Damon Lindelof shares his idea for Michael Keaton returning as Batman in a new movie adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns comic by Frank Miller. Lindelof is the producer and writer of HBO’s superhero drama Watchmen. Though there was a Watchmen movie adaptation from director Zack Snyder, Lindelof’s series is a sequel of the original comic books, setting the story over 30 years after the events of the comic series. This highlights Lindelof’s preference for innovation as opposed to recreating the comic as Snyder did in 2009.

Starring Regina King (Angela Abar/Sister Night), Don Johnson (Judd Crawford), Tim Blake Nelson (Looking Glass), Jeremy Irons (Ozymandias), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Calvin “Cal” Abar), Watchmen had a supremely talented cast to pull off a unique superhero tale. Along with the political theme of left-wing versus right-wing, King’s character was front and center, leading the action while Abdul-Mateen played the stay-at-home dad. Although that dynamic, much like many other parts of the show, has an interesting story behind it. On Sunday, the first season finished with its ninth episode, and despite being a ratings hit for HBO, we’re still unsure whether Lindelof will make a Watchmen season 2 for HBO. However, that hasn’t stopped him from throwing around other ideas for possible DC-related projects.

In an interview with ComicBook, Lindelof discussed a possible The Dark Knight Returns live-action film, and shared a “rad” idea with fans. After stating that he wouldn’t be interested in it because the film would be a “straight-up adaptation” of Frank Miller’s story, and that he would be “terrified of messing it up,” Lindelof revealed his idea for a Dark Knight Returns film: “I think it would be really interesting to wait for somebody like, you know, Michael Keaton, who had already done Batman, or a Christian Bale 25 years from now and then do Dark Knight with them. So, it’s someone who we actually saw play a younger version of Batman.”

Keaton famously put on the Batman suit in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, a film that also starred Jack Nicholson as The Joker. He also starred in Burton’s incredibly dark sequel, Batman Returns in 1992, before Val Kilmer and George Clooney unsuccessfully took over the Dark Knight role in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, respectively. Keaton’s most recent superhero-related role was in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, where he played the villain of the film.

Keaton reprising his role as Batman for a Dark Knight Returns film is quite the idea. Keaton was very successful in that role, and those who grew up watching him play the legendary superhero would certainly have an immediate connection with him as Bruce Wayne. There is logic to the idea as recasting an older actor who played the role, and also has the respect of the audience makes sense, and it would be fascinating to see how the actor takes on the role of Batman almost 30 years after Batman Returns.

Next: HBO’s Watchmen Season 1 Ending Explained

Source: ComicBook