the case for why it would make for a truly schway live-action Batman movie (schway means”cool” in future Gotham slang, by the way.)

A Big Superhero Film Set In The Future

In this modern age of superhero blockbusters, we have seen the early years of many superheroes, from Batman to Spidey and everyone in between. But we’ve never visited any of these iconic heroes in the future, seeing how they fared after it was time to hang up their capes, with the exception of Logan, which feels more like an alternate present. Batman Beyond can do what no other live-action superhero film has done before, giving us a version of an iconic hero in their twilight years, and set in a high tech future world we’ve never experienced before. And, of course, we believe Michael Keaton should definitely play Old Man Bruce.

A Legacy Superhero For The Big Screen

When Batman Beyond premiered, a lot of fans were skeptical, as Batman had never really been a “legacy” character in his 60 year history, unlike Flash or Green Lantern. Batman was always Bruce Wayne. But Batman Beyond proved it could work, with teenage Terry McGinnis showing he had what it takes to stand on his own. Into the Spider-Verse did it as an animated movie, but Batman Beyond could do it in live-action. It could also be an opportunity to give us a diversely cast Batman movie for the first time, as who is to say Terry isn’t of Latin descent, or Asian, or mixed race?

The Ultimate Mash-Up Hero

Whether he was created to be this way or not, it turns out Batman Beyond is maybe the ultimate mash-up superhero. He’s part Batman (obviously), but also all his teenage problems and foibles make him like Spider-Man too. Thrown in the high tech suit of armor and the corporate intrigue, and it’s Iron Man as well. Who wouldn’t want to see those three iconic heroes melded into one cool package in live-action?

A Memorable Electronic Score

While there have been many great superhero movies in the past several years, their musical scores have not been that memorable. But one of the coolest scores of the past decade was the futuristic sounding electronic score by Daft Punk for TRON: Legacy, a score that is way better than the movie itself, in my opinion. Just on a musical level, a futuristic electronic score like that one could make Batman Beyond sound like no other superhero movie out there. Actually, we say go ahead and just hire Daft Punk to do it.Batman Beyond is a fresh take on a familiar character, and has a fresh roster of villains to bring to the screen. We don’t need any other versions of the Joker or Two-Face, but we’d kill to see Blight or Inque on the big screen. It might be just the thing DC needs to do to breathe some life into its Batman films without having to go back to the Frank Miller well again.

Images: Warner Brothers / Marvel Studios 

The post Why BATMAN BEYOND Should Be The Next Live-Action Dark Knight appeared first on Nerdist.

We are fully prepared for Disney‘s live-action Dumbo to leave us blubbering messes. We didn’t make it out of the last trailer with dry eyes, not when Sad Dumbo broke our hearts. The newest look at the film though doesn’t have us shedding any tears though, because there’s nothing upsetting about the film’s great new character posters. They have us smiling because we’re already excited about all the great future Dumbo cosplay the move is going to give us.

New character posters for #Dumbo pic.twitter.com/HPpIUZhCuw

— مشاعل🎥🎬 (@MashaelF94) January 4, 2019

EW shared these new character images, which gives us maybe our best, most adorable look at the lovable big-eared elephant at the center of the story. And the other posters might be even better, because they feature the film’s biggest stars looking very stylish, like Colin Farrell as Holt Farrier.

EntertainmentWeekly unveils character posters for live-action movie DUMBO • In theatres March 2019 • Picture (c) EW pic.twitter.com/mPsSLrPZLv

— Colin Farrell ⟠GER (@CFarrellGermany) January 4, 2019

Honestly, we’re not sure how much we’re going to be able to hate Michael Keaton’s V.A. Vandevere when he looks this good.

Michael Keaton in #Dumbo is definitely my 2019 mood. pic.twitter.com/9Civ8rwE49

— Heather Concannon (@hmmconcannon) January 4, 2019

Gonna need those glasses. And that hair.However, his isn’t even the best costume to be found in the group. That goes to Eva Green’s star of the Dreamland circus, Colette Marchant.

Dear Colette Marchant… 😍💙 #Dumbo pic.twitter.com/eB77mL6CyK

— Fille de L’eau ♠ (@Choukette_S) January 4, 2019

And in maybe the most perfect casting ever, which is probably why Tim Burton has now done it twice (Big Fish being the first), Danny DeVito is rocking his Ringmaster look as Max Medici, owner of Medici Bros. circus.

