A new Michael Keaton Batman sequel is officially underway, but Tim Burton, the director of the original two films, won’t be returning.
Though there have been many Batman movies since Burton’s Batman (1992) and Batman Returns (1992), such as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy and Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), the “Burton-Verse” wields ultimate legacy status over its successors.
Batman (1989) Is the Most Beloved Movie in the Franchise
Along with Michael Keaton’s excellent portrayal of the titular Gotham City crime-fighter, visionary director Tim Burton brought the world of Batman to life in ways never thought possible. Not only did the director pave the way for the “dark and gritty” superhero genre, but he also created a beautiful, quasi-gothic setting that has informed countless other iterations of Batman across all forms of media.
But in a recent interview with Variety, the filmmaker who has given us several classics in addition to his two Caped Crusader flicks, including Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990), said he’s uninterested in returning to direct another superhero movie.
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Tim Burton’s Future in the Superhero Genre
While promoting his upcoming sequel Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (2024), which reunites him with Michael Keaton following the original 1988 film and the two Batman films, filmmaker Tim Burton told Variety that he was “lucky” when filming Batman (1989) in that it was unburdened by the idea of a “franchise”, a word he feels “didn’t exist” at the time.
“I was lucky because at that time, the word ‘franchise’ didn’t exist,” he said. “Batman felt slightly experimental at the time. It deviated from what the perception [of a superhero movie] might be. So you didn’t hear that kind of studio feedback, and being in England, it was even further removed. We really just got to focus on the film and not really think about those things that now they think about even before you do it.”
But when it comes to modern superhero movies, most of which form part of wider franchises or “shared cinematic universes,” Burton is uninterested in returning to helm another entry in the genre, which would include a sequel to his own Batman films.
“At the moment, I would say no. I come at things from different points of view, so I would never say never to anything. But, at the moment, it’s not something I’d be interested in.”
Related: Michael Keaton’s New Batsuit Revealed Ahead of Upcoming ‘Batman’ (1989) Sequel
Current and Upcoming Iterations of Batman in Film
Meanwhile, in a recent interview with GQ, Michael Keaton surprised fans — and not in a good way — when he said he wasn’t upset that Warner Bros. famously shelved Batgirl, the DC Universe (DCU) movie in which he starred opposite Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon.
“I didn’t care one way or another,” Keaton said of the film’s cancelation, before bluntly adding, “Big, fun, nice check.”
The film would have marked Keaton’s second return as Batman after his appearance in the DCU Multiverse crossover movie The Flash (2023), which was both a critical and financial failure, grossing only $$271.3M worldwide against its estimated budget of $200–220M.
It remains to be seen whether Keaton, 72, will ever don the cape and cowl again.
Robert Pattinson is the current Caped Crusader, with a theatrical sequel due for release in 2026. A DCU movie reboot titled The Brave and the Bold (TBA) is also in development, which will cast a new actor as Batman.
Related: Batman: Every Returning Version of the Dark Knight Explained
Batman (1989) Official Sequels
But while Tim Burton won’t ever return to helm another Batman movie — at least not for the time being — and with Michael Keaton’s future in Gotham equally uncertain, there is an official direct sequel to the beloved 1989 film in the works.
From famed Star Wars author John Jackson Miller, “Batman: Resurrection” (2024) will follow Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman as he struggles to protect Gotham City in the aftermath of The Joker’s death, placing the novel before the events of Batman Returns.
Returning characters from Burton’s two films include Michael Gough’s Alfred Pennyworth, Pat Hingle’s Commissioner James Gordon, Robert Wuhl’s Alexander Knox, Billy Dee Williams’ Harvey Dent, Jerry Hall’s Alicia Hunt (The Joker’s girlfriend), Kim Basinger’s Vicki Vale, and, of course, Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman.
“The Joker is dead, but not forgotten,” the blurb from Penguin Random House reads. “But even after death, the Clown Prince of Crime’s imprint can be seen in more than just the pavement. Remnants from The Joker’s gang are leading wannabes fascinated by his bizarre mystique on a campaign of arson that threatens the city—even as it serves greedy opportunists, including millionaire Max Shreck. And survivors of exposure to The Joker’s chemical weapon Smylex continue to crowd Gotham City’s main hospital.”
Related: Michael Keaton’s New ‘Batman’ (1989) Series Explained
The book will also be available in audio, meaning all returning characters will be recast.
The 1992 film itself also has a direct sequel in the form of DC Comics’ ongoing “Batman ’89” series, which features the likeness of all the actors who played the characters in Tim Burton’s two films, including Michael Keaton (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Michelle Pfeiffer (Selina Kyle/Catwoman), and Billy Dee Williams (Harvey Dent/Two-Face).
“Batman: Resurrection” will be released on October 15. It’s now available to pre-order from Amazon, Penguin Random House, and Bookshop.
Will you be picking up a copy of “Batman: Resurrection”? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!