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Summary
Some of the most fascinatingcomic book moviesare the ones that never got made , with many enthralling ideas for superhero stories never seeing the light of day . In a world of popular and brand - safe films like theMarvel Cinematic Universe movie , it ’s becoming rarer and rare for stories in the superhero space to tackle the eldritch ideas of some of Hollywood ’s best and brilliant . This was n’t always the instance , however , with many contrive comic book moving-picture show films never come to fruition despite their interesting ideas .
There are many reason why these movies were never able to manifest . Sometimes , their assumption were simply too unknown to deal studio apartment , but more often then not , they light through due to creative differences , licensing , or scheduling conflict . Whatever the case , some of the most famouscanceled superhero moviesare also some of the most compelling and hard to believe .
10Godzilla Meets Batman
More of a canceled Godzilla film than a canceled Batman film
Batman is no stranger to big - name crossover in the strip and cartoons , with everyone from The Predator to The Scooby - Doo Gang crossing paths with the Caped Crusader at one point or another . But this case of big - brand synergy has never made it to survive - activity moving picture before , with the sole exception of Toho and Greenway Production’sBatman Meets Godzilla , formulated in 1966 . The idea would piggyback off of the winner of Adam West’sBatmanTV show and twirl - off film , bring back the same cast .
This planned joint American - Nipponese yield is easily one of the coolest canceled Godzilla movie ideas
The patch for the flick revolved around Batman , Robin , and Batgirl taking down a grave delirious scientist using Godzilla for his own ends . The best part of this dispute project would ’ve been the finis , which find out Batman scale Godzilla ’s back to found a turkey on him powerful enough to beam the King of the Monsters up to outer place . This contrive joint American - Japanese product is easy one of the coolestcanceled Godzilla motion-picture show ideas , let alone canceled superhero motion-picture show melodic theme .
9James Cameron’s Spider-Man
Sam Raimi’s film almost wasn’t the first Spider-Man blockbuster
Many kingpin in Hollywood had their oculus on Spider - Man long before the gutsy horror theatre director Sam Raimi was capable to get his hands on the valuable IP , create one of the most iconic superhero trilogies ever made . Once upon a time , it was none other than the fabled James Cameron who set his deal on everyone ’s preferent wall - crawling , friendly - neighborhood hero , with some interesting estimate on how Spider - Man should lock . wanderer - Man would ’ve been played by Leonardo DiCaprio , already an industry darling by the time of the planned film .
Besides a healthy dose of James Cameron ’s iconic electron lens flair , this movie would ’ve differed from Sam Raimi ’s reading in a few central ways . Sandman , Electro , and Doc Ock would all have made it into the movie as scoundrel , with none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger play the latter . The canned film also allegedly contained a view in which Spider - Man and Mary Jane did the horizontal ( or in some Spider - Man cases , upright ) tango on the Brooklyn Bridge – Not exactly the spit image of the modern wholesome perception of Peter Parker .
Before Spider - Man was made existent by Sam Raimi , director James Cameron publish a script that took the web - slinger in an whole new direction .
8George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal
Would’ve been a strikingly unique vision for the Justice League
Visionary Australian director George Miller is know for have some incredible variety in his unique filmmaking mode . From the heartwarming glee ofBabe 2 : devour in the Big Cityto the unbridled adrenaline ofMad Max : Fury Road , Miller ’s film might not be for everyone , but they ’re wildly popular with the audience they are able to find . That makes it all the more tragical that his take on the Justice League was never able to issue forth to realization .
Other than the authoritative " Big Three " , Miller ’s League would ’ve admit The Flash , Aquaman , Green Lantern , and Martian Manhunter , with the latter getting some incredible concept artistic creation . Justice League : Mortalwould’ve stone the gang of DC ’s most iconic squad against Maxwell Lord and Talia al Ghul , who almost destroy the League with an army of bionic woman . The film was to end with The Flash induce a grand ritual killing to save the twenty-four hours . Sadly , in the aftermath ofThe Dark Knight ’s success , the undertaking was scrapped in favor of alike solo films .