New #Dumbo Posters! @EW pic.twitter.com/42MLhLDpXe

— GoodOrBad (@GoodBadOfficial) January 4, 2019

We’re still pretty sure the movie is going to make us cry, but at least it’s going to look fashionable when it does.

Featured Image: Disney

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The latest classic animated Disney film getting the “live-action” treatment is the Mouse House’s 1941 classic Dumbo, this time directed by Tim Burton with a score by Danny Elfman. Although fans were skeptical when it was announced, based on the decidedly mixed reaction that Burton’s Alice in Wonderland received several years ago, the emotional first teaser trailer gave just about everyone the feels. Folks seem to be genuinely excited for this new take on everyone’s favorite flying elephant.Now, a new trailer has dropped, giving us a more expansive glimpse into Dumbo’s colorful circus world.

The new Dumbo will have Burton working with many of his favorite collaborators: Eva Green, who appeared in both Dark Shadows and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and both Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito in something of a Batman Returns reunion (too bad they couldn’t find a part for Michelle Pfeiffer). Working with Burton for the first time is Colin Farrell, who plays a war veteran and former circus star whose two children befriend Dumbo.Dumbo is the latest in a very successful line of live-action adaptations of animated classics, which has become as sure-fire a brand for Disney as Star Wars or Marvel. 2019 sees not only the release of Dumbo, but also the live-action adaptations of Aladdin and The Lion King. And there are definitely more in the pipeline, as plans have been announced for Mulan, The Little Mermaid, and several others. This train isn’t slowing down anytime soon, folks.You can view several newly released images from the film down below in our gallery:What did you think of the latest trailer for Dumbo? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Walt Disney Company

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On March 30th, 1988 Tim Burton’s masterpiece Beetlejuice, starring Michael Keaton as the “Ghost with the Most,” was summoned to theaters. Thirty years later the film is just as original and inventive as the day it was released. A big reason why is its wholly unique depiction of the afterlife, where rather than becoming angels or demons in Heaven or Hell, the dead must roam Earth for a period of time, exactly as they were the moment they died. And based on the movie’s amazing netherworld waiting room scenes that can mean a very uncomfortable post-life existence.

So to celebrate three decades of our favorite bio-exorcist, we’re ranking the dead characters who met untimely deaths to determine who had it the worst. That means we’re less concerned with how much they suffered during their death and more about how uncomfortable it made them after. We’re not worried about their spot on the waiting list though, because what’s the rush? Seriously, don’t steal someone’s ticket unless you’re looking for a new look.

CAUSE OF DEATH UNKNOWN

There are three characters seen in the waiting room whose cause of death aren’t obvious so they can’t be accurately ranked.

Witch Doctor

The Witch Doctor who shrinks Beetlejuice’s head for taking his spot in line doesn’t show any signs of how he died, which means it might not have been too bad other than he seems relatively young. He doesn’t have to deal with any major hindrances, unless he regrets his large headdress.

The Preacher

Seated next to the Magician’s Assistant, there are no clues about his cause of death. His purple skin could have something to do with how long he has been deceased rather than how he died (choking?), but that’s unclear. His clothes seem relatively comfortable, and his biggest issue is an eternity with that awful haircut, so he’s in great shape other than realizing his life’s work might have been a total waste.

The Green Man

In trying to figure out this alien-looking character’s death we thought maybe his green skin was a hint. Um….maybe don’t Google “gangrene.” (Trust us. Trust. Us.) Some kinds of anemia can cause a person’s skin to turn that color, but that might be a stretch. There’s some sort of weird black thing resembling a hand or monster sticking out of his chest, but we can’t be sure what it is. Out of the three unknown deaths he seems to have had it the worst.  We can pretend that when he died he was wearing the mask from the Jim Carrey movie.

PRETTY GOOD FOR DEAD

Barbara and Adam Maitland

Cause of Death: Drowning after a car crash
Suffering: They were likely unconscious when they drowned, so very little.
Afterlife Status: We’re including them only to point something out–look at these two whiny dead babies! They look totally normal, they are wearing their favorite clothes, and their skin hasn’t even started turning a weird color yet. Who has it better than these two? I’m alive right now and I don’t look this good.

