[[“value”:”
The new Batman (1989) series has cast several actors as iconic Batman villains.
When Michael Keaton reprised his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the DC Universe (DCU) Multiverse movie The Flash (2023), we were left pinching ourselves to see if we’d wake up. Unfortunately, while his extended cameo was most welcome, the film itself wasn’t great.
Not only did the wishy-washy superhero cameo-filled outing — which marked the end of the DC Universe as we know it (it’s already being rebooted) — leave us feeling deflated, we’ve been left in the dark ever since as to whether or not Keaton’s Batman will ever return.
Credit: DC / Warner Bros.
To add salt to the wound, we were cheated out of seeing him for a second nostalgic reprisal in the DCU’s Batgirl, in which he starred opposite Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. But, in August 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery famously scrapped the entire film.
However, while Keaton’s Batman has been buried by several live-action performances since his last official outing in 1992’s Batman Returns, his Gotham City adventures continue in many ways. And yes, these continuations are absolutely official and, as such, canon.
Credit: DC Comics
Even diehard fans of Michael Keaton’s Batman might not realize that there’s an ongoing series that acts as a sequel to Batman (1989).
Titled “Batman ’89” (2021 — ongoing), the DC Comics story that follows on from Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992) is currently on its second series, with Issue 3 having released on July 10. Issue 4, due in September, will complete “Echoes” and the entire series.
Related: Batman: Every Returning Version of the Dark Knight Explained
Returning Batman (1989) and Batman Returns Characters
Credit: DC / Warner Bros.
Those familiar with “Batman ’89” will know that this series has made a name for itself not only by taking place in the same universe established in the 1989 film (aptly named the “Burton-Verse”), but also by capturing the likenesses of the actors from Tim Burton’s two Batman movies, such as Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman, along with returning Batman villains.
Harvey Dent/Two-Face
Credit: Inside the Magic
Among those returning Batman villains is Billy Dee Williams’ Harvey Dent, as seen in Batman (1989). You might be wondering why the ’89 Batman comics don’t feature Tommy Lee Jones’ version of the character from Batman Forever (1995), but “Batman ’89” doesn’t acknowledge that film or 1995’s Batman & Robin as canon, as it’s an alternate continuation of the first two Batman movies.
As such, William’s Harvey Dent becomes the Burton-Verse‘s Two-Face, a transformation we never got to see on screen as he didn’t quite reach that point in his career in the films.
Harvey Dent/Two-Face has also been played in live action by Aaron Eckhart (2008’s The Dark Knight). The iconic character is also expected to appear in the upcoming sequel Joker: Folie à Deux (2024).
The fact that “Batman ’89” ignores Batman Forever and Batman & Robin has also allowed these particular Batman comics to introduce other iconic Batman characters — including Batman villains — not seen in Tim Burton’s two Batman movies, but some of whom appear in the Joel Schumacher “sequels”.
Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
Credit: Inside the Magic
The first series, “Shadows”, introduced Barbara Gordon (who later becomes Batgirl).
While Batgirl was played by Alicia Silverstone in Batman & Robin (although that version is actually named Barbara Wilson and is the niece of Alfred Pennyworth and not the daughter of Commissioner James Gordon), here, she appears to have the likeness of Winona Ryder — which is likely no coincidence given the fact the actress is a Tim Burton movie regular (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice 2).
Previously, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl has been played in live action by Yvonne Joyce Craig (1960s’ Batman). Leslie Grace also portrayed the character in the DCU movie Batgirl, but sadly, we’ll never get to see that performance.
Related: Live-Action ‘Batman’ Horror Movie Officially in the Works, Lead Star Revealed
Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
Credit: Inside the Magic
“Echoes” Issue 1 introduces The Rogues Gallery villain Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn. who didn’t appear in Batman Forever or Batman & Robin.
However, she was famously played by Margot Robbie in the DCU movies Suicide Squad (2016), Birds of Prey (2020), and The Suicide Squad (2021), and will be portrayed by Lady Gaga later this year in Joker: Folie à Deux.
In “Batman ’89”, though, she appears to have the likeness of the international superstar Madonna (yes, Madonna), who was originally considered for the role in Joel Schumacher’s planned Batman & Robin follow-up Batman: Triumphant, another project that never saw the light of day.
Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow
Credit: Inside the Magic
When it came to Batman: Triumphant, Jurassic Park (1993) alum Jeff Goldblum also had his name banded around as it was rumored that he was being considered to play Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow in the scrapped Joel Schumacher sequel.
