History WhatCouldHaveBeen / DCComicsFilmAndTV

* Animator Vinton Heuck had pitched an animated series called ''Superman Family'', inspired by ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth'' and ''ComicBook/SuperSons''. It would feature Silver Age-inspired stories starring the Kent family (Clark, Lois and Jon) as well as other S-Shield bearers such as ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, [[ComicBook/NewSuperMan Kong Kenan]] and the John Henry and Natasha Irons versions of ComicBook/{{Steel}}. Sketches also revealed that Robin (Damian Wayne) would play a big part of this as well as Mr. Mxyzptlk.

[[foldercontrol]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls'' began its life as ''WesternAnimation/SuperBestFriendsForever'', five shorts created by Creator/LaurenFaust for Creator/CartoonNetwork's [[UsefulNotes/BlockProgramming programming block]] WesternAnimation/DCNation. Faust went on to pitch the show as a full-on series to the network, but they [[https://twitter.com/Fyre_flye/status/631976909866270720 turned it down]]. Years later, Cartoon Network picked up ''Super Hero Girls'', and many elements carried over. One famous example is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5j_9rDh3TE "#TheLateBatsby"]], effectively a remake of ''SBFF'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ti0bJfWBfg "Time Waits for No Girl"]].

* Wendy from ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'' was originally intended to be Batman's niece, which was awkwardly handled in the first scripts (according to script advisor E. Nelson Bridwell, they "had her openly referring to the Caped Crime-fighter as 'Uncle Bruce', while he introduced her to people who were not supposed to know The Batman's identity as 'my niece'").

* Prior to the cancellation of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' and the creation of ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'', there were a number of other pitches. One of them was a Nightwing-centered cartoon. The design for ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} in the cartoon seems to hint that this ended up becoming ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''. The other pitch was for the Bat-Family (comprised of Batman, ComicBook/{{Robin}} [Damian Wayne], Nightwing, ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} and [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2000}} Batgirl [Cassandra Cain]]]) attempting to protect Gotham after a major disaster left it in ruins, ''a la ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand''. It also would've included [[https://www.instagram.com/p/zso9lGyLm0/ Jason Todd]] as Red Robin and a [[https://www.instagram.com/p/yZYc-zSLiS/ giant Clayface]].

** [[http://www.slashfilm.com/gotham-high-animated-teen-batman-show/ Gotham High]] probably deserves a mention here. The premise was "What if all the Batman characters were in high school together"?

*** [[ComicBook/WonderGirl Donna Troy]] and [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Mary Bromfield]] were meant to debut at Rocket's bridal shower in "Satisfaction", but their roles were cut for time and budgetary purposes. Weisman later revealed that Donna would have used the "Troia" codename, while Mary would have been "Sergeant Marvel". Donna was also originally planned to be in season 1 as Wonder Girl, but had to be written out due to DC declaring her off-limits for use at the time. By the time she was cleared for usage, it was too late in production of the season to squeeze her into an episode. Season 3 ultimately cleared her for appearance...as a United Nations Themysciran ambassador, indeed named Troia as planned.

*** There was consideration of having all the surviving timeskip-era members (i.e.: Troia, the other two Marvels) in the series finale, but there was not enough time for the character designers to work them into a scene. In the end, only Tempest got to make a silent cameo, and Troia only appeared in season 3 at last as an ambassador.

** The Wonder Twins from ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'' and Rose Wilson / Ravager were going to appear in the show had it been renewed for a third season.

** In 1983, Hanna-Barbera tried once more and pitched an adaptation of "The New Teen Titans" to Creator/{{ABC}}. It almost happened, until the network executives decided that they wanted a show more in line with the Smurfs (which at the time had been very successful). Alan Burnett had developed the proposal, and the team would have included all of the members except Robin (due to him being used in ''Super Friends''). Wonder Girl was stated to be the leader instead, and the Titans would have fought Trigon and Blackfire. Some of the artwork shown at a HB exhibition reveals that ComicBook/{{Raven}} and ComicBook/{{Cyborg}} would have been given vehicles, for possible merchandise appeal. Cyborg would ride a motorcycle, while Raven would ride upon some sort of hoverboard. Not all ''was'' lost, though - the gathered team did show up...in an anti-drug commercial and Cyborg proved popular enough to appear in the final season of ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends''.

* Animator Vinton Heuck had pitched an animated series called ''Superman Family'', inspired by ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth'' and ''ComicBook/SuperSons''. It would feature Silver Age-inspired stories starring the Kent family (Clark, Lois and Jon) as well as other S-Shield bearers such as ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, [[ComicBook/NewSuperMan Kong Kenan]] and the John Henry and Natasha Irons versions of ComicBook/{{Steel}}. Sketches also revealed that Damian Wayne would play a big part of this as well as Mr. Mxyzptlk.

* In the book ''Batman Begins and the Comics'', released in 2005, Julian Darius talks about a proposed [[http://www.kryptonsite.com/brucewayne/ Bruce Wayne spinoff series]] that was pitched by Tim [=McCanlies=] to Tollin/Robbins Productions. The show (which got far enough in development that a [[http://www.kryptonsite.com/brucewayne/script.htm pilot script]] and a [[http://www.kryptonsite.com/brucewayne/outline.htm series bible]] had been prepared) would have run for five to six seasons, and followed Wayne as he matured from a rambunctious 17-year old kid to a serious young man, traveling from Gotham City to various parts of the world (where he would further develop his skillset). In the end, the rise of the big-budget superhero film (''X-Men'' came out in 2000) and an aborted plan for a ''Batman: Year One'' film adaptation (directed by Creator/DarrenAronofsky and co-written by Creator/FrankMiller), which would lead to the [[Film/BatmanBegins reboot of the film franchise]] in 2005 killed this series stone-dead. Instead, Alfred Gough and his production team chose to create ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' instead. Almost ten years later, a "young Bruce Wayne" series [[Series/{{Gotham}} actually did materialise]].
** Even though the series did not reach far enough for serious casting, there were rumours that Creator/ShawnAshmore and Trevor Fehrman (of Film/ClerksII fame) would be cast as Bruce Wayne, while a then-unknown Creator/MichaelRosenbaum (who would later play Lex Luthor in ''Series/{{Smallville}}'') and Creator/DavidKrumholtz were rumoured for the roles of Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon.
** Each episode was to be bookended by shots of a cavern, with Alfred as the narrator, telling all in flashback, through his "memoirs".

** Figures from Batman's future would appear, a mysterious "consultant" called Selina Kyle, a psychology professor (Jonathan Crane), a disturbed con man (Edward Nygma) and a would-be comedian, described as "Sam Kinison but angrier", by the name of Jack Napier.

*** Some of the ideas tossed around included a [[SpiderTank giant mechanical spider]] attacking Lois Lane in a pit of webs, [[ClothesMakeTheSuperman Supes being a normal guy who got his powers from his costume]] a'la ComicBook/{{Venom}} (the hell?), Brainiac having a "gay [[Franchise/StarWars R2-D2]]" as a sidekick, polar bear fights and a Kryptonian cyborg. This was all real.

*** Superman would have worn multiple costumes, starting with a more "organic" variation of the classic red and blue tights. After his death, he'd briefly transition to a regenerative alien suit to help the healing process before merging with the Eradicator, who would have had the ability to transform into a suit of PoweredArmor. Superman would then don a black outfit with a silver S during the final battle, as producer Jon Peters thought the classic costume was "too faggy". [[https://www.plarko.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Tim_Burton_Superman_costume.jpg A test shot of the regenerative costume can be found here]], [[https://twitter.com/JonSchnepp/status/621039778977308672 while one of the red and blue suit can be found here]].

*** Creator/JJAbrams' draft for the film. Let's see... Krypton is designed to be like [[Film/ThePhantomMenace Naboo]], and doesn't blow up; [[OriginalCharacter Original character]] Kata-Zor, brother of Jor-El, would start a civil war on Krypton; Kal-El is shipped away by his parents because of a coup. Clark's powers first manifest as a young boy, when he saves Ma Kent from a rapist landlord. Lex Luthor is a CIA agent pursuing proof of extraterrestrial life... because he's an alien himself. Kata-Zor's son, Ty-Zor, would bring three Kryptonians to Earth to fight Superman. Superman ''dies'' in the climax, so Jor-El, still imprisoned on Krypton, ''kills himself'' so he can go into the afterlife and talk Superman out of being dead. [[http://www.aintitcool.com/node/13350 And so much more what-the-fuckery.]]

* Creator/GeorgeMiller came close to making a ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica film in 2007, with a cast consisting of Armie Hammer (who would later play ''Film/TheLoneRanger'') as Batman, D.J. Cotrona (who would appear in ''Film/{{Shazam|2019}}'') as Superman, Megan Gale as ComicBook/WonderWoman, rapper Common as ComicBook/GreenLantern (John Stewart), and Adam Brody (who also appeared in ''Film/{{Shazam|2019}}'') as ComicBook/TheFlash (Barry Allen), with ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, ComicBook/MartianManhunter, and a teenage Wally West appearing as well. The story had Maxwell Lord (played by Creator/JayBaruchel), Talia al Ghul, and the ComicBook/{{OMAC}}s as the villains, with a plot loosely inspired by Creator/MarkWaid's ''[[ComicBook/JLATowerofBabel Tower of Babel]]'', and Creator/GregRucka's ''The O.M.A.C. Project'' and ''Countdown to ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis''. The movie would have ended with Barry pulling a HeroicSacrifice to defeat Lord, setting up Wally to become the new Flash in future installments. It got far enough along in production that sets were created and filming was ready to start. However, the project was put on hold before filming could commence following the 2007 writer's strike, the death of the costume designer, and an unfavorable change in Australia's tax code. Even after the strike ended and a new costumer designer was hired, most of the cast had moved on and Warner Bros. lost interest in the project following the success of ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', leading to the film's cancellation.

*** One of the earliest script treatments would have had Superman fighting Comicbook/{{Brainiac}} and dying before being revived inside the shrunken city of Kandor and going off to stop Brainiac for good.

*** Some of the ideas tossed around included a [[SpiderTank giant mechanical spider]] attacking Lois Lane in a pit of webs, [[ClothesMakeTheSuperman Supes being a normal guy who got his powers from his costume]] a'la Comicbook/{{Venom}} (the hell?), Brainiac having a "gay [[Franchise/StarWars R2-D2]]" as a sidekick, polar bear fights and a Kryptonian cyborg. This was all real.

*** Among the people considered for the role of Clark/Kal-El in ''Superman Lives'' was none other than ''Creator/NicolasCage''. ''And'' it was at one point to be directed by Creator/TimBurton. Creator/ChrisRock was also being looked at to play Comicbook/JimmyOlsen, which would have made for a RaceLift. Lex Luthor was to be played possibly by Creator/JackNicholson (though Kevin Smith has since said he pictured Creator/MichaelRooker, who'd appeared in ''Film/{{Mallrats}}'' with a Luthor-esque bald head, when writing his script) Franchise/{{Batman}} also would've made a cameo during Superman's funeral.

*** Jon Peters has said Creator/SandraBullock was the main choice to play ComicBook/LoisLane, while Tim Burton has said he wanted Creator/ChristopherWalken to play Brainiac. Creator/KevinSpacey was actually one of the top choices to play Comicbook/LexLuthor, years before ''Superman Returns''.

*** The film would see Superman die during his battle with Doomsday, only to transfer his life-energy into Comicbook/LoisLane and cause her to have a MysticalPregnancy and give birth to Superman's child, who would [[PlotRelevantAgeUp rapidly mature into a 21-year old]] within three weeks and then become the new Superman. No word on what drugs the execs involved in this were taking.

* A scene that was never filmed for ''Film/{{Steel}}'' would have had John Henry Irons visiting a disability counselor after Sparky ended up in a wheelchair. The counselor (in a wheelchair himself) would note John's [[Franchise/{{Superman}} S-Shield]] tattoo, and talk about the responsibility that comes with that symbol, inspiring him to become Steel. Unfortunately, Christopher Reeve couldn't make it, and without him in the role the entire point of the scene was gone.