Juno

Cause of death: Lung cancer?
Suffering: Likely extensive.
Afterlife Status: Her clothing seems to reflect her new career as a dead case worker rather than what she probably had on when she died, so she’s looking stylish. The slit in her throat, from where she seems to have had a laryngectomy in life, doesn’t stop her from speaking normally now, nor does it stop her from smoking. She exhales through her neck, but that actually looks badass. Overall not a bad situation, other than having to deal with incompetent dead idiots who allow themselves to be photographed and lose their damn handbook!

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED…

Chicken Bone Man

Cause of death: Choking on a chicken bone at a chicken restaurant
Suffering: Short but terrible.
Afterlife Status: He’s dressed for a night out which isn’t that bad (you’re always better off being overdressed than under), but he is forced to wear a bib, which isn’t a great look. Oh, yeah, and he has a massive chicken bone sticking sideways in his throat. But when you’re dead that probably looks much worse than it is, and he can get around easily. Not to mention, he doesn’t have to worry about telling the story about how he died over and over again.

The Football Players

Cause of Death: Bus crash that killed the entire team
Suffering: They are severely cut up and mangled, so it was probably gruesome and awful, though it appears they died quickly since they still have all their equipment on rather than hospital gowns.
Afterlife Status: They are stuck wearing all their gear which is a bummer because taking off your pads after a tough game feels amazing. While initially clueless, they finally figure out what really happened to them, leading to one of the best, most hilarious lines in the film: “I don’t think we survived that crash.”

Open-Heart Surgery Guy

Cause of death: Died during heart surgery
Suffering: None during the fatal operation, since he would have been under anesthesia. Prior to surgery it might have been tough.
Afterlife Status: A big gaping wound in your chest isn’t great, but it isn’t nearly as bad being stuck in a hospital johnny. Those are always awful, they never stay shut, and you always feel naked. Oh, and you know how people say, “Wear clean underwear in case you are in a car accident?” because people are weird? That would appear to have less to do with the paramedics seeing your dirty drawers and more about having them on full display when you’re dead.

ETERNALLY ANNOYED

Sleeping Bag-Rattlesnake Lady

Cause of death: Bitten by a rattlesnake in her sleeping bag
Suffering: Bad. Really bad.
Afterlife Status: As if the shock of being bitten by a venomous snake in your sleep isn’t terrible enough, it means your hair stands straight up after you die, you are stuck living in your sleeping bag, and the freaking rattlesnake who killed you gets to hang out there too. Imagine what it would be like to do a potato sack race for an hour. How awful would it be to have to do it all the time?

Magician’s Assistant Sawed-in-Half

Cause of death: Accidentally (hopefully) cut in half by a magician who definitely heard from OSHA
Suffering: Brutal and careless.
Afterlife Status: Literally split in two. How does she get around? Can she place her top half on her legs? How easily can she stay together like that? Can her legs just go off when they want, turning her into a stump with a face? That’s all terrible, but she’s also dressed like a magician’s assistant. There’s a reason those costumes are so flashy–they only work on a stage.

(Question: Was she was murdered? She was murdered, right? If you get murdered you should get some perks in death, you shouldn’t also suffer because the magician was jealous the audience liked you more than him.)

Harry the Hunter

Cause of death: Measles….or the Witch Hunter shrunk his head
Suffering: Yes.
Afterlife Status: The good news is he can get around, he’s wearing clothes he likes, and he can even hunt if he likes. The bad news is he’s got a head the size of a lemon, he can’t speak, and it’s hard to be around him. He’s maybe the funniest looking character in the netherworld, and even among the dead he stands out as weird.

WORSE THAN DEATH

Char Man

Cause of death: Burned live, possibly after smoking in bed.
Suffering: When you hold your hand over a candle it hurts, so burning alive probably suuuuuucks.
Afterlife Status: Some people just never learn, but I guess there’s no reason for him to stop smoking now. What’s it gonna do? Kill him? This guy looks…..it’s not great. The only thing he has going for him is he can walk around, and he doesn’t need clothes since anything he’d want to cover up burned away.

Scuba Diver (and Shark)

Cause of death: Looks like a shark bite
Suffering: There’s a reason Jaws is terrifying.
Afterlife Status: It would be bad enough to die while scuba diving and then having to wear a bathing suit and carry a tank with you after, but look at that photo carefully. He killed the shark by stabbing it in the head, so they both died together, meaning he is also stuck with the shark. That’s impossibly annoying, not just because it makes getting around a pain in the leg, but because you don’t even get to enjoy the fact you took the bastard out with you. The lesson? Careful getting revenge, because in the afterlife it can come back to bite you.

