Fans all have their own opinions on which Batman film is their favorite, or which interpretation of the Caped Crusader is the strongest. Many like Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, but there’s whole lot of love for the Tim Burton original, and don’t even get me started on the fans who think Kevin Conroy can do no wrong as the voice of Bruce Wayne. Of course, no fan is wrong. All storytelling and film is ultimately subjective, so something that works for one person may not work for someone else. Any interpretation of Batman — or any other DC hero — should be perceived in a similar fashion.

The amazing thing about all these comic book characters, however — especially on the DC side of things — is the sheer number of interpretations we’ve been given. Take a look at the CW interpretation of Superman and put him next to the DC Extended Universe Superman. We live in a time where we don’t need to choose one or the other. We have both. And therein lies the true beauty. Many filmmakers have tackled these characters in the past, and many more will tackle them in the years to come. This brings us to Batman.

Perhaps one of the most oft-cited influence on the past couple generations of Batman films, however, is comic book writer/artist Frank Miller, perhaps best known for penning such comics as The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. He’s also known for dabbling in film directing. Back in 2005, he collaborated with Robert Rodriguez to bring his graphic novel series Sin City to the big screen, and the film was received pretty well by fans and critics alike. Since then, he’s only worked on two other films — The Spirit, and Sin City 2, neither of which were received very well. 

Regardless, he’s considered a true visionary. and given the opportunity, many fans wonder what he could do with a Batman film himself. Speaking with Variety, Miller answered that very question:

“My dream would be to make it much smaller. To lose the toys and to focus more on the mission, and to use the city a great deal more. Because he’s got a loving relationship with the city he’s protecting. And unlike Superman his connection to crime is intimate; it has been ever since his parents were murdered. And he defeats criminals with his hands. So it would be a different take. But it will never be in my hands, because it would not be a good place to make toys from. There wouldn’t be a line of toys.”

This is very much spoken like a man who knows the character well, even if it is a bit contradictory in nature. And what does he mean by using the city? I’d be interested to hear a more in-depth conversation about this. And yes, the idea of not being beholden to toys is a great one, but I wouldn’t argue that that’s ever held back the recent Batman films, creatively speaking. 

While Miller’s track record isn’t exactly promising when it comes to film directing, there’s no denying he has a real knack for storytelling. Plus, let’s be real, if his version of Batman were to fail, Warner Bros. would be able to remake it with little issue. 

What do you think of Miller’s comments? Would you like to see him take on a Batman film? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Variety