Jay Baruchel , who was set to star as Maxwell Lord in George Miller ’s invalidate Justice League : deadly allege it would have been a crazy movie .
7Cannon Films' Spider-Man Horror Movie
A wild concept for the first Spider-Man movie
Even further back in story than James Cameron ’s Spider - Man concept , the webslinging submarine had a picture sales pitch as betimes as 1985 that nearly came to fruition . Unbelievably , the first Spider - Man movie was almost a revulsion film , with Tobe Hooper , the managing director ofThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre , slated to helm the project . Tom Cruise was eyed for Peter Parker , making for an incredibly bold and not - at - all risible - accurate motion picture for Spider - Man ’s first theatrical outing .
The product company misunderstood Spider - Man as being a character akin to Jeff Goldblum ’s Brundle in The Fly
Apparently , the idea for Spider - Man to be more of a horror motion picture was the result of a miscommunication on behalf of the planned picture show ’s producers , Cannon Films , infamous forSuperman IV : The Quest for Peace . The production company misunderstood Spider - Man as being a character akin to Jeff Goldblum ’s Brundle inThe Fly , who is terrifyingly transform into a spider - homo hybrid by a mad scientist . The film would ’ve ended with the atrocious Peter Parker fighting off the scientist ’s other animal - hybrid creations .
Custom Image by Alex Valentino
The projection keep on for another class and undergo a director change within Cannon , with Joe Zito direct over . Although this version was officially announce the undermentioned class , it was ultimately shelved for similar rationality as the previous attempt .
6Clint Eastwood’s Batman Beyond
One of the most intriguing projects to come out of Batman & Robin’s failure
After the abyssal vital bankruptcy ofBatman & Robin , Warner Bros. experience they had to go back to lame one for Batman , host basically a massive contest for Batman screenplays to determine their footing with the character . finally , the winner of this effort would beChristopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy , which understandably pay up off for DC and Warner Bros. However , one tantalizing selection was overlooked that might ’ve been just as amazing .
At one point , Warner Bros. was considering a live - action version ofBatman Beyond , the dear cartoon which saw the kip punk Terry McGinnis take Bruce Wayne ’s billet as Batman in a futurist version of Gotham City . Show creators Paul Dini and Alan Burnett were hired to write the screenplay , with none other than the Western icon Clint Eastwood eyeball for the role of an older , retired Bruce Wayne . Unfortunately , the idea was canceled due to originative difference , with Warner Bros. bring down a PG-13 rating on the idea .
5Tim Burton’s Superman
Might’ve done just as well as his version of Batman
After Tim Burton was able to catapult Batman further into pa culture reverence with his 1989 filmBatman , it is n’t a electric shock to envisage that DC would be eager for him to repeat the trick with their other flagship character . Once upon a time , Burton was slat to figure out with Kevin Smith to bring about a Superman pic titledSuperman life history , produced by Jon Peters ofLicorice Pizzafame . The concept is most famous for it ’s swan of Nicolas Cage as Superman , with the blind testing of which eventually being made public .
Nicolas Cage finally get his chance to wear the famous Superman badge , albeit shortly and digitally , in a cameo towards the end of the DCEU’sThe Flash . A docudrama calledThe Death of " Superman Lives " : What Happened?was also made that chronicle the film ’s product woes . woefully , the mind was eventually fade away due to a master of ceremonies of creative remainder and infighting within production . This is a shame considering that Tim Burton ’s sight of characters like Lex Luthor and Doomsday very nearly made it to theaters .
Superman Lives was set to have a cameo by Michael Keaton ’s Batman , and here ’s how the unmade sequel could have lead to the first DCEU .