Roadkill Man

Cause of death: Run over by a very large automobile
Suffering: Oh dear god.
Afterlife Status: Even the scuba diver could get himself a George Costanza scooter if he wanted. This poor guy has to be strung up like linen to get around. And he still has to work! It’s amazing his predicament didn’t flatten his sense of humor.

But what do you think? Who has it worse in death? It won’t kill you to share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Images: Warner Bros.

The post Which BEETLEJUICE Waiting Room Character Has the Worst Afterlife? appeared first on Nerdist.

When we last left our friend Adrian Toomes—weapons collector, self-styled supervillain Vulture, and living epitome of modern American socioeconomic frustration—he had been apprehended and rescued by his arch nemesis/aspiring son-in-law Peter Parker, tossed in jail for his crimes against humanity (well, New Yorkers), and set upon what seemed a genuine path to redemption. But supervillainy is a hard habit to kick, and it looks like we’ll be seeing Toomes don the wings once more in Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s untitled sequel.

/film reports Michael Keaton will be back for a second Spider-Man picture. This follows The Hollywood Reporter‘s revelation early Monday morning that the studio may be likewise in talks to enlist one Jake Gyllenhaal to play yet another notorious baddie, Mysterio, in the film.

That said, we can’t be sure just yet which version of the character Gyllenhaal may end up playing; Marvel Comics has treated readers to a number of different villains to bear the Mysterio title—namely special effects expert Quentin Beck, stuntman Daniel Berkhart, teleporting mutant Francis Klum, and, most recently, the otherwise anonymous Mysterion—and any one could wind up finding footing in the universe of Tom Holland‘s Spidey.

On the one hand, Spider-Man pictures have made a tradition of treating Peter to more than one foe at a time; on the other, with a name as big as Gyllenhaal’s filling the metallic mask of Mysterio, we may insinuate that a truly reformed Toomes could be returning not as an adversary, but as an ally to the boy who saved his life back on the shores of Coney Island. After all, Spider-Man pictures have also made a tradition of giving their bad guys a glimmer of redemption in their final moments. And wouldn’t it be nice to see Mikey Keats playing the hero once again?

How do you feel about the introduction of Mysterio into Spider-Man‘s movie canon, and how do you feel about Gyllenhaal in the role? Let us know!

Image: Marvel Studios/Sony

More from the MCU!

• The latest Captain America meme is hilarious.
• Chatting with the cinematographer of Black Panther.
• A 3D printer brings Thanos to life.

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The post Next SPIDER-MAN Movie May Enlist Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio, Plus Michael Keaton Returns appeared first on Nerdist.

Beetlejuice was only director Tim Burton’s second movie, but it did a lot to establish the director’s gothic-lite sensibility for an entire generation of fans. Although by today’s standards the film seems pretty tame, a comedy about death and the afterlife was pretty out there for a Hollywood studio like Warner Brothers 30 years ago. I mean, this is a movie where two of the attractive young leads die in a terrible accident in the first half of the movie, and the teenage protagonist is your quintessential goth girl–not exactly what was expected in the era of Pretty in Pink.

But as dark as it was for its time, the ending was originally going to be a whole lot darker. In an interview with Yahoo, via the AV Club, Beetlejuice co-writer Larry Wilson revealed he once entertained a much more disturbing and bleak ending that had Winona Ryder’s character Lydia Deetz actually dying in a fire, just so she could live as a spirit with Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis’ ghostly characters. A few people told Wilson that having a teenager die to achieve happiness was maybe not the message you want to send out to impressionable high school goths, so wiser heads prevailed in the end.

The ending we got in the final film is classic; Lydia parties with her new ghostly housemates and gets down to the magical sounds of Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora).” I simply can’t imagine that a scene where Lydia dies a horrible death would have been better than the ending that we got. I’ve included it above to remind you of how very awesome it is. Seriously, just watch it right now; it’s guaranteed to make your day just a little bit better.

What do you make of Beetlejuice’s original, darker ending? Be sure to let us know your thoughts below in the comments.

Images: Warner Brothers

More spooky stuff!

• The 8 best indie horror movies on streaming.
• Annihilation is more Lovecraftian than you think.
• Every Stephen King film ranked.