* A sequel to ''Superman Returns'' dubbed ''Man of Steel'' (no relation to the actual movie of that title) was in the works for a while, with Creator/BryanSinger wanting Comicbook/{{Darkseid}} to be the BigBad and Michael Dougherty wanting Brainiac. Singer claims the film would have been more [[ActionizedSequel violent and action-packed]] (according to his interviews, going "all [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan Wrath of Khan]] on it.") to answer the complaints about ''Returns'' allegedly being boring and too focused on personal drama.

* Creator/GeorgeMiller came close to making a Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica film in 2007, with a cast consisting of Armie Hammer (who would later play ''Film/TheLoneRanger'') as Batman, D.J. Cotrona (who would appear in ''Film/{{Shazam|2019}}'') as Superman, Megan Gale as Franchise/WonderWoman, rapper Common as Franchise/GreenLantern (John Stewart), and Adam Brody (who also appeared in ''Film/{{Shazam|2019}}'') as Franchise/TheFlash (Barry Allen), with ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, ComicBook/MartianManhunter, and a teenage Wally West appearing as well. The story had Maxwell Lord (played by Creator/JayBaruchel), Talia al Ghul, and the Comicbook/{{OMAC}}s as the villains, with a plot loosely inspired by Creator/MarkWaid's ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmericaTowerofBabel Tower of Babel]]'', and Creator/GregRucka's ''The O.M.A.C. Project'' and ''Countdown to Comicbook/InfiniteCrisis''. The movie would have ended with Barry pulling a HeroicSacrifice to defeat Lord, setting up Wally to become the new Flash in future installments. It got far enough along in production that sets were created and filming was ready to start. However, the project was put on hold before filming could commence following the 2007 writer's strike, the death of the costume designer, and an unfavorable change in Australia's tax code. Even after the strike ended and a new costumer designer was hired, most of the cast had moved on and Warner Bros. lost interest in the project following the success of ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', leading to the film's cancellation.

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', as directed and written by [[Film/PulpFiction Roger Avary]] with aid from the guys who went on to write ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''. The original script blended ''Preludes and Nocturnes'' and ''A Doll's House'' with the meeting of the Endless that opens ''Season of Mists'', so you have Morpheus trying to reclaim the symbols of his office while trying to stop The Corinthian from using Rose Walker to take over the Dreaming. Then Jon Peters (yup, that guy again) got his hands on the script, and tried to insert, among other things: Morpheus in tights; Morpheus talking even ''more'' pretentiously than he already does; Morpheus engaging The Corinthian in ''hand-to-hand combat''; and that damned mechanical spider. Gaiman took one look at the script after Peters was done with it, declared it a work on unparalleled crap, and the film has rested in DevelopmentHell ever since.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

-->'''Lois''': I'm not saying I'm buying into any of this stuff yet, but it is kind of bizarre that Tempus, of all people, is behind the curse. I mean, Comicbook/LexLuthor, I could understand, but...

* The producers of ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' pitched an idea for "Metropolis", a prequel to the ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' franchise, which was said to avoid Superman entirely to focus in the unlikely duo of Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, who end up investigating "the world of fringe science" together while shining a light on Metropolis' "dark and bizarre secrets." Later reports suggested that Clark Kent would have shown up as a supporting character, "with his superhero identity never being shown or even so much as hinted at." The series was never made.

* In 1999, Alex Ross and Paul Dini began preliminary work on a ''Comicbook/{{Shazam}}'' cartoon that would've featured Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. as the leads. The series would have had a more exaggerated art style, described as a cross between C.C. Beck and ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998''. Unfortunately, this had to be axed when it turned out WB didn't have the television rights to the Shazam franchise.

* Prior to the cancellation of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' and the creation of ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'', there were a number of other pitches. One of them was a Nightwing-centered cartoon. The design for Comicbook/{{Nightwing}} in the cartoon seems to hint that this ended up becoming ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''. The other pitch was for the Bat-Family (comprised of Batman, Comicbook/{{Robin}} [Damian Wayne], Nightwing, Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} and [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl 2000}} Batgirl [Cassandra Cain]]]) attempting to protect Gotham after a major disaster left it in ruins, ''a la ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand''. It also would've included [[https://www.instagram.com/p/zso9lGyLm0/ Jason Todd]] as Red Robin and a [[https://www.instagram.com/p/yZYc-zSLiS/ giant Clayface]].

** The second season was supposed to have featured [[Comicbook/{{Valor}} Mon-El]] as a major character, but the execs shot this down on the premise that Mon-El was too similar to Superboy. They ended up using the DarkerAndEdgier CanonForeigner Superman X instead.

*** [[Comicbook/WonderGirl Donna Troy]] and [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Mary Bromfield]] were meant to debut at Rocket's bridal shower in "Satisfaction", but their roles were cut for time and budgetary purposes. Weisman later revealed that Donna would have used the "Troia" codename, while Mary would have been "Sergeant Marvel". Donna was also originally planned to be in season 1 as Wonder Girl, but had to be written out due to DC declaring her off-limits for use at the time. By the time she was cleared for usage, it was too late in production of the season to squeeze her into an episode. Season 3 ultimately cleared her for appearance...as a United Nations Themysciran ambassador, indeed named Troia as planned.

** Christopher Jones has stated that had the show been renewed for a third season, Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} would have appeared.

** In 1983, Hanna-Barbera tried once more and pitched an adaptation of "The New Teen Titans" to Creator/{{ABC}}. It almost happened, until the network executives decided that they wanted a show more in line with the Smurfs (which at the time had been very successful). Alan Burnett had developed the proposal, and the team would have included all of the members except Robin (due to him being used in ''Super Friends''). Wonder Girl was stated to be the leader instead, and the Titans would have fought Trigon and Blackfire. Some of the artwork shown at a HB exhibition reveals that Comicbook/{{Raven}} and Comicbook/{{Cyborg}} would have been given vehicles, for possible merchandise appeal. Cyborg would ride a motorcycle, while Raven would ride upon some sort of hoverboard. Not all ''was'' lost, though - the gathered team did show up...in an anti-drug commercial and Cyborg proved popular enough to appear in the final season of ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends''.

* Back in the early '90s, there were plans for a ''Franchise/WonderWoman''-centered animated series and toy line called ''ComicBook/WonderWomanAndTheStarRiders''; the show and characters would have been more of a MagicalGirl show akin to ''WesternAnimation/SheRa'' or ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' than the comics. This idea only got as far as doll prototypes and a mini comic for a cereal before it was unceremoniously dumped. The designs, minus Wonder Woman, were re-purposed for ''WesternAnimation/TenkoAndTheGuardiansOfTheMagic''. [[http://web.archive.org/web/19991004205107/http://members.aol.com/sarahdyer/starriders/wwstar.htm This page]] showcases the disastrous idea.

* Creator/MikeMignola did concept art for an animated ''Comicbook/NewGods'' movie that ultimately went unproduced.

*** Among the people considered for the role of Clark/Kal-El in ''Superman Lives'' was none other than ''Creator/NicolasCage''. ''And'' it was at one point to be directed by Creator/TimBurton. Creator/ChrisRock was also being looked at to play Comicbook/JimmyOlsen, which would have made for a RaceLift. Franchise/{{Batman}} also would've made a cameo during Superman's funeral.

*** Superman would have worn multiple costumes, starting with a more "organic" variation of the classic red and blue tights. After his death, he'd briefly transition to a regenerative alien suit to help the healing process before merging with the Eradiactor, who would have had the ability to transform into a suit of PoweredArmor. Superman would then don a black outfit with a silver S during the final battle, as producer Jon Peters thought the classic costume was "Too faggy." [[https://www.plarko.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Tim_Burton_Superman_costume.jpg A test shot of the regenerative costume can be found here]], [[https://twitter.com/JonSchnepp/status/621039778977308672 while one of the red and blue suit can be found here]].
*** After Kevin Smith exited, ''Superman Lives'', writer Wesley Strick was brought on to take a shot at it, and the results, in the words of i09, "would have made ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' look like ''Film/TheDarkKnight''." Read more about that script [[http://io9.com/5981002/proof-that-superman-lives-would-have-made-batman--robin-look-like-the-dark-knight here]].

* ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes'':

*** Also, Alexis Luthor was to have a major role as TheDragon to Imperiex and end up making a HeelFaceTurn that got her elected to a position of great political power, free to screw around with the Legion legally. But the network executives demanded less female characters, feeling that boys didn't want them, so Alexis' role was scrapped.

*** ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, Sensor, Magnetic Kid, Wildfire, Tellus, Princess Projectra and Shadow Lass would be introduced.
*** Blok and Dawnstar would have major roles after having becoming background characters in the previous season.

!! Live-Action TV Series

* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/DCAnimatedUniverse''

''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Arrowverse}}''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/BatmanBeyond''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/DCAnimatedUniverse''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/DCExtendedUniverse''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Green Lantern|2011}}''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Joker|2019}}''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/JusticeLeague''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Teen Titans|2003}}''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Titans|2018}}''
''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Young Justice|2010}}''

* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/DCExtendedUniverse''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Green Lantern|2011}}''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Joker|2019}}''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Arrowverse}}''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Titans|2018}}''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/DCAnimatedUniverse''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/BatmanBeyond''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/JusticeLeague''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Teen Titans|2003}}''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/{{Young Justice|2010}}''

[[foldercontrol]]

* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/TheDarkKnightTrilogy''

