Batman Forever

Batman Foreveris the digest - alone sequel to Tim Burton’sBatman income tax return , and it was so unlike from Burton ’s Batman films that it does n’t feel like part of the same world , but had some of the original idea for it been kept , Batman Forevercould have been very different but also better . AlthoughBatman Returnswas well - received by critic , its darker tone and narrative did n’t attract to the hearing at the time of its dismissal , leading Warner Bros. to change its plan for next Batman movies . The studio asked Tim Burton to step down as film director , and Joel Schumacher was brought in as the director of a sequel titledBatman evermore .

Now with Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne , Batman Foreversaw the Caped Crusader trying to stopTwo - Face ( Tommy Lee Jones ) and Edward Nygma a.k.a . The Riddler ( Jim Carrey ) , who joined force to take command of Gotham through one of the Riddler ’s inventions : The Box , which stole selective information from users ’ minds and transfer it to Nygma ’s mind , make him the most intelligent man in Gotham City . AlthoughBatman Foreverwas a box berth succeeder , it received mixed reviews and is see as one of the weakest Batman movies ever made , but had Schumacher and caller stick to to some of their original ideas , Batman Foreverwould have been very dissimilar but also a much near movie than it is . Here are five ways in whichBatman Foreverwas almost better .

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Batman Forever Movie Poster

5Batman Forever Originally Had A Psychotic Riddler

Once a sequel toBatman Returnswas greenlit and Joel Schumacher was prefer as the director , the screenwriting duo Lee and Janet Scott - Batchler were lend on to write the script . Their original edition had a very dissimilar Riddler from the one Carrey ended up playing , as this was actually psychotic . The Riddler ’s tangible name was Lyle Heckendorfand he idolise Bruce Wayne ( and had a favored rat ) , so much so that he did n’t waste the prospect to tell apart him about the projection he had been act on : a equipment that glow selective information directly into the substance abuser ’s nous , so if , for model , someone require to be fluent in French before a trip-up to France , they would just dial up the program need . After Bruce turned the musical theme down , Lyle continued work on it and loaded various political program to the gadget and used it himself , but while he win a sight of noesis about various topics , he was also being drive into insanity .

One conniption in particular , set inside Lyle ’s flat , describe the place as “ decorated in traditional serial killer blankets over the windows , freeze the light ” , stacks of unopened mail , unread newspapers , the dining room tabular array covered with wires and persona of computers , and a wall - sized bill poster of Bruce Wayne , where Lyle painted fleeceable target circles on his brow . The original Riddler also had cheesy agate line and puns and jokes that would have required an expert in funniness to be delivered in good order , but it was an in reality scary version of the famous Batman enemy . The final version of The Riddler was very goofy and campy , even before his nefarious shift , and while Carrey added his tactual sensation of physical clowning to the fictitious character , his performance was turn over very over - the - top .

4Batman Forever Could Have Introduced Scarecrow

The Riddler was conk out to be accompany by another baddie , though not Two - Face , and instead , Scarecrow was suppose to be the other villain inBatman evermore . Jonathan Crane is a genius prof of psychology who , as a result of trauma from his youth , became obsessed with fear . Crane used a special hallucinogen drug that overwork the phobia of those who came in contact with it and wore a stitched mask and a burlap chapeau that made him look like a ( scary ) scarer . As the ego - glorify “ Master of Fear ” , his offence came from a cruel pleasure in terrorizing others through the manipulation of awe . Scarecrow ’s comportment would have madeBatman Foreverdarker and , perhaps , more similar toBatman Returnsin terms of timbre , but when Akiva Goldsman was brought in to rewrite the script , Scarecrow was left out .

3Batman Forever Could Have Seen The Return of Catwoman

Another idea that was scrapped when Goldsman rewrote the playscript forBatman Foreverwas the return of Catwoman , played by Michelle Pfeiffer inBatman Returns . Tim Burton ’s version of Selina Kyle was the solitary , diffident , and frustrated secretary of Max Schreck , who after she unexpectedly discovered her honcho ’ plot to build a power plant to slip Gotham ’s electricity , was pushed out the windowpane of his top - chronicle office by Shreck himself . Selina was revived by a group of alleyway cats , and after a psychotic breakdown , became the seductive but pernicious Catwoman . She then ally with Penguin to destroy Shreck and fall in dearest with Batman , and atthe end ofBatman Returns , she was apparently wipe out in an explosion that killed Shreck , but the flick close up with the Bat - sign shining in the sky and Catwoman watching from afar . Catwoman return inBatman Foreverwould have given the movie a well-defined connection to Burton ’s Batman flick , while also solving the mystery of what really happen to her afterBatman Returns .

2Joel Schumacher Wanted To Adapt Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One

Joel Schumacher planned to make a darker Batman movie thanBatman Foreverended up being , and he shared in the documentaryShadows of the Bat : The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knightthat he require to adjust Frank Miller’sBatman : Year One , but there was no desire from the studio to bring that storyline to biography . Batman : Year Onechronicles the Caped Crusader ’s first year as a crime - fighter aircraft in Gotham City while also exploring the life of Jim Gordon , who had been recently transferred to Gotham . Batman : Year Onesees the first encounter between Batman and Gordon and their eventual alliance , and at the end of the chronicle , Gordon is promoted to maitre d' and meet with Batman to enquire the offense of a villain that call up himself “ Joker ” . unluckily , Warner Bros. want a sequel , not a prequel , so Schumacher ’s adaptation ofBatman : Year Onenever come to be , but had it been greenlit , Batman Foreverwould have not only been a prequel but would have also matched the smell of Burton ’s films a bit better , making the Burton - Schumacher universe more cohesive . In the end , Batman Foreverincluded share of the flashback to Bruce ’s childhood fromBatman , and act of the darker tone ofBatman Returns .

1Batman Forever Almost Had Michael Keaton Back As Batman

Last but not least , Batman Forevercould have had Michael Keaton back as Batman . Keaton initially approved of Schumachertaking over as the director and claim to be enthusiastic about the idea of an version ofBatman : Year One , but in the end , he leave the project . Keaton rejected the final script and did n’t consort with the direction this cosmos of Batman was head in , so he dropped out , also citing the desire of engage “ more interesting role ” as a reason . Val Kilmer was later throw off as Batman , but he did n’t reprise the role in the continuation , Batman & Robin . Michael Keaton ’s version of Bruce Wayne / Batman was more matured and obscure than Kilmer ’s , and of course , having him back would have madeBatman Foreverfeel like an genuine sequel / prolongation toBatman Returns , but it ’s altogether intelligible that Keaton was n’t on add-in with the final version of the script and the overall mind for the moving-picture show .

Blended image of Batman, Two-Face and the Riddler from Batman Forever promo images

Jim Carrey as Riddler is pleased with his villainous plot in Batman Forever

Scarecrow wearing his mask superimposed over Gotham City.

Batman Returns Catwoman original ending

Batman covering himself with his cape in Year One cover art

Split Image of Michael Keaton as Batman in the Flash trailer; Michael Keaton unmasked as Batman in Batman Returns

Batman Forever

DC Extended Universe