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A new year is upon us and with it a lot of incredible pop culture anniversaries to celebrate! This year has a particularly great lineup with a whole bunch of our favorite films, games, comics, anime, and TV shows hitting massive milestones. We’ve collected some of the most important moments from those mediums for you right here so you can keep track of all the rad things you should be celebrating in 2018!

Films

Jurassic Park – June 1993 (25th)
Spielberg’s seminal monster movie broke box office records and transformed filmmaking with its groundbreaking CGI. Originally intended to be Harryhausen inspired stop motion film, a small group of designers at ILM changed cinema forever when they created Jurassic Park’s iconic dinosaurs digitally.Blade – August 1998 (20th)
This radical comic book adaptation about a hybrid vampire hunter may often go overlooked, but Blade laid the groundwork for the modern superhero film boom and what would later become the MCU. It was also the first time an African American star led a superhero movie from Marvel, decades before Black Panther.

Beetlejuice – March 1988 (30th)
Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder’s breakout roles paved the way for Tim Burton to direct Batman, and they created a stone cold classic in the process. Though the men may have top billing here, Winona truly steals the show as Lydia Deetz, the depressive goth daughter of the awful new inhabitants of a supremely haunted house.

Die Hard – July 1988 (30th)
Everyone’s favorite Christmas movie celebrates three decades this year, so it’s the perfect time to once again revisit Nakatomi Plaza and enjoy Bruce Willis in a vest as he saves the day in the way only John McClane can. Yippee Ki Yay!

Grease – June 1978 (40th)
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta’s classic musical hits the big 4-0 this year with fans still as in love with the iconic songs, throwback fashion, and kooky characters as they were in 1978.

2001: A Space Odyssey – April 1968 (50th)
Kubrick broke the mold with his genre defining trippy sci-fi flick. If you’ve yet to check it out, 2001 is a film that has to be seen to be understood. As we move ever closer to the singularity, the film seems more prescient by the day.

TV

Breaking Bad – January 2008 (10th)
AMC‘s prestige TV hit is celebrating its first big milestone, as fans marvel at the fact it’s really been a decade since they first discovered Walter White. Bryan Cranston surprised everyone with this dark portrayal of a terminally ill man who decides to establish a crystal meth empire.

Sons of Anarchy – September 2008 (10th)
Charlie Hunnam might be a massive Hollywood star now but ten years ago he was just a tough cutie in a leather vest. Another prestige TV hit, S.O.A. was a fantastically popular fictionalized account of life in a biker gang, also starring Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman.

True Blood – September 2008 (10th)
The sexy vampire/werewolf/fairy fanfic that you never knew you needed! It’s been a decade since you fell in love with a creepy old confederate vampire named Bill and Joe “never wears a shirt” Manganiello. Sookie and her posse of hot lovers spiced up Sunday nights for seven saucy seasons.

Powerpuff Girls – November 1998 (20th)
For those of us who grew up in the ’90s, Cartoon Network holds a special place in our hearts. Powerpuff Girls was one of their classic original cartoons, following Bubblegum, Buttercup, and Bubbles, three young superheroes created in a lab to help save Townsville.

Charmed – October 1988 (20th)
Charmed was a forerunner to so many of the supernatural shows which now fill our TV schedules. Essentially a magical soap opera about witches in San Francisco, the series was a cult hit and ran for eight seasons on the now defunct WB. Magically, it’s still in syndication to this day!

Anime

Akira – December 1988 (30th)
One of the best movies ever made, Katsuhiro Otomo’s dystopian vision of the future is one of the most striking and influential cinematic efforts of all time. From Kaneda’s iconic bike and jacket to Tetsuo’s transformation, Akira is your favorite director’s favorite film.

Blade of the Immortal – July 2008 (10th)
It’s unbelievable to think that Hiroaki Samura’s fantastical anime debuted ten years ago. Adapted from the long-running manga series of the same name, the show follows Manji, a samurai who has to kill 1000 evil men to break a curse of immortality.

Cowboy Bebop – April 1998 (20th)
Probably one of the most well known anime series, Cowboy Bebop turns 20 this year. The 26 episode series followed bounty hunters on the good ship Bebop as they hustled their way through the radical intergalactic landscape.

My Neighbor Totoro – April 1988 (25th)
The world’s favorite auteur Hayao Miyazaki delivered what would become one of his most memorable movies to the world in 1988 with My Neighbor Totoro. The beautifully sweet tale of two young girls and their friendship with a mythical forest creature is a complete treat.

