With the 1989 superhero film, Tim Burton introduced the Hollywood star Michael Keaton as Batman. The movie was a box office hit and even won an Oscar for Best Art Direction. Burton would go on to work on a sequel before Joel Schumacher took over the franchise with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
However, the writer of the 1992 sequel Batman Returns has shared that there were plans to continue the series with a potential spin-off following Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. But these plans never materialized.
The Lost Catwoman Spin-off in Tim Burton’s Batman Universe
Following the release of Batman Returns, Tim Burton and Daniel Waters were reportedly being considered to work on a Catwoman movie, potentially with Michelle Pfeiffer, who played the character in the 1992 film. However, both of them had two very different visions.
The writer of Batman Returns, Daniel Waters‘ idea for the movie was notably ahead of its time. Speaking at a December 2023 Los Angeles screening of Batman Returns at the Egyptian Theater, he said, “I wanted to make a ‘Batman’ movie where the metaphor was about Batman.”
He shared that following the events of Batman Returns, an amnesiac Selina would move to a Los Angeles version of Gotham City ruled by three “as*hole” superheroes. Upon learning of their truth, She would have to “go back to that whole Catwoman thing.”
He further explained that the movie presented a critical perspective on apparently virtuous male superheroes with concealed corruption, a concept later explored in the Amazon Prime series The Boys. “It was The Boys before The Boys,” Waters shared. However, Tim Burton felt “exhausted” reading Waters’ script, and the film never saw the light of the day.
What Happened to the Potential Catwoman Spin-off?
Both Tim Burton and Daniel Waters had their respective visions for the movie. Michelle Pfeiffer also expressed her eagerness to reprise her role, stating, “Are you kidding me? In a heartbeat. I loved that part,” in an interview with The New York Times.
Despite the collective interest, the movie never materialized. The reason behind this is believed to be the divergent tones of Batman Returns and Batman Forever. While the 1992 film did pretty well, it fell short of replicating the success of its predecessor and faced criticism for its dark tone.
However, Joel Schumacher’s 1995 film Batman Forever, starring Val Kilmer was a box office hit. Waters reportedly presented his script for the Catwoman spin-off on the same day that Batman Forever was released.
But with the film’s success, the studio allegedly lost interest in producing another project like Batman Returns. Halle Berry would later go on to star in the 2004 film Catwoman, which was critically panned and has since been considered one of the worst movies of all time.
Batman Returns and Batman Forever are available to stream on Max.
