Imagine a scenario in which the cinematic universes of Godzilla, and Batman might have come face-to-face in an epic showdown for the ages. Unbeknownst to many, the idea for this canceled film titled Batman vs. Godzilla came from Shinichi Sekizawa, the brilliant man who wrote the 1962 Japanese kaiju film King Kong vs. Godzilla. The image that raced through his mind matched the terrifying Godzilla against the illustrious Batman, played by Adam West.
Based only on the title, the movie’s concept is essentially what it sounds like. Renowned for his work on several Toho monster movies, Sekizawa thought of a universe in which the heroic adventures of the caped crusader blended with the genre of monster movies. But the idea of a Batman vs. Godzilla film—the wildest DC movie idea to come out of the 1960s—is simply too ridiculous to ignore.
Batman vs. Godzilla: When Godzilla Almost Battled Adam West’s Batman
Batman vs. Godzilla was regrettably canceled. Actually, the movie’s plot closely resembles what the title implies. Beginning in the middle of the 1960s, early work was done on a film that would pit the iconic caped crusader against Godzilla, the most famous kaiju in Japanese cinema. As per Movie Web, the film’s original concept was conceived in late 1965, shortly before Adam West’s Batman television series premiered in early 1966. The idea for the film was delivered by Shinichi Sekizawa, who had written Godzilla series films such as Mothra, King Kong vs. Godzilla, and Mothra vs. Godzilla, among others.
According to Movie Web, Sekizawa might not have had West in mind when casting Batman vs. Godzilla because of the delayed premiere. Nevertheless, it would have been amazing to see the late actor as Batman against Godzilla.
Also, it is known that the film was originally intended to feature more Batman comic characters, such as Commissioner Gordon, Robin, and Batgirl. It is unclear whether DC was ever contacted about the project at all or when exactly Batman vs. Godzilla went into development hell. That being said, the idea of a 1960s Batman vs. Godzilla film is just too ridiculous to ignore.
Read also: Batman Star Adam West Was Ready To Steal Oscar From Stranger Things Star’s Mother And Her Co-Star
Adam West: The DC Multiverse’s Most Prepared Batman?
Adam West‘s legendary portrayal of Batman has just been given the most fitting title in DC history. With the actor portraying Bruce Wayne/Batman and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin, the two crime-fighting heroes who protect Gotham City from a range of archvillains, Batman was a live-action TV series.
It is common knowledge that Batman is among the DC Universe’s most prepared heroes. That being said, not many Dark Knights have displayed a vision as astounding or extravagant as the one that starred in the 1966 Batman television series. The 1966 Batman was always prepared to face any challenge with highly specialized weapons, like the infamous shark repellent spray and anti-bullet medication.
He has created many backup plans to ensure his and his allies’ safety, and he nearly always has a strategy in place to vanquish any threat that comes his way. However, no matter how hard Bruce trains, he will never be able to compete with the Earth-66 Batman. The man is equipped to handle practically any situation. Before Smallville overtook it in 2007, West’s Batman was the longest-running live-action superhero television series (in terms of episodes).
Batman (1966) is available to rent on Apple TV.