Grave of the Fireflies – April 1988 (30th)
In a dynamic double-up from Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation powerhouse also released this devastating WWII tragedy about a pair of siblings attempting to survive. A powerfully moving look at the true cost of war.

Games

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – November 1998 (20th)
One of the best games ever made, Ocarina of Time is the fifth entry in the Zelda franchise, following Link on another fantasy-filled adventure. Originally released on the N64, the game was well received. But it’s in the last two decades that it’s come to be seen as an all-time great.

Grand Theft Auto IV – April 2008 (10th)
The 11th entry in the GTA series, 2008’s GTA IV broke a lot of records, making $500 million domestically in its first week of release. The classic open world game placed you in Liberty City. As Niko, you had to best mob bosses and loan sharks whilst driving really fast and having lots of fun.

Half-Life – November 1998 (20th)
In a gaming landscape full of boring first person shooters, Half-Life was a breath of fresh air. It elevated the FPS format by introducing complex puzzle solving and an in depth narrative that fans adored. The game is also revolutionary because it didn’t include any cut scenes, giving the player complete control.

Metal Gear Solid – September 1998 (20th)
Made by everyone’s favorite internet uncle Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid was the high concept stealth action adventure hit of the late ’90s. Following Solid Snake as he sneaks around a nuclear facility trying to save the day, the game is also notable for its full cast of voice actors.

Banjo Kazooie – June 1998 (20th)
A classic of the ’90s platform craze, Banjo Kazooie is one of the wilder entries in this list. Originally meant to appeal to fans of the unbelievably popular Disney platformers from NES/SNES, the technicolor game about a bear and bird was released on the N64 to huge acclaim.

Starcraft – March 1998 (20th)
Though it may have been forgotten by some, Starcraft and its follow up Starcraft II are still some of the most popular games on Earth, with professional leagues in South Korea that are televised and lead to hugely profitable sponsorships for the top eSports athletes.

Final Fantasy II – December 1988 (30th)
FF is one of the largest and most epic gaming franchises that’s ever existed. Though FFII may not be the most famous, it actually laid the groundwork for a lot of the most popular parts of the later games.

Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3 – 1988 (30th)
It’s rare that a company will put out two games from the same franchise in the same year, but in 1988 Nintendo did just that. Super Mario Bros. 3 is easily one of the most beloved entries in the franchise, whereas the more controversial Super Mario Bros. 2 was actually a reworking of a Japanese platformer with the sprites switched out for Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad.

Comics

The Killing Joke – March 1988 (30th)
Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s controversial classic has long been deemed one of the best comics ever made. The prestige format book came out 30 years ago and brought the bleak grittiness of Moore’s Watchmen to the Bat-family.

Batman R.I.P. – May 2008 (10th)
Grant Morrison is beloved, so when he was announced as the writer of Batman fans were understandably excited. This year his Batman R.I.P. arc turns 10, so it’s a great time to revisit Morrison’s wild vision of Gotham which saw the seminal creator attempt to reconcile Batman’s Silver Age past with current canon.

The Maxx – March 1993 (25th)
The Image Comics revolution was a pivotal moment in comics when seven creators broke off from the Big Two and founded their own company. The Maxx is one of the second wave of original titles from the new publisher, as well as being the second Image series to be adapted to the small screen with a cult MTV cartoon.

Batman: Knightfall – April 1993 (25th)
This includes arguably one of the most iconic moments in bat-canon as Bane breaks Batman both literally and metaphorically. This was a huge moment in comics history and one that saw Bruce finally take off the cowl, with the Batman mantle taken over by the anti-hero Azrael.

A Death in the Family – November 1988 (30th)
Remember when DC thought it was a good idea to let people vote on whether or not a teen boy should die? Well that was 30 years ago and that boy was Jason Todd. With a margin of just 72 votes it was decided that Batman’s latest Robin would die. And die he did as the Joker took a crowbar to his head in this now infamous story arc.

Superman – 1938 (80th)
The first recognized superhero comic, Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster ushered in the age of heroes when they created Kal-El, a young alien sent to Earth when his planet was destroyed only to be raised by kind farmers in Kansas. The rest as they say is history with Superman becoming synonymous with comics, superheroes and in 2018 pop culture itself.

Images: DC Comics, Universal, Nintendo, Katsuhiro Otomo, AMC

New pop culture to look forward to in 2018!

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The post The Biggest Pop Culture Anniversaries in 2018 appeared first on Nerdist.

