Darren Aronofsky Would Have Cast Joaquin Phoenix As Batman; Matthew Vaughn Shares His Optimistic Vision For Superman

Darren Aronofsky Would Have Cast Joaquin Phoenix As Batman; Matthew Vaughn Shares His Optimistic Vision For Superman

Darren Aronofsky’sBatmanpitch was one of the famed projects stewing in development hell for years, cast aside by Warner Bros. executives for being too dark a take on a property that generally attracts families. The project, which Aronofsky worked on withBatman: Year OnewriterFrank Millerin 1999, envisioned an R-rated Batman who grew up on the streets, fighting villains in a ski mask and wielding brass knuckles.

But Aronofsky didn’t get his chance to do his"Travis Bickle"-style Batman, and the Caped Crusader got his gritty, realistic reboot withChristopher Nolan’sBatman Beginsinstead. But with Aronofsky on hismother!press tour, questions about hisBatmanproject keep coming up, and he revealed who he would have cast if his film had come to pass.

Who Aronofsky’s Batman Would Be

Aronofsky revealed that if he had helmed hisBatman: Year One-inspired film, he would have cast Joaquin Phoenix, then known for his roles inGladiator, 8mm, andThe Yards, as his Bruce Wayne.

Aronofsky toldYahoo Movies:

“I always wanted Joaquin Phoenix for Batman. It’s funny, I think we were just sort of out of time with our idea. I understood that [with] comics, that there’s room for all different types of titles, but I think Hollywood at that time was still kind of in the Golden Age of comics, and they were still just doing the classic titles in classic ways.”

What Aronofsky means by “doing classic titles in classic ways,” is that theBatmanmovies at the time were still known for being family-friendly, having just come offJoel Schumacher’sBatman and Robinin 1997. ThoughTim Burtonhad given the superhero a Gothic, darker spin, that was walked back in favor of Schumacher’s campier take.

But while Aronofsky only seems slightly bitter that his dark and grittyBatmanpitch wasn’t accepted, it was only five years later that Nolan’s hyperrealisticBatman Beginshit theaters, introducing a grimmer Batman — though still relatively family-friendly. Some of Aronofsky’s ideas ended up being used inZack Snyder’s DC Extended Universe films likeBatman v Superman— andpossibly inspired portions of the upcomingJokerorigin movie— which fits the hypermasculine tone of the DCEU.

Whatever Happened to Matthew Vaughn’s Man of Tomorrow?

Meanwhile, while Aronofsky’s days dabbling in the superhero genre may be long past,KingsmandirectorMatthew Vaughn’s time in the genre may be just beginning. Vaughn wasreportedly being eyed to directMan of Steel 2earlier this year, though as the DCEU expands, the film’s release date becomes increasingly dubious.

But Matthew Vaughn toldColliderthat were he to direct aSupermanfilm, he would eschew Snyder’s dark leanings from the firstMan of Steel, and make a return to the Man of Tomorrow’s earnest, optimistic roots. That’s the opposite of what Aronofsky wanted to do with Batman, funnily enough. Vaughn said:

“Weirdly if I did doSuperman—and I made the mistake of telling someone yesterday I have spoken about it and then wallop (laughs)—I think my main take would be, it’s really boring but make aSupermanfilm. I just don’t feel a properSuperman—I think Donner did it to perfection for that time. Just doing the modern—I wanna do a modern version of the Donner [version]. Go back to the source material… For me Superman is color, feel-good, heroic. He’s a beacon of light in darkness. And that’s what I think Superman should be.”

If we’re going by Warner Bros.' claimed pivot to a"more fun" and optimistic DCEU, Vaughn’s vision forSupermanis right on the nose, making him sounds like an increasingly likely choice to helm theMan of Steelsequel. Though it could be argued that Vaughn’s ultraviolent films likeKingsman: The Secret ServiceorKick-Assindicate that he is a cynic not suitable for an earnestSupermanmovie, I believe Vaughn veers more towards camp than cynicism. Though he likes to fall back on unhinged blood and gore, it hasn’t prevented him from having fun with characters like inX-Men: First Classand injecting them with a noble righteousness that seems to be missing from the heroes in the DCEU — outside of Wonder Woman, of course.

It seems apt that Aronofsky’s overly grim version of a “gangster” Batman has been left in the dust, as it would likely not have started off a new reign of genre-bending superhero films like Nolan’sBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knight. Nolan’sBatmanfilms don’t completely eschew happiness and optimism —Batman Beginsis surprisingly funny — but they do prioritize Bruce Wayne’s arc into Batman before making any “edgy” choices. Though I may be completely wrong, considering the fact that Warner Bros. is still moving forward with theJokerorigin movie.