[[folder:''Batman'']]
* ''{{Film/Batman|1989}}'':
** Creator/PierceBrosnan was the first choice for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/MichaelKeaton was cast, but turned down the offer due to his lack of interest in portraying a comic book character at the time. Brosnan would eventually be cast as Doctor Fate in ''{{Film/Black Adam|2022}}'', set within the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
*** Creator/MelGibson was also approached for the part of Bruce Wayne, but turned it down due to scheduling commitments to ''Film/LethalWeapon2''.
*** Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/KevinCostner, Creator/CharlieSheen, Creator/TomSelleck and Creator/DennisQuaid were considered for the role of Batman as well before the casting of Keaton.
** Creator/RobinWilliams was offered the part of [[Comicbook/TheJoker Jack Napier]] when Creator/JackNicholson hesitated to take the role. Williams had even ''accepted'' the part when the producers approached Nicholson again, and told him Williams would take the role if he didn't. When Nicholson agreed and Williams was released from the part, he was so furious for being used as bait that he refused the offer to portray [[Comicbook/TheRiddler Edward Nygma]] in ''Film/BatmanForever'', and even declined to be involved in any Creator/WarnerBros productions until the studio apologized.
*** Creator/JohnLithgow read for the role of the Joker as well, but personally believed that he was not right for the part and persuaded the director not to cast him.
----> '''Lithgow:''' My worst audition was for Tim Burton for Batman. I tried to persuade him I was not right for the part, and I succeeded. I didn’t realize it was such a big deal. About a week later I heard they were going after Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson.
*** Music/DavidBowie, Creator/WillemDafoe, Creator/BradDourif, Creator/JamesWoods and Creator/TimCurry were also considered for the Joker before the casting of Nicholson. Curry would later go on to be cast as the character in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', but was replaced by Creator/MarkHamill due to him coming down with bronchitis, his voice being too similar to Captain Hook in ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'', and being considered '''TOO''' scary for younger viewers.
** Creator/DonJohnson, [[Literature/PetSematary Dale Midkiff]], Creator/MartinSheen and Creator/WilliamPetersen were considered for the role of [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] before the casting of Creator/BillyDeeWilliams.
** Creator/SeanYoung was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but was injured in a horseback riding accident prior to commencement of filming which caused her to drop out of the project. Young would eventually go on to visit production offices dressed in a ''homemade [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Catwoman]] costume'', demanding an audition for ''Film/BatmanReturns'', before being escorted off the premises.
** Creator/KieferSutherland was offered the part of [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] before the character was subsequently written out of the script. Dick Grayson would later appear in ''Film/BatmanForever'' and ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' portrayed by Creator/ChrisODonnell.
** Creator/TheCoenBrothers, Creator/DavidCronenberg and Creator/JoeDante were approached to direct the movie before Creator/TimBurton was hired. The Coen Brothers reportedly turned down the offer as they didn't want to do a film that wasn't theirs.
*** Creator/SamRaimi was also in the running to direct the movie, but was overlooked as he was not a big enough name. Raimi was later brought up again as a potential replacement for Burton on ''Film/BatmanForever'', but was turned down in favor of Creator/JoelSchumacher.
** Music/{{Prince}}'s [[Music/Batman1989 soundtrack album]] for the film was originally going to be a collaborative project with Music/MichaelJackson. According to Prince, he would've provided {{funk}} songs sung from the Joker's perspective, while Jackson would've recorded ballads from Batman's point of view. However, Jackson turned down the offer due to his prior concert commitments.
** Music/JohnWilliams was considered to compose the score for the film before Creator/DannyElfman was hired.
** Burton stated in an interview that he had initially wanted Creator/AdamWest and [[Series/Batman1966 Julie Newmar]], from the [[Series/Batman1966 1960s series]], to [[RemakeCameo play Thomas and Martha Wayne in the flashback]]. Audiences would recognize West and Newmar from the series and see them get shot, symbolizing the "death" of the old Batman. Script rewrites caused this to be scrapped, and West later said he wasn't even offered the role (and even if he was, he wouldn't have taken it). West and Newmar would respectively voice Thomas and Martha in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''.
** In the original script, written by Tom Mankiewicz, crime boss Rupert Thorne hires Joe Chill to murder Thomas Wayne because he is running against Thorne for city council.
** A later draft written by Sam Hamm also has a large part of the film concentrating on Bruce traveling abroad and training with Henri Ducard, whom Bruce would later discover to be a criminal. This script was later overhauled into the version seen in the film, and Ducard was deleted. Months before the film's release, then-DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil asked Hamm to guest-write a "Blind Justice" storyarc throughout Batman-themed comics as a tie-in, and Hamm introduced his character there (specifically, in ''Detective Comics'' #599, April 1989). Ducard would later appear, played by Creator/LiamNeeson, as a CompositeCharacter with Ra's al Ghul in ''Film/BatmanBegins''.
** That hooker who smiles at LittleJimmy in the film's opening scene? Originally, she was supposed to be ''only 14 years old''. She was also going to be shown chatting casually with a couple of cops, showing us how corrupt the Gotham police are even before we meet Eckhart.
** Vicki Vale and Alex Knox were both supposed to be killed off in earlier drafts. Knox's death was still planned as shooting began, but the crew loved Robert Wuhl's performance enough that they not only spared him, but gave him a HeroicBystander moment during the climax.
** Jon Peters wanted to use a Nike {{product placement}} with the Batsuit.
** In Sam Hamm's draft, the Joker takes down the Batwing in a Joker tank. The ending had the Joker attempting escape via helicopter, the helicopter rouses a swarm of bats that had been sleeping in the rafters, and the bats engulf the Joker, who falls to his death.
** At one point, Batman was going to use a giant horseshoe magnet to draw a jet-packing goon into the Batmobile's trunk.
** The script was originally a lot more campy - at one point, there was going to be a scene where Batman fought three jetpack-equipped henchmen of the Penguin's, while the Penguin watched from an "umbrella-copter".
* ''Film/BatmanReturns'':
** Creator/DustinHoffman was the first choice for [[Comicbook/ThePenguin Oswald Cobblepot]] before Creator/DannyDeVito was cast, but turned down the offer due to scheduling commitments to ''Film/DickTracy''.
*** Creator/ChristopherLloyd, Creator/ChristopherLee, Creator/JohnGoodman, Creator/AlanRickman, Creator/BobHoskins, Creator/JohnCandy and Creator/JoePesci were also considered for the part of the Penguin before the casting of [=DeVito=].
** Creator/AnnetteBening was originally chosen for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]] before the casting of Creator/MichellePfeiffer, but dropped out of the project due to her pregnancy at the time.
*** Creator/SigourneyWeaver, Creator/BrookeShields, Creator/GeenaDavis, Creator/DemiMoore, Creator/MerylStreep, Creator/NicoleKidman and Creator/SusanSarandon were considered for the part of Catwoman as well before the casting of Pfeiffer. Kidman would eventually go on to portray Chase Meridian in ''Film/BatmanForever'', while Sarandon would play [[BigBad Victoria Kord]] in ''{{Film/Blue Beetle|2023}}''.
** Music/DavidBowie was the initial candidate for the role of Max Shreck before Creator/ChristopherWalken was cast, but turned it down to star in ''Series/TwinPeaks''. Bowie was previously considered for the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
** Creator/BurgessMeredith was meant to have a cameo as the Penguin's father, but had to bow out due to illness.
** The character Max Shreck was originally written for [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] (Creator/BillyDeeWilliams), thus explaining the character's political ambitions. The film would have ended on a cliffhanger, with the explosion at the end only scarring [[Main/{{Foreshadowing}} half of his face]].
** There were brief discussions of having Creator/JackNicholson return as the Joker, despite his fate at the end of the previous film (though it's not exactly unheard of for the Joker to come BackFromTheDead in the comics). All of this was thrown out once Creator/TimBurton agreed to return as director because he didn't want to make a ''direct'' sequel for whatever reason (it helped that he [[CreatorBacklash wasn't too thrilled]] about the first film, plus he dislikes sequels in general), though the film did still reference the previous film's events by mentioning Vicki Vale.
** Penguin was originally going to be slim, tall and handsome in an earlier script for this movie. That idea would later be used for ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries.''
** The original script had many, many more members of the Red Triangle Gang. Notable members of the circus in the original script included a ringmaster with poison-tipped gauntlets, a duo with razor sharp metal blades encrusted into their heads like mohawks, a teenage clown with a neon medallion that read [[XtremeKoolLetterz "CIRKUS"]] who was the original stun gun clown, and a group of clowns dressed like firefighters who operate a fire-engine that happed to shoot napalm (in a possible dark twist on the clown scene from ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'').
** Sam Hamm's original script for ''Batman 2'' included a few {{Continuity Nod}}s to the first film, such as Bruce proposing to Vicki Vale, a souvenir store selling scraps of the wrecked Batplane and more insights to the deceased Joker. Catwoman and the non-deformed Penguin were featured, but neither had an origin story, and the Penguin was given the alias "Mr. Boniface" in a MythologyGag (his original alias in the comics; "Oswald Cobblepot" is nowhere to be found). The Penguin enters the film when he is released from prison for previous offenses, Catwoman comes in when he hires her for her burglary skills, and both go off searching for buried treasure (which would have been revealed to be hidden in the Batcave). Also, in this script, Selina has already taken on her Catwoman persona before the film's events, and is an out-and-out villain, mutilating street thugs and murdering police officers and millionaires in cold blood. Also, Dick Grayson in this iteration of the script is noticeably darker than most of his other portrayals, chastising Batman for not killing criminals.
** Daniel Waters' script treatment for the second film had a number of radically-different elements concerning the characters, most notably having a larger reliance on gags (to such an extent that Keaton allegedly put his foot down and had the humor reined in to make the script more grounded):
*** Max Shreck was originally intended to be Penguin's older brother, the "golden boy" of the Cobblepot family, whereas the Penguin was the deformed outsider. He was supposedly ashamed of his father, after he threw his baby brother into the sewer, and he emancipated himself from the Cobblepot family as soon as he became of age. Meanwhile, Penguin ''genuinely had'' lived his entire life in the sewer and didn't know his real identity: later rewrites by Wesley Strick added in Batman discovering Penguin's history as a sideshow freak in a circus with the Red Triangle Gang, as well as the entire subplot about Penguin's plan to kill all the firstborn sons of Gotham (in Waters' script, he escalates straight from his failed mayoral campaign to sending out the exploding penguins).
*** The initial attack on Gotham Plaza is a lot more elaborate, with the thugs invading before the tree-lighting ceremony begins and infiltrating Max Shreck's penthouse office, taking Max, Chip, the Mayor, and Selina hostage. Batman has to fight his way up to the penthouse level to save them, in the process leaving the Batmobile behind in an alley - but forgetting to put the shields up on the car. Even more of the Penguin's thugs then approach the exposed automobile and take photographs of it (thus providing an explanation as to how The Penguin got the blueprints to the Batmobile). The novelization indicates the Penguin got the plans from a disgruntled engineer who helped design it.
*** The process of how Selina "resurrects" and assumes the Catwoman identity is drastically different from the finished product (and explains the death of a key character in the process). After Max pushes her out the window, the barely-conscious Selina (now lying in the alleyway) hears the Batmobile driving past and tries to signal to Batman, but is unable to get his attention (leading to her hatred of him in the draft). After she's resurrected by the cats, she goes out "prowling" in a painted football jersey -- essentially a proto-costume, and at which time she gets the idea to craft a more fully-realized costume. After Max and Chip discover Selina somehow survived the fall, the former sends the latter to spy on her, and either blackmail her into staying quiet or killing her. Chip ends up spying on her at her apartment (which is wrecked from her rampage -- an element that is retained in the finished film) and sees her finishing her new cat costume (complete with Selina sitting in [[MsFanservice lingerie while sewing]]). Chip breaks into her apartment and finds her sitting in a scarf covering her (and nothing else), and is perturbed when she tries to flirt with him. It's revealed that she set up a trap for him -- a ''carpet of pink quicksand'' that sucks him in and eventually kills him. From there, Selina officially dons the Catwoman mask (on-screen) and goes out prowling again, confronting the mugger and female victim (as seen in the final product).
* ''Film/BatmanForever'':