Though the world of Batman is often deemed as dark, gritty, and without festivity of any kind, some of the Caped Crusader’s most memorable moments have taken place during the holiday season. In fact, one of the earliest episodes of the iconic Batman: The Animated Series was a Christmas special! There’s something particularly striking and fun about the juxtaposition of the Dark Knight’s serious aesthetic with the joyous merriment of Christmas. So much so that we’ve found one of the best and most magical Christmas movies of all time in none other than Batman Returns.

From the moment we see Oswald Cobblepot in a cage in front of an outlandish white Christmas tree, before his parents even send him floating through a twisted snowcapped winter wonderland, you know that this version of Gotham is different. Gone is the noir drenched in gangster lore from Tim Burton’s first movie, instead replaced with a strange brightness, one that lives only to juxtapose the dark grit of Gotham and serve the director’s goth-pop aesthetic.

Whilst most Christmas movies follow a basic feel-good formula about personal growth or gratitude, Batman Returns uses the trappings and wrappings of the season to subvert our expectations of what to expect from a holiday classic. No one has a redemption arc in this festive folly, with the Penguin inverting the usual outcast-turned-good-by-Christmas-cheer trope that we’ve seen in stories like The Grinch and Home Alone. Batman never truly opens up to Selina and fails to save her. Catwoman gets her revenge but can’t save herself or her chance at happiness. Though the characters might not be filled with cheer, their surroundings most certainly are, as Burton luxuriates in the candy-striped creepiness of Christmas.

From the red and white of the Penguin’s umbrella to the snow-covered streets of Gotham, the director is dedicated to keeping us steeped in the Christmas spirit. Even Max Schreck’s prototype power plant is Christmassy, with its red-and-white-striped smokestacks. Speaking of Max Schreck, with his tousled white hair, red bow tie, and nefarious plans to steal all of the energy from Gotham’s girls and boys, he plays very well as an evil inversion of everyone’s favorite jolly fat man, Santa Claus.

It’s not just subtle touches that run through the cult classic; some of the movie’s most memorable set pieces are also more festive than a reindeer drinking eggnog in a snow globe full of pine trees. The peak of Batman Returns’ Christmas sensibilities is actually pretty early on in the film during Gotham’s tree lighting ceremony. The machiavellian Max Schreck is poised to once again trick the citizens of Gotham with a heartfelt speech in front of the towering tree until he’s interrupted by the appearance of a giant red and green present. And in one of the best Batman moments ever put to screen, City Hall is attacked by festive villains exploding out of an oversized Christmas gift. It’s pure Christmas movie perfection.

If Christmas circus gangs jumping out of giant Christmas presents isn’t Christmassy enough for you, then don’t worry because Batman Returns also includes a recurring character called “The Ice Princess” who wears a sequined bodice and generally exudes Christmas spirit. There’s also an integral moment including a baby in a Santa suit, as well as some great shots of different Gothamers struggling with presents, including Bruce Wayne’s BFF himself, Alfred Pennyworth.

Tim Burton’s creative catalog always has a way of looking slightly Christmasy, what with his love of outlandish fairytale settings, decedent outfits, and commitment to stripes. So it’s unsurprising that he managed to make one of the all-time greats when it comes to holiday movies. The film’s setting and aesthetic are a one of a kind xmas experience, and the film’s dark satire of corporate culture is perfect If you’re tired of the same old saccharine fare this Santa season. So if you’re ready for a wholly unique festive film then it’s time to dust off Batman Returns, go back to Gotham, and live your best goth Christmas life!

Have we sold you on Returns as a Christmas classic? Are you just excited to revisit the Batman: The Animated Series Christmas Special? Can’t wait to unwrap your batarangs? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Warner Bros.

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After the fairly disastrous Amazing Spider-Man 2, fans thought that was possibly the end of the cinematic adventures of everyone’s favorite wall-crawler, at least for a while. But then Sony did the smart thing, and made the deal with Marvel Studios to allow Peter Parker to join his fellow heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with new Spidey Tom Holland in the role. And as they said in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “and there was much rejoicing.”