4Terry Gilliam’s Watchmen
Might’ve done Alan Moore’s famous book better than Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder’sWatchmencurrently holds a monopoly on pic adaptations of Alan Moore ’s critically - acclaimed comic playscript of the same name . However , as far back as the early ninety , conception for aWatchmenmovie were being float past none other thanTerry Gilliam ofMonty Pythonfame . This edition of the film would ’ve been develop by Joel Silver , known for his work onThe Matrix , and pen for screen by Sam Hamm , who helped bring Batman to life in 1989 .
The most interesting part of Terry Gilliam’sWatchmenwould’ve been the planned cast . Arnold Schwarzenegger was positioned to dye his tegument blue for the first time beforeBatman & Robinas Doctor Manhattan , and none other than the legendary David Bowie himself was to act Rorschach . In term of changes to the source stuff , this moving picture would ’ve change the ending of the story by having Schwarzenegger ’s Manhattan apply his powers to preclude his own creative activity , effectively killing himself .
3Darren Aronofsky’s Batman: Year One
One of the bleakest takes on a Batman story yet
Compared to other characters , Batman lends himself to very grounded superhero tale that seem like they could really take billet in the real world . FromBatman BeginstoJokertoThe Batman , filmmakers seem obsessed with ground The Dark Knight and Gotham in reality as much as potential . The most utmost example would ’ve been Darren Aronofsky ’s sight for a Batman moving-picture show , loosely based on the wide - beloved comic runBatman : Year One .
TheRequiem for a Dreamdirector had a very bleak vision for Batman , who , instead of being rich , would be a penniless street orphan in this incarnation . Alfred would ’ve been a simple gamey - catch shop mechanic , Catwoman would ’ve been a prostitute , and the Batcave was reduce to a simple abandoned subway post . Interestingly enough , Joaquin Phoenix was favor to be cast as Aronofsky ’s Batman years before his unveiling as Joker in 2019 .
2Green Arrow: Escape From Super Max
Oliver Queen’s only chance at a theatrical release
While the CW’sArrowwent on for 8 seasonsand even inspire the macrocosm of its own telecast interrelated universe , Green Arrow has never been lucky enough to get his own movie . For whatever reason , producers have leave out Oliver Queen as one of the few marrow Justice League members to not be deserving his own theatrical loss , or any film coming into court for that matter . However , frequent DC film producer David S. Goyer almost directed his own take on a Green Arrow picture .
The plot would ’ve escort Green Arrow framed for murder and confined to a maximum - security prison alongside some of DC ’s most violent criminals
CalledGreen Arrow : Escape from Super Max , the film would ’ve lived up to its name by being one elaborate prison break undertake by the Emerald Archer . The plot would ’ve view Green Arrow frame up for slaying and confine to a maximal - security prison alongside some of DC ’s most crimson criminals , including Icicle , The Riddler , Lex Luthor , and the Joker . Though the moving-picture show was never confirmed to be canceled by Warner Bros. , no news of the project has been heard since 2008 .
James Gunn ’s fresh DC Universe begins in 2024 , and there are some exciting actors who could play a hero who was miss in the old DCEU — Green Arrow .
1Justice League Dark
Might have been a superhero-horror masterpiece
The shadowy magical - focussed counterpart to the Justice League , Justice League Dark is an affiliated team in the strip consisting of DC ’s more demonic or arcane heroes . Once upon a sentence , a live - action film revolving around this squad was in ontogeny . Fittingly enough , Guillermo del Toro was slated to direct , a great choice considering his experience with both revulsion and superhero genre .
Justice League Darkwas planned to concentrate on John Constatine , one of the most muscular magic - user in DC Comics . The plot would ’ve centered on Constantine forming the titular team , collect persona like Swamp Thing , Etrigan , Deadman , the Spectre , and Zatanna . Now that the film has seemingly descend by the roadside , it stay to be seen if devotee will ever be able-bodied to get a glimpse at DC ’s more supernatural side in acomic book motion picture .
