With The Dark Knight Rises hitting theaters, many fans feel it's the end of an era while Warner Brothers has been reportedly feeling the same way with a shared DC Universe on their minds for the big screen. While most are already cringing at the thought of Batman being rebooted after such a short time, the reason to do so is because the studio is eyeing a major team-up in Justice League in the hopes to have the same success of The Avengers. Now, it seems WB may not be wasting any time and Batman may be back with a new face in theaters in just four short years.
Cosmic Book News (via JoBlo) reports that a source has told revealed intel regarding the future of DC Comics films. It's said that WB is looking to skip right to the big moment and will be kicking off their next phase following Man of Steel with a Justice League movie. It's said that an all-new Batman would shortly follow in 2016, thus rebooting the past decade's multi-billion dollar franchise. The information comes from someone the site absolutely trusts who brought them previous information regarding Green Lantern, Man of Steel, and The Dark Knight Rises, but we still advise taking this with a grain of salt.
What's interesting too is that the information unveils we won't be exactly sitting through the dull origins story that nearly everyone knows either. In fact, it's said this new movie "will feature a Batman who is entering his second year as a hero". This would certainly leave the option for famous Batman villains to return to the big screen in a new fashion, though it's unclear how gritty this new series would come across after Nolan's acclaimed trilogy.
As for the title, the site also says "the film may also be called 'The Batman', though I can't be sure on that as the 2004 animated series was of the same title which featured a Batman in his third year". This Batman will be a part of a shared DC Universe that is said to be fully on display in a Justice League film, with "Henry Cavill in the role of Superman in Justice League and subsequent sequels to the Man of Steel".
While this all is still very much rumor, it does fall in line with previous reports that have surfaced regarding Warner Brothers' DC future. There has been talk that WB may be bold enough to kick off this shared universe with a Justice League film, and with various superheroes to follow. Batman was always strongly reported as being after Justice League given his popularity with Nolan's franchise, and that certainly still seems to be the case here.
Man of Steel will in fact have plenty of hints at a larger universe, but its success has always been said to be the major tipping point. If it fails and is met with a negative response, there's the chance that the universe may not take off and the hints are simply Easter Eggs for fans. Warner Brothers has also said the next DC Comics film after Man of Steel is still three years away from this point. So if 2015 is what they're aiming for, it certainly falls back in line with plenty of the rumors hashed out thus far.
As of right now, there is no confirmation on any of Batman's future plans or even Justice League's development. Will Beall is scripting Justice League, Michael Goldenberg is writing Wonder Woman and The Flash, while Aquaman, a Green Lantern follow-up and more are all in the works as well.
But the biggest question is just whether or not 2016 will be too soon for a rebooted Batman, should the intel be correct. The Amazing Spider-Man was seen by some as too early of a reboot for the titular hero, with only five years between this and the third Raimi Spider-Man. Would four years bring an even bigger debate among fans? While you have to take into account obviously creative differences between both series, The Dark Knight Rises certainly has an ending that feels satisfying and like it positions fans towards something new. Plus without an origins story, we can simply pick up where we left off to experience the best of Batman.
But, what do you think? Could there be any truth to this rumor? And if so, is 2016 too soon for an all-new Batman? Let us know either in the comments below or tweet us @FilmThrasher on Twitter!