** Creator/EthanHawke and Creator/WilliamBaldwin were initially approached for the role of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/ValKilmer was cast. However, Hawke turned down the offer due to fears of being [[Main/TypeCasting typecast]] as the iconic comic book character. Hawke later admitted his [[OldShame regret at turning down the part]] due to the career opportunities that could've opened up for him. Baldwin would go on to voice the titular character in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnTwoEarths'', and Hawke would voice Batman in ''Batwheels''.
*** Creator/DanielDayLewis, Creator/RalphFiennes, Creator/JohnnyDepp, Creator/AlecBaldwin, Creator/TomHanks and Creator/KeanuReeves were also considered for the role of Batman before the casting of Kilmer. Reeves would later voice the character in ''WesternAnimation/DCLeagueOfSuperPets''.
** Creator/RobinWilliams was offered the part of [[Comicbook/TheRiddler Edward Nygma]] before the casting of Creator/JimCarrey, but turned it down due to his anger at Creator/WarnerBros for being previously used as bait to lure Creator/JackNicholson into committing to the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
*** Creator/SteveMartin was approached for the Riddler as well, but turned down the offer due to his reluctance to make movies after the death of his close friend, Creator/JohnCandy, and his divorce from his wife, [[Film/AllOfMe Victoria Tennant]].
*** [[Series/TheMonkees Micky Dolenz]], Creator/MatthewBroderick and Music/MichaelJackson were also considered for the role of the Riddler before the casting of Carrey.
** Creator/MelGibson was originally offered the part of [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] before Creator/TommyLeeJones was cast. However, Gibson declined due to scheduling conflicts with ''Film/{{Braveheart}}''. Gibson was previously approached for [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
*** Creator/AlPacino, Creator/NicolasCage, Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/WillemDafoe were considered for Two-Face as well before the casting of Jones. Dafoe was previously considered for the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
*** Creator/BillyDeeWilliams, who previously portrayed Harvey Dent in the ''{{Film/Batman|1989}}'', reportedly had a clause put into his contract to reserve Two-Face for him in any potential sequels, which the studio had to buy out in order to cast Jones instead.
** Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio and Creator/MarlonWayans had discussions for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Robin}} Dick Grayson]] before the casting of Creator/ChrisODonnell. Wayans was originally cast as Robin when Creator/TimBurton was attached to the film, but Creator/JoelSchumacher wasn't interested in portraying the character with a Main/RaceLift.
*** [[Series/{{Eastenders}} Danny Dyer]], Creator/MiloVentimiglia and Creator/BenAffleck also auditioned for the part of Dick Grayson. Affleck would eventually go on to portray [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Batman]] in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
*** Creator/EwanMcGregor, Creator/MarkWahlberg, Creator/TobyStephens, Creator/MattDamon, Creator/JudeLaw, Creator/CoreyHaim, Creator/CoreyFeldman and Creator/ScottSpeedman were considered for the role of Dick Grayson as well before the casting of O'Donnell.
** Creator/ReneRusso was originally chosen for the part of Chase Meridian before Creator/NicoleKidman was cast. However, when Creator/MichaelKeaton dropped out of the project, Russo was deemed "too old" to play the character and was subsequently sacked.
*** Creator/RobinWright, Creator/LindaHamilton, Creator/JeanneTripplehorn, Creator/SandraBullock and Creator/CindyCrawford were also considered for the role of Chase Meridan before the casting of Kidman.
** Creator/MichaelKeaton briefly met with Schumacher about reprising his role as Batman from the [[Film/Batman1989 first]] [[Film/BatmanReturns two films]], but decided not to join the project after deciding that he didn't like the direction in which Schumacher was looking to take the franchise. When asked about his decision to turn down the offer, Keaton responded with this.
---> '''Keaton''': To lighten up and brighten it up and be a cartoon was of no interest to me.
** Creator/TimBurton had discussions about returning to direct a potential third Batman movie after ''Film/BatmanReturns'', but left production after feeling that the studio wasn't too keen on his latest ideas. Burton's third film was reportedly titled ''Batman Continues'' and would've featured the [[ComicBook/TheScarecrow Scarecrow]], as the main antagonist along with Two-Face and the Riddler.
** An early script for the film, written by Lee and Janet Scott Batchler (allegedly written with Keaton still in mind for the role) is [[https://ia800107.us.archive.org/21/items/Batman3ScriptProductionDraftAkivaGoldsman/Batman%203%20script%20Early%20Draft%20The%20Batchlers.pdf substantially different in tone]], despite maintaining many of the same story beats as the finished film. Bruce and Alfred's interactions are far lighter than the finished product, which featured rewrites by Akiva Goldsman to learn more heavily into drama (the "revenge has become your life" subplot). Bruce courts Chase Meridian by using the Riddler's puzzles as a pretext to meet her, and (in the draft) takes the riddles far less seriously. The Riddler himself (identified as "Lyle Heckendorf", who takes the alias of "E. Nigma") has more of a subplot, setting up how his brainwave experiment works (an additional scene would have shown him testing the device on his landlord, Mrs. Owens), and has a far more prominent lair in the final draft -- when Batman enters Claw Island, he is confronted by a maze that features images of his past and his rogues' gallery (explicitly showing Joker, Penguin and Catwoman), based on Riddler's theft of his memory earlier in the film. The defacing of the "Lady of Gotham" statue is also far more prominent in the draft, and is repeatedly referred to afterwards via ContinuityNod to describe how Harvey's presence threatens the city.
** The [[http://www.batman-on-film.com/opinion_scissorpuppy_forever.html original version of]] ''[[http://www.batman-on-film.com/opinion_scissorpuppy_forever.html Batman Forever]]'', before it was edited to make it more family-friendly. Most notable is the movie originally opens with Two-Face escaping Arkham with "The Bat Must Die" scribbled in blood on the wall (making the ending visit to Riddler in Arkham BookEnds), further developing Bruce's motivations for retiring from being Batman and an entire story beat after being shot in the head where he got LaserGuidedAmnesia of being Batman and has to revisit the cavern where he first encountered a swarm of bats (a traditional part of Batman lore). The novelization retains most of these sequences, several of the cut scenes appeared in the music videos for the movie, and the comic book adaptation includes a little more violence, specifically the large pools of blood around the fallen Graysons.
** The cuts also would have changed the chronology of scenes in the finished cut: The Batsignal seen by Bruce at Wayne Enterprises is being helmed by Chase in the final cut, but it would've originally summoned him to the bank after Dent escaped Arkham in the deleted opener (which would explain the sirens Bruce hears when he sees it), and the scene with Chase on the roof would've been slotted before the Batmobile chase where it climbs the wall (with redubbing done to change the location where she noticed Two-Face's coin-flipping habit from the circus to the bank).
** Early concepts of the final showdown on Claw Island had a huge, muscled, Riddler sitting on his throne when Batman finds him. The Riddler twists the two skulls on his armrests and the Riddler's muscled body is revealed to be a shell which splits in two, from which the real Riddler (wearing his white and green jumpsuit) steps out. This "Big Riddle" form of the Riddler was retained for the final showdown with him in the SNES and Genesis video game adaptations.
** Two-Face’s henchmen Sugar and Spice were originally named Leather and Lace in the script. Their names were changed due to the fact that there were due to be [=McDonald=]’s toys of the characters.
* ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'':
** Creator/KurtRussell, Creator/DavidDuchovny and Creator/WilliamBaldwin were considered for the role of [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/GeorgeClooney was cast. Baldwin was previously approached for Batman in ''Film/BatmanForever''.
** Creator/PatrickStewart, Creator/AnthonyHopkins and Creator/EdHarris were considered for the part of Mister Freeze before the casting of Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger.
** Creator/JuliaRoberts, Creator/SharonStone and Creator/DemiMoore were in the running for the role of ComicBook/PoisonIvy before Creator/UmaThurman was cast.
** Creator/OliviaDabo was initially offered the part of [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Wilson]] before the casting of Creator/AliciaSilverstone. However, Creator/JoelSchumacher considered her "too old" for the role.
** Creator/KaneHodder was the original choice for ComicBook/{{Bane}} before Creator/RobertSwenson was cast.
** In earlier drafts, Barbara wasn't actually Alfred's niece but the daughter of an old friend of his that came to see him as her "uncle". This was kept for the comic adaptation.
** Barbara's ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} costume was to also have a full-head cowl, but Schumacher didn't like the look of it after a costume test and wanted Creator/AliciaSilverstone's hair to flow freely. Thus, the DominoMask was used, though Silverstone does use a cowl as Batgirl in one scene.
** ComicBook/PoisonIvy's costume was originally [[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/4c/00/83/4c0083dcb7bd93467bdca9d504c65721--poison-ivy-costumes-batman-robin.jpg a lot pointier]].
** Early plans for a fifth film were put into motion even before the release of the movie. The working title was "Batman Unchained" and Creator/JoelSchumacher was attached to return with a much DarkerAndEdgier script akin to the Creator/TimBurton [[Film/Batman1989 Batman]] [[Film/BatmanReturns films]]. ComicBook/TheScarecrow was set to be the main antagonist with Coolio attached to portray the role after a brief cameo in this movie. Creator/NicolasCage, Creator/JeffGoldblum, and Creator/SteveBuscemi were considered for the part of the Scarecrow as well before the casting of Coolio. Music/CourtneyLove and Creator/MartinShort were also cast as Comicbook/HarleyQuinn and Man-Bat respectively with Harley Quinn being rewritten as the Joker's daughter wishing to avenge her father's demise. Creator/JackNicholson had brief discussions about a potential cameo as the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] as well before the project was scrapped due to the negative response towards the film.
* ''{{Film/The Batman|2022}}'':
** Creator/NicholasHoult was the runner-up for the part of [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/RobertPattinson was cast.
*** Creator/AaronTaylorJohnson, Creator/AlexanderLudwig, Creator/JackOConnell, [[Film/{{Midsommar}} Jack Reynor]] and Creator/ArmieHammer were considered for Bruce Wayne as well before the casting of Pattinson. Hammer was previously cast as the titular character in Creator/GeorgeMiller's ''[[Main/WhatCouldHaveBeen Justice League: Mortal]].''
** Creator/EizaGonzalez, Creator/AnaDeArmas, Creator/HannahJohnKamen, Creator/NathalieEmmanuel, Creator/AliciaVikander and Creator/EllaBalinska screen-tested for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]] before the casting of Creator/ZoeKravitz.
*** Creator/ZazieBeetz also auditioned for the part of Catwoman before the casting of Beetz, but was turned down due to scheduling conflicts with ''Series/{{Atlanta}}''. Beetz previously played Sophie Dumond in ''Film/{{Joker|2019}}''.
** Creator/JonahHill was approached for the role of [[Comicbook/TheRiddler Edward Nashton]] before Creator/PaulDano was cast. However, Hill turned down the offer due to disagreements over his pay and the studio preferring him to portray [[Comicbook/ThePenguin Oswald Cobblepot]] instead.
** Creator/SethRogen was considered for [[Comicbook/ThePenguin Oswald Cobblepot]] before the casting of Creator/ColinFarrell.
** Creator/MahershalaAli was offered the part of Commissioner Gordon before Creator/JeffreyWright was cast. However, scheduling commitments to portraying Comicbook/{{Blade}} in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse caused him to back out of discussions.
** [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] was originally written to appear in the film, with Creator/OscarIsaac, Creator/JackHuston, Creator/JeremyStrong and Creator/JohnDavidWashington considered for the role before the character was scrapped from the project.
** Creator/DenisVilleneuve, Creator/GeorgeMiller, Creator/RidleyScott, Creator/MattRoss and [[Film/DontBreathe Fede Álvarez]] were considered to direct the movie before Creator/MattReeves was hired.
** The film was originally going to be firmly set in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, with Creator/BenAffleck, Creator/JeremyIrons and Creator/JKSimmons reprising their respective roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Alfred and Commissioner Gordon. Creator/JoeManganiello was also slated to reprise his role as Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}}, who would have been the film's antagonist. Creator/JaredLeto also expressed the desire to return as Comicbook/TheJoker for the movie, though it is unknown if the character was featured in Affleck's script (he eventually came back for a short appearance in the BadFuture scene of ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'' along with Affleck). The Batman film was instead reconfigured into a completely different story some time after the hiring of Matt Reeves.
*** Affleck was originally attached to direct, write, and star as Bruce Wayne in the movie. However, due to growing disinterest in the franchise because of Creator/DCFilms's constantly shifting plans, Creator/ZackSnyder's departure, the [[HostilityOnTheSet tumultuous]] [[TroubledProduction reshoots]] on ''{{Film/Justice League|2017}}'' and major CreativeDifferences with the studio, he would later step down from production of the film, leading to the hiring of Matt Reeves.
*** All of the events listed were so stressful that it led to Affleck going OffTheWagon after almost a decade of sobriety, and he was convinced that the project would kill him if he stuck around.
** As per Butch Lukic, [[https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2569137/how-matt-reeves-the-batman-affected-the-long-halloweens-release-dc-butch-lukic the film was almost an adaptation of]] ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'', which led to a planned AnimatedAdaptation of the storyline getting delayed. When the film went off in an original direction, production on the [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheLongHalloween animated adaptation was allowed to resume]]. In a bit of irony, the delays to the film caused the animated version to be released first.
** The Penguin was [[https://twitter.com/Bat_Source/status/1518037371597459456 initially designed]] to look much like his appearance in the ''Telltale'' Batman game, with concept art showing him looking much classier and with Creator/ColinFarrell's more recognizable facial features. However, Mike Marino insisted on giving him makeup, which is how we got to the final result. Farrell also tried to lobby for his incarnation of the character to smoke a cigar much like he would in the comics, but Warner Brothers refused to let him do it due to their policies on depicting smoking in their films.
** Batman would have originally had [[https://www.ign.com/articles/art-batman-batsuit-robert-pattinson-preview a more traditional glider-cape]] akin to ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' and the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries,'' instead of converting his cape into a wingsuit.
** Promotional artwork on store kiosks and toy boxes show Batman holding a smaller, throwable batarang rather than using his ChestInsignia as a knife.
** If a [[https://twitter.com/dimbergrasmus/status/1396054459730567168?s=46&t=Z53-MsE7UPjp0Qubcz70NQ prototype statue]] by Prime 1 Studios is any indication, the grapnel gun was originally going to be completely handheld and the metal rods on his gauntlets would have been spare hooks, rather than the grapnel gun being collapsible and storing in the underside of his gauntlet.
[[/folder]]

* ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''
** [[Film/BigJake Patrick Wayne]] was initially cast as [[Comicbook/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] before the casting of Creator/ChristopherReeve. However, Wayne dropped out of the project when his father, Creator/JohnWayne, became diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer.
*** Creator/RobertRedford, Creator/ClintEastwood, Creator/WarrenBeatty and Creator/JamesCaan were also offered the role of Clark Kent. However, Redford was turned down due to his demand for a higher paycheck, Eastwood declined due to scheduling conflicts with ''Film/EveryWhichWayButLoose'', and both Beatty and Caan turned down the offer due to their reluctance to portray the iconic comic book character.
*** Creator/PerryKing, Creator/JamesBrolin and Creator/LyleWaggoner screen-tested for the titular part as well. Waggoner previously played Comicbook/SteveTrevor in ''Series/{{Wonder Woman|1975}}''.
*** Creator/NickNolte, Creator/AlPacino, Creator/PaulNewman, Creator/BurtReynolds, Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/KrisKristofferson, Creator/SylvesterStallone and Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger were also considered for Superman before the casting of Reeve.
** Creator/CarrieFisher, Creator/StockardChanning, Creator/LesleyAnnWarren, [[Film/DeathWish3 Deborah Raffin]], Creator/SusanBlakely and Creator/AnneArcher auditioned for the role of Comicbook/LoisLane before Creator/MargotKidder was cast.
** Creator/GeneWilder, Creator/DustinHoffman, Creator/GeorgeKennedy and Creator/JackNicholson were considered for the part of Comicbook/LexLuthor before the casting of Creator/GeneHackman. Nicholson would later go on to portray [[Comicbook/TheJoker Jack Napier]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
** Creator/OrsonWelles and Creator/CharltonHeston was considered for the role of Jor-El before Creator/MarlonBrando was cast.
** Creator/JackKlugman, Creator/EdwardAlbert and Creator/KeenanWynn were offered the part of Perry White before the casting of Creator/JackieCooper.
** Creator/JohnHurt, Creator/ChristopherLee and Creator/ChristopherPlummer were considered for General Zod before Creator/TerenceStamp was cast.
** Creator/StevenSpielberg and Creator/GeorgeLucas were approached to direct the film before Creator/RichardDonner was hired. However, Spielberg declined due to disagreements over his salary and his previous commitments to other projects after the success of ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', while Lucas turned down the offer due to filming conflicts with ''Film/ANewHope''.
*** Creator/FrancisFordCoppola, Creator/WilliamFriedkin, [[Film/KingKong1976 John Guillermin]], Creator/NormanJewison, [[Film/{{Bullitt}} Peter Yates]], [[Film/TheHarderTheyFall1956 Mark Robson]], Creator/RobertAldrich and Creator/SamPeckinpah were considered to direct the film as well before Donner was hired. Peckinpah was turned down after he '''pulled a gun out''' during his meeting with the producers.
** Donner first asked Music/JerryGoldsmith to do the score, and he agreed. However, a schedule conflict came about and Music/JohnWilliams eagerly replaced Goldsmith who, six years later, would write the music for ''Film/{{Supergirl|1984}}''.
** The novel ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton'' was based on an idea for a Superman movie, though it was released the same time as the actual movie.
** The film was originally going to end with Superman flinging the missile into space and the explosion would free Zod, Ursa and Non, thus setting up a SequelHook. Creator/RichardDonner decided against this, as he felt that if people liked the first film, they'll see the second film anyway.
** Creator/MargotKidder was originally supposed to sing the song "Can You Read My Mind" for the flying sequence with Superman, but disliked it and changed it to voiceover.
** Originally, the helicopter scene was simply going to have Superman save Lois from falling. Later, Donner decided to have the helicopter drop and the modified scene was called "The Double Jeopardy Scene".
** In an early draft of the script, one of Lex Luthor's personality quirks is that he likes to chew on Kleenex.
* ''Film/SupermanII''
** Creator/RichardDonner was fired from the film halfway through production, as producer Alexander Salkind wanted the film to be more {{camp}} and less expensive than the previous film. The result on the franchise was disastrous -- many of the stars, including Creator/MarlonBrando and Creator/GeneHackman, refused to work with new director Creator/RichardLester or participate in later sequels. It should be noted that however disastrous the result was for the franchise as a whole, the Lester version was still a critically acclaimed box office smash, and even ''Superman III'' enjoyed good box office (if not the critical acclaim) even if only because ''III'' piggy backed off the success of the first two films. Donner had reportedly been at odds with the Salkinds from early on over the tone of the film and reportedly did not get along with Pierre Spengler, a long time friend and frequent collaborator of the Salkinds. Creator/MarlonBrando was said to have been cut out of the film altogether because he was too expensive, not just for his paycheck but because he got a big bite of the first film's box office and was entitled to a big bite of the second film's box office as well, which the Salkinds decided they didn't like. Jack O'Halloran, the actor who played Non, later accused the Salkinds of having done a poor job managing the budgets for both films.
** A bunch of scenes were shot for both versions, some of which went un-used in both versions, some of which were restored in extended TV cuts, such as a rather chilling scene (from the original theatrical ''Lester'' version!) of a young boy (the one who is supposed to be from the American mid-west yet talks with a British accent) being brutally killed by Non when he tries to ride away for help. This scene ends with an old woman exclaiming "He was only a boy!" to which Ursa cheerfully replies "[[CrossesTheLineTwice Who will never become a]] ''[[CrossesTheLineTwice man]]''."
** Though Lester was always considered to replace Donner, the Salkinds again considered Guy Hamilton to take over as Lester was too busy with ''Cuba''. The moment Hamilton turned the job down, Lester had just wrapped up filming ''Cuba'' and was hired.
** An early version of the script had four Kryptonian villains who were exiled from the planet before its destruction. Jak-El was supposed to be an evil prankster and source of comic relief. He is described as "a psychopathic jokester, whose pranks and practical jokes are [[ForTheEvulz only funny to him when they cause death and suffering to others]]." The character was never cast.
** The producers wanted Creator/HenryFonda to cameo as the United States President, but Fonda's other projects as well as his failing health led to E.G. Marshall getting the part. Creator/DouglasFairbanksJr was also considered for the role, and UsefulNotes/GeraldFord, fresh off his own tenure as President, was another candidate.
** The iconic "reversing time" scene from the first movie was intended originally for this film. The Richard Donner cut reinstated this ending, but is nowhere near as polished due to Donner not being able to properly complete the film. Donner has said he would've worked on a new ending for the cut if he was able to.
* ''Film/SupermanIII''
** Creator/TonyDanza was initially chosen to portray [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] before Creator/ChristopherReeve agreed to reprise the role. Originally, Reeve threatened not to return for the film due to his dislike of the script and the firing of Creator/RichardDonner. However, Reeve accepted the offer to play the titular character again after the producers agreed to let him have input on the movie's script.
*** Creator/JohnTravolta, Creator/JeffBridges and Creator/KurtRussell were approached for the part of Superman as well before the re-casting of Reeve.
** Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh was considered for the role of Lana Lang before the casting of Creator/AnnetteOToole. However, Leigh was turned down due to the fact that she was considered "too young" for the part.
** According to Ilya Salkind, the original script was going to involve Comicbook/{{Brainiac}} and Mister Mxyzptlk, who would've played by Creator/DudleyMoore, teaming up against Superman, who would also meet his cousin, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, who was adopted by Brainiac. The three characters would have been involved in a LoveTriangle, with a jealous Brainiac turning Superman evil and Supergirl agreeing to marry him if he returned Superman to normal. Superman would have made a deal with Mxyzptlk to transport him and Brainiac to another dimension in order to settle the matter without superpowers, which they would have done by jousting in medieval armor.
** Gus Gorman was meant to be the human guise of ''ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}''.
* ''Film/Supergirl1984'':
** Creator/ChristopherReeve was supposed to cameo as Superman at one point.
** Ilya Salkind and screenwriter David Odell originally wanted Brainiac to appear in the movie, and would have featured multiple planets over the course of the movie. If this had come to pass, this would have been the most expensive of the Superman films at that time.
** The movie was originally going to use a brand new costume design for Supergirl, and there are even test shots of Creator/HelenSlater wearing it. The producers changed their minds at the last minute, and decided to go with the classic Supergirl look instead. However, the comics had already adopted the new look [[RetCanon to better line up with the movie]], and Supergirl ended up wearing it until her death in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.
** An [[https://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Supergirl.html early draft]] of the script had Bianca as Selena's advisor and mentor. With her help, Selena launched a coup to take over ruling the Circle from Nigel, then betrayed Bianca and left her mad after being corrupted by her newfound power. Ethan and Supergirl would then free Selena, initiating a HeelFaceTurn. Selena was EasilyForgiven and left to go to Argo City with Kara.
** Creator/BrookeShields was so close to getting the role of Supergirl but was ultimately overruled at the urging of co-producer Ilya Salkind, who wanted an unknown. It was a decision Ilya later regretted. Creator/MelanieGriffith was also considered.
** Creator/DemiMoore was originally slated to play Lucy Lane, but backed out to work on ''Film/BlameItOnRio''.
** Creator/JohnTravolta was approached to play Ethan.
** Creator/DudleyMoore was offered $4 million to play Zaltar, but turned it down ''and'' suggested his former TV partner Creator/PeterCook play Nigel. (Moore would play Patch in the Salkinds' next production, ''Film/SantaClausTheMovie'', reportedly for the same fee.)
** The plot was originally going to involve Supergirl rescuing Superman from Selene. It was changed when Creator/ChristopherReeve refused to take part in the movie.
** Creator/RobertWise turned down the offer to direct this film.
** Music/DollyParton was offered $7 million to play Selena, but she turned it down because she was uncomfortable playing a witch. Creator/JaneFonda and Creator/GoldieHawn also turned it down.
* ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace''
** Creator/WesCraven was originally slated to direct the movie, but was replaced due to CreativeDifferences with Creator/ChristopherReeve. Reeve recommended Creator/RonHoward as director, but Cannon Group went with Creator/SidneyJFurie, instead.
** Reportedly, the original budget was about $35 million, but Creator/TheCannonGroup slashed it in half.
** The planned soundtrack album (split between songs - mostly for nightclub scenes along with Music/JerryLeeLewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"[[note]]heard coming from Lenny Luthor's car when he breaks his uncle Lex out of prison[[/note]] would have been included as well - and Alexander Courage's score) was cancelled when most of the scenes for which the chosen tracks were written got cut from the movie. (This was before the phrase "Music From And Inspired By" became the ''bête noire'' of film music fans.)
** Quite a lot of material (45 minutes worth!) was cut for the movie's theatrical release, with some odd choices. One would think an extended action sequence of Superman fighting a super-powered opponent (the Bizarro-esque first incarnation of Nuclear Man) would be something you'd want to ''keep''. Other deleted scenes make the plot hang together a little better, and there's a nice character scene between Lois Lane and the weakened Clark/Superman at Clark's apartment.
* ''Film/SupermanReturns:''
** Creator/WillSmith and Creator/JoshHartnett were approached for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] before Creator/BrandonRouth was cast. However, Smith turned down the offer due to his reluctance to portray [[Main/RaceLift a traditionally white character]] after doing ''Film/WildWildWest'', while Hartnett turned it down due to fears of being [[Main/TypeCasting typecast]] as the iconic comic book character.
*** Creator/PaulWalker, Creator/BrendanFraser, Creator/AshtonKutcher, Creator/DavidBoreanaz, Creator/IanSomerhalder, Creator/GlennHowerton, Creator/RyanMcPartlin, Creator/SamHeughan, Creator/DanielCudmore, Creator/JerryOConnell and Creator/HenryCavill also auditioned for the part of Superman before the casting of Routh. Cavill would eventually go on to portray the titular character in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, while O'Connell would voice him in the WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse..
** Creator/JenniferConnelly, Creator/CatherineZetaJones, Creator/ElishaCuthbert, Creator/KeiraKnightley, Creator/ClaireDanes, Creator/MischaBarton and Creator/KeriRussell were considered for ComicBook/LoisLane before the casting of Creator/KateBosworth.
*** Creator/AmyAdams auditioned for the role of Lois Lane as well before the casting of Bosworth. Adams would later go on to portray the character in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
** Creator/TopherGrace, Creator/EricChristianOlsen and Creator/ShawnAshmore were considered for the part of Comicbook/JimmyOlsen before Creator/SamHuntington was cast. Shawn's brother, Creator/AaronAshmore, would later portray Henry James "Jimmy" and [[spoiler: his younger brother James "Jimmy" Olsen]] in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''.
** Creator/HughLaurie was originally cast as Perry White before the casting of Creator/FrankLangella. However, Laurie dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts with ''Series/{{House}}''.
** Creator/ShekharKapur, Creator/MichaelBay, Creator/OliverStone, Creator/RobertRodriguez, Creator/MNightShyamalan, [[Film/{{Blade}} Stephen Norrington]] and Creator/MartinCampbell were initially offered to direct the film before Creator/BryanSinger was hired. Campbell would eventually go on to helm ''{{Film/Green Lantern|2011}}''.
** Singer wanted Creator/ChristopherReeve to make a cameo appearance in the film but Reeve died before filming began. Singer then decided to dedicate the film to him.
** In interviews, Creator/KalPenn revealed he originally had a much greater role. It would have been revealed that his character was a disgraced former Daily Planet science reporter who was bribed by Lex Luthor to plant false evidence of Krypton's possible survival, thus inspiring Superman to leave Earth and explore Krypton's ruins.
** Singer wanted General Zod to be in the film, with Creator/JudeLaw playing him. After Law turned down the role several times, Singer eliminated the character from the script.
** A scene dropped from the script had Superman visiting Ground Zero.

