Summary

• After Batman and Beetlejuice returns, a Mr. Mom 2 featuring Michael Keaton is a possibility in Hollywood's horizon.
• Jack Butler could return to help his son or care for his grandkids in a potential Mr. Mom 2, following 1983's family comedy premise.
• Making Mr. Mom into a successful franchise sequel would be more challenging compared to Keaton's Batman and Beetlejuice returns.

With movies were originally directed by Tim Burton, who began the first of his five collaborations with Michael Keaton in 1988, giving the actor two of his biggest breakout roles.

Long before Christian Bale or Robert Pattinson donned the suit and mask, Tim Burton cast Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman for his 1989 Batman adaptation. The movie was a critical and commercial hit, leading Keaton and Burton to make a 1992 sequel titled Batman Returns. In 2023, Keaton reprised his Batman role after 31 years for The Flash, though without Burton behind the camera. Now, alongside Burton, Michael Keaton is returning for 2024’s Beetlejuice 2 after playing the iconic title character in 1988’s Beetlejuice movie. After reviving these characters with new movies, Keaton’s pattern suggests another ‘80s movie return could be in store.

Michael Keaton Returning To Batman & Beetlejuice Makes Mr. Mom 2 More Likely

His other most famous 1980s movie role

Alongside Batman and Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton’s other most famous movie role from that decade is Jack Butler in the 1983 comedy Mr. Mom. Arriving five years before the release of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, Mr. Mom showcased Keaton’s comedic chops in a leading role, and proved to be a huge box office hit after making nearly $65 million on an estimated budget of $5 million (via Michael Keaton's best movies, Mr. Mom follows his character becoming a stay-at-home dad after being laid off from his job while his wife returns to work, comically playing on stereotypical role reversals of the ‘80s.

Mr. Mom is available to stream on Tubi, Pluto TV, and MGM+.

Now that Keaton has returned to his two other critical and commercial hits of the 1980s, it wouldn’t be surprising for Hollywood to tap into this trend and greenlight Mr. Mom 2. Outside of Keaton’s own franchise film returns, Hollywood has had recent successes with rebooting or remaking ‘80s classics, such as the new Ghostbusters reboot movies, Road House’s remake, Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick return, and George Miller’s Mad Max movies. Mr. Mom may not have the same franchise-style potential as Beetlejuice or Batman, but seeing Keaton return to his role as Jack Butler after more than 41 years would be a great follow-up to this new trend.

What Mr. Mom 2's Story Could Be If Michael Keaton Returned As Jack Butler

Mr. Mom 2 would need a new spin on the original premise

With the original movie being centered on a family where a father unexpectedly becomes a stay-at-home dad, the story for Mr. Mom 2 could repeat this premise with one of Jack’s sons. Rather than Jack having to learn the ins and outs of constant childcare, a sequel to the 1983 comedy could see Jack as a grandfather helping his son Alex or Kenny step into the “Mr. Mom” role. Alternatively, Mr. Mom 2 could potentially follow Michael Keaton’s Jack taking care of his grandkids for a weekend, with the new conflict being centered around a 1980s-era dad trying to raise kids from an entirely different generation.

The former is similar to the actual premise of the 2019 Mr. Mom television reboot, which followed the husband of Jack’s daughter Megan taking care of their young kids after she returned to the workforce. The show was made for Vudu’s streaming service and only lasted one season, with the continuation failing to bring back any of the original cast , including Keaton. However, reviving the premise for a sequel would be more likely to find success by bringing back at least Michael Keaton, as Teri Garr retired from acting and the adult versions of their kids could reasonably be played by new actors.

Mrs. Doubtfire & Cheaper By The Dozen Already Beat Michael Keaton's Comedy To Mr. Mom 2

Dads learning to take on primary caretaker duties has already been replicated

Following the massive success of Mr. Mom back in 1983, a few subsequent comedies attempted to replicate the premise of the mother returning to work while the father became the primary caretaker. The most fondly ed spin on this concept was Mrs. Doubtfire, which saw him impersonate an elderly nanny in order to care for his children and receive income after quitting his job. The movie maintained the positive reviews of Mr. Mom, but was a far bigger hit at the box office, amassing over $440 million on a $25 million budget.

Consequently, while Michael Keaton has yet to reprise his role as Jack Butler, various other movies in the years since have beaten a potential Mr. Mom 2 to repeating the basic premise.

A decade later, a similar film was released that saw the father of 12 children try to balance full caretaking duties and coaching a college football team while his wife was promoting her new book on a tour. Cheaper by the Dozen, starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, went on to earn over $190 million at the box office despite poor reviews, and even earned a sequel that premiered two years later in 2005. Consequently, while Michael Keaton has yet to reprise his role as Jack Butler, various other movies in the years since have beaten a potential Mr. Mom 2 to repeating the basic premise.

Mr. Mom 2 Would Have A Bigger Challenge Than Keaton's Batman & Beetlejuice Returns

Mr. Mom is more difficult to turn into a hit franchise

Even if Michael Keaton were to make Mr. Mom 2 over 40 years after the original movie, its commercial prospects would be a disadvantage compared to his returns to 1980s movies like Batman and Beetlejuice. The latter two films lend themselves more easily to franchise return potential, with the horror genre and supernatural elements of Beetlejuice making the plot of Beetlejuice 2 more intriguing while Batman was already a long-established franchise before Keaton stepped into the Caped Crusader role. A family comedy movie that has already been replicated, however, would prove more difficult to successfully follow up and garner widespread anticipation.

The concept of a father learning stay-at-home parent duties while the mother is the primary source of income isn’t a novel or contemporary premise in today’s day and age, so the “role reversal” basis may not appeal as well to modern audiences.

Consequently, while Michael Keaton returning to the beloved movie would inspire excitement for Mr. Mom 2, a sequel would still have a bigger challenge in repeating the original’s box office draw. Furthermore, the concept of a father learning stay-at-home parent duties while the mother is the primary source of income isn’t a novel or contemporary premise in today’s day and age, so the “role reversal” basis may not appeal as well to modern audiences. However, anticipation for such a movie could grow by casting big names as Jack’s adult children, therefore increasing the audience appeal.

Source: Box Office Mojo