But even though Kevin Feige has a pretty stellar track record over at Marvel Studios for making solid product time and again, was it possible that he and director Jon Watts could make Spider-Man feel fresh again? After all, this is technically Spider-Man 6. As a franchise, it’s getting a little long in the tooth.[brightcove video_id=”5476824050001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”2bfa565b-5412-4cfd-9211-6269880b8a5e”]

Well, this week there was an early screening for critics for Spider-Man: Homecoming, and so far the word is….pretty damn good! Mind you, these reviews are coming from a screening for members of the junket press preparing to interview cast and crew, and many of them might be biased. Or at least an argument can be made for that. But the early word for Wonder Woman is very similar, and we all saw how that turned out–awesome.

First out of the gate with his thoughts is longtime Amazing Spider-Man comics writer Dan Slott. What did he think of Peter Parker’s return to the big screen?

#SpiderManHomecoming is like watching a @BRIANMBENDIS & Mark Bagley ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN arc brought to life on the big screen! 👍👍 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) June 24, 2017

And it seems film Twitter was just as effusive with praise. Can we say that it got everyone’s Spidey senses tingling? (OK, I apologize for that one).

SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING is my favorite of the Spider-Man movies so far. I like first two Sam Raimi ones but this is better. Avoid spoilers!! pic.twitter.com/bF4CsZsKU5

— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming is SUCH a good time. Fun, inventive action w/ some of the best humor in a Marvel film yet. Great start for MCU Spidey! pic.twitter.com/8kTnG6wtO2

— ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming is SO MUCH FUN. The action is BADASS. Tom Holland is THE BEST Peter Parker hands down. I’m pumped after seeing it 💥🕷

— Molly Freeman (@mollyrockit) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming is one of the best Marvel movies and the best Spider-Man movie, period. So completely terrific, a true crowd pleaser.

— Eric Walkuski (@ericwalkuski) June 24, 2017

Seriously, #SpiderManHomecoming is a blast. The best Spidey movie since 2004 and the one comic purists have always wanted!

— David Crow (@DCrowsNest) June 24, 2017

I can finally tell you #SpiderManHomecoming is great fun. Very funny, sweet, smaller stakes but more relatable. Tom Holland rocks. pic.twitter.com/eZmyUBXYKe

— Jim Vejvoda (@JimVejvoda) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming is fantastic. Perfectly cast. Does an impressive job of balancing superheroics & high school drama.

— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) June 24, 2017

Spider-Man: Homecoming is endless fun, from the first second to the last. Flawless.

— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming felt just like reading a Marvel comic book — other heroes appear, heart-stopping twists, and bursting with humor. pic.twitter.com/Hx3tzBsaNB

— Joshua Yehl (@JoshuaYehl) June 24, 2017

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a blast. It has an innocence that differentiates it from the other MCU movies but plenty of fun & spectacle too.

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) June 24, 2017

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is an absolute, gosh-darned DELIGHT. It’s like Spider-Man meets CAN’T HARDLY WAIT.

— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) June 24, 2017

My ★★★★½ review of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) on @letterboxd: https://t.co/jmPBqV8Bvg

— Kurt (@KurtisSmejkal) June 24, 2017

Michael Keaton gives us the best MCU movie villain since Loki. Maybe better. #SpiderManHomecoming

— Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko) June 24, 2017

Also, who knew all it took was Michael Keaton & Spidey’s rogues gallery? Because #SpiderManHomecoming‘s Vulture may be an MCU villain best. pic.twitter.com/CUdEZYB8uP

— David Crow (@DCrowsNest) June 24, 2017

Well, what are our takeaways from these reviews? Well, for starters, it seems we finally have another villain worthy of Loki in an MCU movie, if these critics are to be believed. Secondly, it sounds like this time, they remembered that Spidey isn’t all teen angst, he’s supposed to be fun too – and funny. Also, here’s another hot take: for all the sticks in the mud out there who say comic book movies are the end of cinema, and a tired genre, etc – Spider-Man: Homecoming is looking to follow up Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.2, LEGO Batman and Logan among the best reviewed movies of the year. Each of these movies is vastly different from the other, and yet all are comic book superhero movies and have done great box office and had great reviews. So take that, all you film snobs.

And finally, it looks like this Sony/Marvel Studios partnership was a match made in comic book heaven, if we are to believe these early reviews. Maybe this is further proof that the folks at Fox need to just get over themselves already, pick up the phone and call Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and work out a similar deal with the Fantastic Four. Just do it, Fox. It’s time. Spider-Man: Homecoming proves it can work.

Are you as excited about all these great Spider-Man: Homecoming reviews as much as we are? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Sony / Marvel Studios

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