!!Live-Action TV
[[folder:''Batman'' (1966)]]
* The Creator/AdamWest series was cancelled by ABC, but NBC was willing to pick up the show for a fourth season. Unfortunately, all of the sets had been destroyed just a week before and NBC was unwilling to pay for new sets.
* During the crossover with ''Series/TheGreenHornet'', Robin was originally supposed to defeat Kato, but Creator/BruceLee got really angry, so it was changed to a draw. Even though Creator/BurtWard was a legitimate martial artist, he was nowhere near Lee's level, and a lot of fans found it hard to believe Kato didn't outright win.
* An outline for an episode featuring Two-Face was submitted (by none other than Creator/HarlanEllison), where Creator/ClintEastwood would have played a news anchor who was disfigured by an exploding TV, but it did not go through as the character was considered too grotesque to be made campy. The story would be adapted into an issue of ''ComicBook/Batman66''.
* The original Batsuit was much different in the test pilot than the one seen in-series. It sported a more-purpleish cowl with two different eyebrow expressions and longer ears and a Bat-emblem resembling the old comic emblems.
* Lyle Waggoner was considered for the lead part, and got as far as doing a screen test with juvenile actor Peter Deyell as Robin. Waggoner's line readings are a little more tense than the cool style favored by Adam West. He'd play a [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]] character in the next decade as Steve Trevor on ''Series/WonderWoman''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:''Batman'']]
* ''{{Film/Batman|1989}}'':
** Creator/PierceBrosnan was the first choice for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/MichaelKeaton was cast, but turned down the offer due to his lack of interest in portraying a comic book character at the time. Brosnan would eventually be cast as Doctor Fate in ''{{Film/Black Adam|2022}}'', set within the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
*** Creator/MelGibson was also approached for the part of Bruce Wayne, but turned it down due to scheduling commitments to ''Film/LethalWeapon2''.
*** Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/KevinCostner, Creator/CharlieSheen, Creator/TomSelleck and Creator/DennisQuaid were considered for the role of Batman as well before the casting of Keaton.
** Creator/RobinWilliams was offered the part of [[Comicbook/TheJoker Jack Napier]] when Creator/JackNicholson hesitated to take the role. Williams had even ''accepted'' the part when the producers approached Nicholson again, and told him Williams would take the role if he didn't. When Nicholson agreed and Williams was released from the part, he was so furious for being used as bait that he refused the offer to portray [[Comicbook/TheRiddler Edward Nygma]] in ''Film/BatmanForever'', and even declined to be involved in any Creator/WarnerBros productions until the studio apologized.
*** Creator/JohnLithgow read for the role of the Joker as well, but personally believed that he was not right for the part and persuaded the director not to cast him.
----> '''Lithgow:''' My worst audition was for Tim Burton for Batman. I tried to persuade him I was not right for the part, and I succeeded. I didn’t realize it was such a big deal. About a week later I heard they were going after Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson.
*** Music/DavidBowie, Creator/WillemDafoe, Creator/BradDourif, Creator/JamesWoods and Creator/TimCurry were also considered for the Joker before the casting of Nicholson. Curry would later go on to be cast as the character in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', but was replaced by Creator/MarkHamill due to him coming down with bronchitis, his voice being too similar to Captain Hook in ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'', and being considered '''TOO''' scary for younger viewers.
** Creator/DonJohnson, [[Literature/PetSematary Dale Midkiff]], Creator/MartinSheen and Creator/WilliamPetersen were considered for the role of [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] before the casting of Creator/BillyDeeWilliams.
** Creator/SeanYoung was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but was injured in a horseback riding accident prior to commencement of filming which caused her to drop out of the project. Young would eventually go on to visit production offices dressed in a ''homemade [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Catwoman]] costume'', demanding an audition for ''Film/BatmanReturns'', before being escorted off the premises.
** Creator/KieferSutherland was offered the part of [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] before the character was subsequently written out of the script. Dick Grayson would later appear in ''Film/BatmanForever'' and ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' portrayed by Creator/ChrisODonnell.
** Creator/TheCoenBrothers, Creator/DavidCronenberg and Creator/JoeDante were approached to direct the movie before Creator/TimBurton was hired. The Coen Brothers reportedly turned down the offer as they didn't want to do a film that wasn't theirs.
*** Creator/SamRaimi was also in the running to direct the movie, but was overlooked as he was not a big enough name. Raimi was later brought up again as a potential replacement for Burton on ''Film/BatmanForever'', but was turned down in favor of Creator/JoelSchumacher.
** Music/{{Prince}}'s [[Music/Batman1989 soundtrack album]] for the film was originally going to be a collaborative project with Music/MichaelJackson. According to Prince, he would've provided {{funk}} songs sung from the Joker's perspective, while Jackson would've recorded ballads from Batman's point of view. However, Jackson turned down the offer due to his prior concert commitments.
** Music/JohnWilliams was considered to compose the score for the film before Creator/DannyElfman was hired.
** Burton stated in an interview that he had initially wanted Creator/AdamWest and [[Series/Batman1966 Julie Newmar]], from the [[Series/Batman1966 1960s series]], to [[RemakeCameo play Thomas and Martha Wayne in the flashback]]. Audiences would recognize West and Newmar from the series and see them get shot, symbolizing the "death" of the old Batman. Script rewrites caused this to be scrapped, and West later said he wasn't even offered the role (and even if he was, he wouldn't have taken it). West and Newmar would respectively voice Thomas and Martha in one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''.
** In the original script, written by Tom Mankiewicz, crime boss Rupert Thorne hires Joe Chill to murder Thomas Wayne because he is running against Thorne for city council.
** A later draft written by Sam Hamm also has a large part of the film concentrating on Bruce traveling abroad and training with Henri Ducard, whom Bruce would later discover to be a criminal. This script was later overhauled into the version seen in the film, and Ducard was deleted. Months before the film's release, then-DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil asked Hamm to guest-write a "Blind Justice" storyarc throughout Batman-themed comics as a tie-in, and Hamm introduced his character there (specifically, in ''Detective Comics'' #599, April 1989). Ducard would later appear, played by Creator/LiamNeeson, as a CompositeCharacter with Ra's al Ghul in ''Film/BatmanBegins''.
** That hooker who smiles at LittleJimmy in the film's opening scene? Originally, she was supposed to be ''only 14 years old''. She was also going to be shown chatting casually with a couple of cops, showing us how corrupt the Gotham police are even before we meet Eckhart.
** Vicki Vale and Alex Knox were both supposed to be killed off in earlier drafts. Knox's death was still planned as shooting began, but the crew loved Robert Wuhl's performance enough that they not only spared him, but gave him a HeroicBystander moment during the climax.
** Jon Peters wanted to use a Nike {{product placement}} with the Batsuit.
** In Sam Hamm's draft, the Joker takes down the Batwing in a Joker tank. The ending had the Joker attempting escape via helicopter, the helicopter rouses a swarm of bats that had been sleeping in the rafters, and the bats engulf the Joker, who falls to his death.
** At one point, Batman was going to use a giant horseshoe magnet to draw a jet-packing goon into the Batmobile's trunk.
** The script was originally a lot more campy - at one point, there was going to be a scene where Batman fought three jetpack-equipped henchmen of the Penguin's, while the Penguin watched from an "umbrella-copter".
* ''Film/BatmanReturns'':
** Creator/DustinHoffman was the first choice for [[Comicbook/ThePenguin Oswald Cobblepot]] before Creator/DannyDeVito was cast, but turned down the offer due to scheduling commitments to ''Film/DickTracy''.
*** Creator/ChristopherLloyd, Creator/ChristopherLee, Creator/JohnGoodman, Creator/AlanRickman, Creator/BobHoskins, Creator/JohnCandy and Creator/JoePesci were also considered for the part of the Penguin before the casting of [=DeVito=].
** Creator/AnnetteBening was originally chosen for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]] before the casting of Creator/MichellePfeiffer, but dropped out of the project due to her pregnancy at the time.
*** Creator/SigourneyWeaver, Creator/BrookeShields, Creator/GeenaDavis, Creator/DemiMoore, Creator/MerylStreep, Creator/NicoleKidman and Creator/SusanSarandon were considered for the part of Catwoman as well before the casting of Pfeiffer. Kidman would eventually go on to portray Chase Meridian in ''Film/BatmanForever'', while Sarandon would play [[BigBad Victoria Kord]] in ''{{Film/Blue Beetle|2023}}''.
** Music/DavidBowie was the initial candidate for the role of Max Shreck before Creator/ChristopherWalken was cast, but turned it down to star in ''Series/TwinPeaks''. Bowie was previously considered for the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
** Creator/BurgessMeredith was meant to have a cameo as the Penguin's father, but had to bow out due to illness.
** The character Max Shreck was originally written for [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] (Creator/BillyDeeWilliams), thus explaining the character's political ambitions. The film would have ended on a cliffhanger, with the explosion at the end only scarring [[Main/{{Foreshadowing}} half of his face]].
** There were brief discussions of having Creator/JackNicholson return as the Joker, despite his fate at the end of the previous film (though it's not exactly unheard of for the Joker to come BackFromTheDead in the comics). All of this was thrown out once Creator/TimBurton agreed to return as director because he didn't want to make a ''direct'' sequel for whatever reason (it helped that he [[CreatorBacklash wasn't too thrilled]] about the first film, plus he dislikes sequels in general), though the film did still reference the previous film's events by mentioning Vicki Vale.
** Penguin was originally going to be slim, tall and handsome in an earlier script for this movie. That idea would later be used for ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' and ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries.''
** The original script had many, many more members of the Red Triangle Gang. Notable members of the circus in the original script included a ringmaster with poison-tipped gauntlets, a duo with razor sharp metal blades encrusted into their heads like mohawks, a teenage clown with a neon medallion that read [[XtremeKoolLetterz "CIRKUS"]] who was the original stun gun clown, and a group of clowns dressed like firefighters who operate a fire-engine that happed to shoot napalm (in a possible dark twist on the clown scene from ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'').
** Sam Hamm's original script for ''Batman 2'' included a few {{Continuity Nod}}s to the first film, such as Bruce proposing to Vicki Vale, a souvenir store selling scraps of the wrecked Batplane and more insights to the deceased Joker. Catwoman and the non-deformed Penguin were featured, but neither had an origin story, and the Penguin was given the alias "Mr. Boniface" in a MythologyGag (his original alias in the comics; "Oswald Cobblepot" is nowhere to be found). The Penguin enters the film when he is released from prison for previous offenses, Catwoman comes in when he hires her for her burglary skills, and both go off searching for buried treasure (which would have been revealed to be hidden in the Batcave). Also, in this script, Selina has already taken on her Catwoman persona before the film's events, and is an out-and-out villain, mutilating street thugs and murdering police officers and millionaires in cold blood. Also, Dick Grayson in this iteration of the script is noticeably darker than most of his other portrayals, chastising Batman for not killing criminals.
** Daniel Waters' script treatment for the second film had a number of radically-different elements concerning the characters, most notably having a larger reliance on gags (to such an extent that Keaton allegedly put his foot down and had the humor reined in to make the script more grounded):
*** Max Shreck was originally intended to be Penguin's older brother, the "golden boy" of the Cobblepot family, whereas the Penguin was the deformed outsider. He was supposedly ashamed of his father, after he threw his baby brother into the sewer, and he emancipated himself from the Cobblepot family as soon as he became of age. Meanwhile, Penguin ''genuinely had'' lived his entire life in the sewer and didn't know his real identity: later rewrites by Wesley Strick added in Batman discovering Penguin's history as a sideshow freak in a circus with the Red Triangle Gang, as well as the entire subplot about Penguin's plan to kill all the firstborn sons of Gotham (in Waters' script, he escalates straight from his failed mayoral campaign to sending out the exploding penguins).
*** The initial attack on Gotham Plaza is a lot more elaborate, with the thugs invading before the tree-lighting ceremony begins and infiltrating Max Shreck's penthouse office, taking Max, Chip, the Mayor, and Selina hostage. Batman has to fight his way up to the penthouse level to save them, in the process leaving the Batmobile behind in an alley - but forgetting to put the shields up on the car. Even more of the Penguin's thugs then approach the exposed automobile and take photographs of it (thus providing an explanation as to how The Penguin got the blueprints to the Batmobile). The novelization indicates the Penguin got the plans from a disgruntled engineer who helped design it.
*** The process of how Selina "resurrects" and assumes the Catwoman identity is drastically different from the finished product (and explains the death of a key character in the process). After Max pushes her out the window, the barely-conscious Selina (now lying in the alleyway) hears the Batmobile driving past and tries to signal to Batman, but is unable to get his attention (leading to her hatred of him in the draft). After she's resurrected by the cats, she goes out "prowling" in a painted football jersey -- essentially a proto-costume, and at which time she gets the idea to craft a more fully-realized costume. After Max and Chip discover Selina somehow survived the fall, the former sends the latter to spy on her, and either blackmail her into staying quiet or killing her. Chip ends up spying on her at her apartment (which is wrecked from her rampage -- an element that is retained in the finished film) and sees her finishing her new cat costume (complete with Selina sitting in [[MsFanservice lingerie while sewing]]). Chip breaks into her apartment and finds her sitting in a scarf covering her (and nothing else), and is perturbed when she tries to flirt with him. It's revealed that she set up a trap for him -- a ''carpet of pink quicksand'' that sucks him in and eventually kills him. From there, Selina officially dons the Catwoman mask (on-screen) and goes out prowling again, confronting the mugger and female victim (as seen in the final product).
* ''Film/BatmanForever'':
