Christopher Reeve once pitched Warner Bros on a fun Superman cameo in Tim Burton's Batman - which was quickly shot down. Batman '89 was a landmark for comic book adaptations and proved audiences would embrace such movies if the material was handled with respect. Before Batman's blockbusting success, few comic book films had worked outside of the Superman movies. While much bigger names like Nick Nolte were considered for the title role, the late, great Christopher Reeve was cast in 1978's Superman. He went on to play the Man of Steel in a further three outings, and Reeve's Superman is still considered the one to beat.
While the actor had little interest in making another entry after the stinging reception to Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, he once recalled pitching a cameo for the character in the then- Batman movie. Speaking to fans at the Dixie Trek convention in 1994 (via Michael Keaton's Batman "needing" help fighting crime on the streets of Gotham. Superman would just be "ing through," with the two superheroes briefly acknowledging one another before Superman flew away. Reeve its he was somewhat joking when he suggested the sequence but felt it would be a fun way to suggest a wider universe of heroes existing.
Why Reeve's Superman & Batman Plan Didn't Happen
Even if Reeve had tongue somewhat in cheek, he reveals his suggestion was "laughed down" by the powers that be. They wanted "nothing" to do with Reeve's Superman series, with Batman intended to be a much darker and more "brooding" type of movie. Whereas the Superman films were bright and full of color and humor, Tim Burton's Batman was mostly set at night with muted colors, and it was felt having Superman suddenly pop in would undermine that intended tone. Looking at the final version of Batman '89, it's hard to imagine where a surprise Superman cameo would have fit, outside of a mention on Gotham news.
The novelty of seeing Keaton's Batman and Reeve's Superman united onscreen - no matter how brief - would have been something special, but it was sadly never meant to be. While there were pitches for a Superman 5 starring Reeve in the years following the fourth entry, it appears he never seriously considered a return to the character before his horse-riding accident in 1995, with his Batman pitch being the only sign he was willing to reprise the part.
Michael Keaton's DCU Batman Future
Fans of Keaton were ecstatic when it was announced his Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom. Those plans are now in flux, with Batgirl being canceled following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and his Aquaman appearance seemingly reshot with Ben Affleck's Batman. It now appears Keaton's appearance in The Flash will be his sole return to the Caped Crusader, which is a disappointment if turns out to be true.