Now, in a similar vein to how the new Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) imagines Channing Tatum as X-Men character Remy Etienne LeBeau/Gambit after years of talks he’d play him in a solo movie that never happened, “Batman ’89” has given Jeff Goldblum a second chance at playing the Batman villain.
“Echoes” Issue 3’s Dr. Jonathan Crane is clearly modeled off Jeff Goldblum. We may never get to see this happen on screen, but never say never. Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of The Scarecrow in The Dark Knight trilogy has certainly helped cement the character as one of the iconic Batman villains.
Edward Nigel Maynard/The Riddler
Credit: Inside the Magic
Related: Michael Keaton’s New Batsuit Revealed Ahead of Upcoming ‘Batman’ (1989) Sequel
“Echoes” Issue 3 also introduces the Batman (1989) universe’s version of The Riddler, who was played by Jim Carrey in the film’s original threequel, Batman Forever.
Like most iterations of the question-mark-clad Rogues Gallery villain, the “Batman ’89” version has a variation of his real-life name: Edward Nigel Maynard (Carrey’s is Edward E Nygma and Paul Dano’s portrayal in 2022’s The Batman, for instance, is Edward Nashton).
More interestingly, this iteration is modeled after comedy actor Martin Short, best known these days for the Disney+/Hulu series Only Murders in the Building (2021 — ongoing).
Previous live-action Riddler actors include Frank Gorsham (1960s’ Batman), Joshua Harto (The Dark Knight‘s Mr. Coleman Reese), and Cory Michael Smith (Gotham).
Other Returning Batman (1989) Characters
Credit: DC / Warner Bros.
“Batman ’89” also sees the return of Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner James Gordon, who were played in all four Burton/Schumacher Batman movies by Michael Gough and Pat Hingle, respectively.
However, unlike all the other returning Burton-Verse characters, these two don’t appear to have the likenesses of their respective actors, which may have something to do with the fact that both Gough and Hingle have long since passed away.
In film and television, Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon have since been played by Michael Caine and Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight trilogy), Jeremy Irons and JK Simmons (the DC Universe movies), Sean Pertwee and Ben McKenzie (Gotham), and Andy Serkis and Jeffrey Wright (The Batman), respectively.
Jack Nicholson’s Jack Napier/The Joker also appears on some of the ’89 Batman comics’ cover art.
Another Official Batman (1989) Sequel Is Coming
Credit: DC / Warner Bros.
Whether or not we’ll see Michael Keaton’s Batman return in a new theatrical outing remains to be seen, but there is an official Batman (1989) sequel in development in the form of a novel titled “Batman: Resurrection” (2024) from John Jackson Miller.
Like “Batman ’89”, “Resurrection” will see the return of several characters from the two Tim Burton Batman movies. However, it takes place directly in the aftermath of the 1989 film. Still, it will feature two Batman Returns characters: Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle (pre-Catwoman) and Christopher Walken’s corrupt Gotham City industrialist Max Shreck.
Characters from the first film include Michael Gough’s Alfred Pennyworth, Pat Hingle’s Commissioner James Gordon, Robert Wuhl’s Alexander Knox, Billy Dee Williams’ Harvey Dent, Jerry Hall’s Alicia Hunt (The Joker’s girlfriend), Kim Basinger’s Vicki Vale, and, of course, Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman.
According to the synopsis, it may also feature Jack Nicholson’s Jack Napier/The Joker.
Credit: DC / Warner Bros.
“The Joker is dead, but not forgotten,” the blurb from Penguin Random House reads. “But even after death, the Clown Prince of Crime’s imprint can be seen in more than just the pavement.
Remnants from The Joker’s gang are leading wannabes fascinated by his bizarre mystique on a campaign of arson that threatens the city—even as it serves greedy opportunists, including millionaire Max Shreck. And survivors of exposure to The Joker’s chemical weapon Smylex continue to crowd Gotham City’s main hospital.”
“Batman: Resurrection” will be released on October 15. It’s now available to pre-order from Amazon, Penguin Random House, and Bookshop. It will also be available in audiobook format, meaning all the returning Tim Burton characters will be “recast”.
How Many “Batman 89” Comics Are There?
Six issues collect the first series, “Shadows”, which are on sale now. Only the first three issues of “Echoes” are currently available — Issue 4, the final issue, releases later this year.
Are you familiar with these Batman comic books and novels? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
“]] The new ‘Batman’ (1989) sequel introduces the “Burton-Verse” versions of Riddler and Scarecrow, but they already look very familiar. #Batman #BruceWayne #MichaelKeaton #BatmanResurrection #Batman1989 #BatmanReturns Read More