** Creator/EthanHawke and Creator/WilliamBaldwin were initially approached for the role of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/ValKilmer was cast. However, Hawke turned down the offer due to fears of being [[Main/TypeCasting typecast]] as the iconic comic book character. Hawke later admitted his [[OldShame regret at turning down the part]] due to the career opportunities that could've opened up for him. Baldwin would go on to voice the titular character in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnTwoEarths'', and Hawke would voice Batman in ''Batwheels''.
*** Creator/DanielDayLewis, Creator/RalphFiennes, Creator/JohnnyDepp, Creator/AlecBaldwin, Creator/TomHanks and Creator/KeanuReeves were also considered for the role of Batman before the casting of Kilmer. Reeves would later voice the character in ''WesternAnimation/DCLeagueOfSuperPets''.
** Creator/RobinWilliams was offered the part of [[Comicbook/TheRiddler Edward Nygma]] before the casting of Creator/JimCarrey, but turned it down due to his anger at Creator/WarnerBros for being previously used as bait to lure Creator/JackNicholson into committing to the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
*** Creator/SteveMartin was approached for the Riddler as well, but turned down the offer due to his reluctance to make movies after the death of his close friend, Creator/JohnCandy, and his divorce from his wife, [[Film/AllOfMe Victoria Tennant]].
*** [[Series/TheMonkees Micky Dolenz]], Creator/MatthewBroderick and Music/MichaelJackson were also considered for the role of the Riddler before the casting of Carrey.
** Creator/MelGibson was originally offered the part of [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] before Creator/TommyLeeJones was cast. However, Gibson declined due to scheduling conflicts with ''Film/{{Braveheart}}''. Gibson was previously approached for [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
*** Creator/AlPacino, Creator/NicolasCage, Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/WillemDafoe were considered for Two-Face as well before the casting of Jones. Dafoe was previously considered for the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
*** Creator/BillyDeeWilliams, who previously portrayed Harvey Dent in the ''{{Film/Batman|1989}}'', reportedly had a clause put into his contract to reserve Two-Face for him in any potential sequels, which the studio had to buy out in order to cast Jones instead.
** Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio and Creator/MarlonWayans had discussions for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Robin}} Dick Grayson]] before the casting of Creator/ChrisODonnell. Wayans was originally cast as Robin when Creator/TimBurton was attached to the film, but Creator/JoelSchumacher wasn't interested in portraying the character with a Main/RaceLift.
*** [[Series/{{Eastenders}} Danny Dyer]], Creator/MiloVentimiglia and Creator/BenAffleck also auditioned for the part of Dick Grayson. Affleck would eventually go on to portray [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Batman]] in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
*** Creator/EwanMcGregor, Creator/MarkWahlberg, Creator/TobyStephens, Creator/MattDamon, Creator/JudeLaw, Creator/CoreyHaim, Creator/CoreyFeldman and Creator/ScottSpeedman were considered for the role of Dick Grayson as well before the casting of O'Donnell.
** Creator/ReneRusso was originally chosen for the part of Chase Meridian before Creator/NicoleKidman was cast. However, when Creator/MichaelKeaton dropped out of the project, Russo was deemed "too old" to play the character and was subsequently sacked.
*** Creator/RobinWright, Creator/LindaHamilton, Creator/JeanneTripplehorn, Creator/SandraBullock and Creator/CindyCrawford were also considered for the role of Chase Meridan before the casting of Kidman.
** Creator/MichaelKeaton briefly met with Schumacher about reprising his role as Batman from the [[Film/Batman1989 first]] [[Film/BatmanReturns two films]], but decided not to join the project after deciding that he didn't like the direction in which Schumacher was looking to take the franchise. When asked about his decision to turn down the offer, Keaton responded with this.
---> '''Keaton''': To lighten up and brighten it up and be a cartoon was of no interest to me.
** Creator/TimBurton had discussions about returning to direct a potential third Batman movie after ''Film/BatmanReturns'', but left production after feeling that the studio wasn't too keen on his latest ideas. Burton's third film was reportedly titled ''Batman Continues'' and would've featured the [[ComicBook/TheScarecrow Scarecrow]], as the main antagonist along with Two-Face and the Riddler.
** An early script for the film, written by Lee and Janet Scott Batchler (allegedly written with Keaton still in mind for the role) is [[https://ia800107.us.archive.org/21/items/Batman3ScriptProductionDraftAkivaGoldsman/Batman%203%20script%20Early%20Draft%20The%20Batchlers.pdf substantially different in tone]], despite maintaining many of the same story beats as the finished film. Bruce and Alfred's interactions are far lighter than the finished product, which featured rewrites by Akiva Goldsman to learn more heavily into drama (the "revenge has become your life" subplot). Bruce courts Chase Meridian by using the Riddler's puzzles as a pretext to meet her, and (in the draft) takes the riddles far less seriously. The Riddler himself (identified as "Lyle Heckendorf", who takes the alias of "E. Nigma") has more of a subplot, setting up how his brainwave experiment works (an additional scene would have shown him testing the device on his landlord, Mrs. Owens), and has a far more prominent lair in the final draft -- when Batman enters Claw Island, he is confronted by a maze that features images of his past and his rogues' gallery (explicitly showing Joker, Penguin and Catwoman), based on Riddler's theft of his memory earlier in the film. The defacing of the "Lady of Gotham" statue is also far more prominent in the draft, and is repeatedly referred to afterwards via ContinuityNod to describe how Harvey's presence threatens the city.
** The [[http://www.batman-on-film.com/opinion_scissorpuppy_forever.html original version of]] ''[[http://www.batman-on-film.com/opinion_scissorpuppy_forever.html Batman Forever]]'', before it was edited to make it more family-friendly. Most notable is the movie originally opens with Two-Face escaping Arkham with "The Bat Must Die" scribbled in blood on the wall (making the ending visit to Riddler in Arkham BookEnds), further developing Bruce's motivations for retiring from being Batman and an entire story beat after being shot in the head where he got LaserGuidedAmnesia of being Batman and has to revisit the cavern where he first encountered a swarm of bats (a traditional part of Batman lore). The novelization retains most of these sequences, several of the cut scenes appeared in the music videos for the movie, and the comic book adaptation includes a little more violence, specifically the large pools of blood around the fallen Graysons.
** The cuts also would have changed the chronology of scenes in the finished cut: The Batsignal seen by Bruce at Wayne Enterprises is being helmed by Chase in the final cut, but it would've originally summoned him to the bank after Dent escaped Arkham in the deleted opener (which would explain the sirens Bruce hears when he sees it), and the scene with Chase on the roof would've been slotted before the Batmobile chase where it climbs the wall (with redubbing done to change the location where she noticed Two-Face's coin-flipping habit from the circus to the bank).
** Early concepts of the final showdown on Claw Island had a huge, muscled, Riddler sitting on his throne when Batman finds him. The Riddler twists the two skulls on his armrests and the Riddler's muscled body is revealed to be a shell which splits in two, from which the real Riddler (wearing his white and green jumpsuit) steps out. This "Big Riddle" form of the Riddler was retained for the final showdown with him in the SNES and Genesis video game adaptations.
** Two-Face’s henchmen Sugar and Spice were originally named Leather and Lace in the script. Their names were changed due to the fact that there were due to be [=McDonald=]’s toys of the characters.
* ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'':
** Creator/KurtRussell, Creator/DavidDuchovny and Creator/WilliamBaldwin were considered for the role of [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/GeorgeClooney was cast. Baldwin was previously approached for Batman in ''Film/BatmanForever''.
** Creator/PatrickStewart, Creator/AnthonyHopkins and Creator/EdHarris were considered for the part of Mister Freeze before the casting of Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger.
** Creator/JuliaRoberts, Creator/SharonStone and Creator/DemiMoore were in the running for the role of ComicBook/PoisonIvy before Creator/UmaThurman was cast.
** Creator/OliviaDabo was initially offered the part of [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Wilson]] before the casting of Creator/AliciaSilverstone. However, Creator/JoelSchumacher considered her "too old" for the role.
** Creator/KaneHodder was the original choice for ComicBook/{{Bane}} before Creator/RobertSwenson was cast.
** In earlier drafts, Barbara wasn't actually Alfred's niece but the daughter of an old friend of his that came to see him as her "uncle". This was kept for the comic adaptation.
** Barbara's ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} costume was to also have a full-head cowl, but Schumacher didn't like the look of it after a costume test and wanted Creator/AliciaSilverstone's hair to flow freely. Thus, the DominoMask was used, though Silverstone does use a cowl as Batgirl in one scene.
** ComicBook/PoisonIvy's costume was originally [[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/4c/00/83/4c0083dcb7bd93467bdca9d504c65721--poison-ivy-costumes-batman-robin.jpg a lot pointier]].
** Early plans for a fifth film were put into motion even before the release of the movie. The working title was "Batman Unchained" and Creator/JoelSchumacher was attached to return with a much DarkerAndEdgier script akin to the Creator/TimBurton [[Film/Batman1989 Batman]] [[Film/BatmanReturns films]]. ComicBook/TheScarecrow was set to be the main antagonist with Coolio attached to portray the role after a brief cameo in this movie. Creator/NicolasCage, Creator/JeffGoldblum, and Creator/SteveBuscemi were considered for the part of the Scarecrow as well before the casting of Coolio. Music/CourtneyLove and Creator/MartinShort were also cast as Comicbook/HarleyQuinn and Man-Bat respectively with Harley Quinn being rewritten as the Joker's daughter wishing to avenge her father's demise. Creator/JackNicholson had brief discussions about a potential cameo as the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] as well before the project was scrapped due to the negative response towards the film.
* ''{{Film/The Batman|2022}}'':
** Creator/NicholasHoult was the runner-up for the part of [[Comicbook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] before Creator/RobertPattinson was cast.
*** Creator/AaronTaylorJohnson, Creator/AlexanderLudwig, Creator/JackOConnell, [[Film/{{Midsommar}} Jack Reynor]] and Creator/ArmieHammer were considered for Bruce Wayne as well before the casting of Pattinson. Hammer was previously cast as the titular character in Creator/GeorgeMiller's ''[[Main/WhatCouldHaveBeen Justice League: Mortal]].''
** Creator/EizaGonzalez, Creator/AnaDeArmas, Creator/HannahJohnKamen, Creator/NathalieEmmanuel, Creator/AliciaVikander and Creator/EllaBalinska screen-tested for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]] before the casting of Creator/ZoeKravitz.
*** Creator/ZazieBeetz also auditioned for the part of Catwoman before the casting of Beetz, but was turned down due to scheduling conflicts with ''Series/{{Atlanta}}''. Beetz previously played Sophie Dumond in ''Film/{{Joker|2019}}''.
** Creator/JonahHill was approached for the role of [[Comicbook/TheRiddler Edward Nashton]] before Creator/PaulDano was cast. However, Hill turned down the offer due to disagreements over his pay and the studio preferring him to portray [[Comicbook/ThePenguin Oswald Cobblepot]] instead.
** Creator/SethRogen was considered for [[Comicbook/ThePenguin Oswald Cobblepot]] before the casting of Creator/ColinFarrell.
** Creator/MahershalaAli was offered the part of Commissioner Gordon before Creator/JeffreyWright was cast. However, scheduling commitments to portraying Comicbook/{{Blade}} in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse caused him to back out of discussions.
** [[Comicbook/TwoFace Harvey Dent]] was originally written to appear in the film, with Creator/OscarIsaac, Creator/JackHuston, Creator/JeremyStrong and Creator/JohnDavidWashington considered for the role before the character was scrapped from the project.
** Creator/DenisVilleneuve, Creator/GeorgeMiller, Creator/RidleyScott, Creator/MattRoss and [[Film/DontBreathe Fede Álvarez]] were considered to direct the movie before Creator/MattReeves was hired.
** The film was originally going to be firmly set in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, with Creator/BenAffleck, Creator/JeremyIrons and Creator/JKSimmons reprising their respective roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Alfred and Commissioner Gordon. Creator/JoeManganiello was also slated to reprise his role as Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}}, who would have been the film's antagonist. Creator/JaredLeto also expressed the desire to return as Comicbook/TheJoker for the movie, though it is unknown if the character was featured in Affleck's script (he eventually came back for a short appearance in the BadFuture scene of ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'' along with Affleck). The Batman film was instead reconfigured into a completely different story some time after the hiring of Matt Reeves.
*** Affleck was originally attached to direct, write, and star as Bruce Wayne in the movie. However, due to growing disinterest in the franchise because of Creator/DCFilms's constantly shifting plans, Creator/ZackSnyder's departure, the [[HostilityOnTheSet tumultuous]] [[TroubledProduction reshoots]] on ''{{Film/Justice League|2017}}'' and major CreativeDifferences with the studio, he would later step down from production of the film, leading to the hiring of Matt Reeves.
*** All of the events listed were so stressful that it led to Affleck going OffTheWagon after almost a decade of sobriety, and he was convinced that the project would kill him if he stuck around.
** As per Butch Lukic, [[https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2569137/how-matt-reeves-the-batman-affected-the-long-halloweens-release-dc-butch-lukic the film was almost an adaptation of]] ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'', which led to a planned AnimatedAdaptation of the storyline getting delayed. When the film went off in an original direction, production on the [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheLongHalloween animated adaptation was allowed to resume]]. In a bit of irony, the delays to the film caused the animated version to be released first.
** The Penguin was [[https://twitter.com/Bat_Source/status/1518037371597459456 initially designed]] to look much like his appearance in the ''Telltale'' Batman game, with concept art showing him looking much classier and with Creator/ColinFarrell's more recognizable facial features. However, Mike Marino insisted on giving him makeup, which is how we got to the final result. Farrell also tried to lobby for his incarnation of the character to smoke a cigar much like he would in the comics, but Warner Brothers refused to let him do it due to their policies on depicting smoking in their films.
** Batman would have originally had [[https://www.ign.com/articles/art-batman-batsuit-robert-pattinson-preview a more traditional glider-cape]] akin to ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' and the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries,'' instead of converting his cape into a wingsuit.
** Promotional artwork on store kiosks and toy boxes show Batman holding a smaller, throwable batarang rather than using his ChestInsignia as a knife.
** If a [[https://twitter.com/dimbergrasmus/status/1396054459730567168?s=46&t=Z53-MsE7UPjp0Qubcz70NQ prototype statue]] by Prime 1 Studios is any indication, the grapnel gun was originally going to be completely handheld and the metal rods on his gauntlets would have been spare hooks, rather than the grapnel gun being collapsible and storing in the underside of his gauntlet.
[[/folder]]

* ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''
** [[Film/BigJake Patrick Wayne]] was initially cast as [[Comicbook/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] before the casting of Creator/ChristopherReeve. However, Wayne dropped out of the project when his father, Creator/JohnWayne, became diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer.
*** Creator/RobertRedford, Creator/ClintEastwood, Creator/WarrenBeatty and Creator/JamesCaan were also offered the role of Clark Kent. However, Redford was turned down due to his demand for a higher paycheck, Eastwood declined due to scheduling conflicts with ''Film/EveryWhichWayButLoose'', and both Beatty and Caan turned down the offer due to their reluctance to portray the iconic comic book character.
*** Creator/PerryKing, Creator/JamesBrolin and Creator/LyleWaggoner screen-tested for the titular part as well. Waggoner previously played Comicbook/SteveTrevor in ''Series/{{Wonder Woman|1975}}''.
*** Creator/NickNolte, Creator/AlPacino, Creator/PaulNewman, Creator/BurtReynolds, Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/KrisKristofferson, Creator/SylvesterStallone and Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger were also considered for Superman before the casting of Reeve.
** Creator/CarrieFisher, Creator/StockardChanning, Creator/LesleyAnnWarren, [[Film/DeathWish3 Deborah Raffin]], Creator/SusanBlakely and Creator/AnneArcher auditioned for the role of Comicbook/LoisLane before Creator/MargotKidder was cast.
** Creator/GeneWilder, Creator/DustinHoffman, Creator/GeorgeKennedy and Creator/JackNicholson were considered for the part of Comicbook/LexLuthor before the casting of Creator/GeneHackman. Nicholson would later go on to portray [[Comicbook/TheJoker Jack Napier]] in ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}''.
** Creator/OrsonWelles and Creator/CharltonHeston was considered for the role of Jor-El before Creator/MarlonBrando was cast.
** Creator/JackKlugman, Creator/EdwardAlbert and Creator/KeenanWynn were offered the part of Perry White before the casting of Creator/JackieCooper.
** Creator/JohnHurt, Creator/ChristopherLee and Creator/ChristopherPlummer were considered for General Zod before Creator/TerenceStamp was cast.
** Creator/StevenSpielberg and Creator/GeorgeLucas were approached to direct the film before Creator/RichardDonner was hired. However, Spielberg declined due to disagreements over his salary and his previous commitments to other projects after the success of ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', while Lucas turned down the offer due to filming conflicts with ''Film/ANewHope''.
*** Creator/FrancisFordCoppola, Creator/WilliamFriedkin, [[Film/KingKong1976 John Guillermin]], Creator/NormanJewison, [[Film/{{Bullitt}} Peter Yates]], [[Film/TheHarderTheyFall1956 Mark Robson]], Creator/RobertAldrich and Creator/SamPeckinpah were considered to direct the film as well before Donner was hired. Peckinpah was turned down after he '''pulled a gun out''' during his meeting with the producers.
** Donner first asked Music/JerryGoldsmith to do the score, and he agreed. However, a schedule conflict came about and Music/JohnWilliams eagerly replaced Goldsmith who, six years later, would write the music for ''Film/{{Supergirl|1984}}''.
** The novel ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton'' was based on an idea for a Superman movie, though it was released the same time as the actual movie.
** The film was originally going to end with Superman flinging the missile into space and the explosion would free Zod, Ursa and Non, thus setting up a SequelHook. Creator/RichardDonner decided against this, as he felt that if people liked the first film, they'll see the second film anyway.
** Creator/MargotKidder was originally supposed to sing the song "Can You Read My Mind" for the flying sequence with Superman, but disliked it and changed it to voiceover.
** Originally, the helicopter scene was simply going to have Superman save Lois from falling. Later, Donner decided to have the helicopter drop and the modified scene was called "The Double Jeopardy Scene".
** In an early draft of the script, one of Lex Luthor's personality quirks is that he likes to chew on Kleenex.
* ''Film/SupermanII''
** Creator/RichardDonner was fired from the film halfway through production, as producer Alexander Salkind wanted the film to be more {{camp}} and less expensive than the previous film. The result on the franchise was disastrous -- many of the stars, including Creator/MarlonBrando and Creator/GeneHackman, refused to work with new director Creator/RichardLester or participate in later sequels. It should be noted that however disastrous the result was for the franchise as a whole, the Lester version was still a critically acclaimed box office smash, and even ''Superman III'' enjoyed good box office (if not the critical acclaim) even if only because ''III'' piggy backed off the success of the first two films. Donner had reportedly been at odds with the Salkinds from early on over the tone of the film and reportedly did not get along with Pierre Spengler, a long time friend and frequent collaborator of the Salkinds. Creator/MarlonBrando was said to have been cut out of the film altogether because he was too expensive, not just for his paycheck but because he got a big bite of the first film's box office and was entitled to a big bite of the second film's box office as well, which the Salkinds decided they didn't like. Jack O'Halloran, the actor who played Non, later accused the Salkinds of having done a poor job managing the budgets for both films.
** A bunch of scenes were shot for both versions, some of which went un-used in both versions, some of which were restored in extended TV cuts, such as a rather chilling scene (from the original theatrical ''Lester'' version!) of a young boy (the one who is supposed to be from the American mid-west yet talks with a British accent) being brutally killed by Non when he tries to ride away for help. This scene ends with an old woman exclaiming "He was only a boy!" to which Ursa cheerfully replies "[[CrossesTheLineTwice Who will never become a]] ''[[CrossesTheLineTwice man]]''."
** Though Lester was always considered to replace Donner, the Salkinds again considered Guy Hamilton to take over as Lester was too busy with ''Cuba''. The moment Hamilton turned the job down, Lester had just wrapped up filming ''Cuba'' and was hired.
** An early version of the script had four Kryptonian villains who were exiled from the planet before its destruction. Jak-El was supposed to be an evil prankster and source of comic relief. He is described as "a psychopathic jokester, whose pranks and practical jokes are [[ForTheEvulz only funny to him when they cause death and suffering to others]]." The character was never cast.
** The producers wanted Creator/HenryFonda to cameo as the United States President, but Fonda's other projects as well as his failing health led to E.G. Marshall getting the part. Creator/DouglasFairbanksJr was also considered for the role, and UsefulNotes/GeraldFord, fresh off his own tenure as President, was another candidate.
** The iconic "reversing time" scene from the first movie was intended originally for this film. The Richard Donner cut reinstated this ending, but is nowhere near as polished due to Donner not being able to properly complete the film. Donner has said he would've worked on a new ending for the cut if he was able to.
* ''Film/SupermanIII''
** Creator/TonyDanza was initially chosen to portray [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] before Creator/ChristopherReeve agreed to reprise the role. Originally, Reeve threatened not to return for the film due to his dislike of the script and the firing of Creator/RichardDonner. However, Reeve accepted the offer to play the titular character again after the producers agreed to let him have input on the movie's script.
*** Creator/JohnTravolta, Creator/JeffBridges and Creator/KurtRussell were approached for the part of Superman as well before the re-casting of Reeve.
** Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh was considered for the role of Lana Lang before the casting of Creator/AnnetteOToole. However, Leigh was turned down due to the fact that she was considered "too young" for the part.
** According to Ilya Salkind, the original script was going to involve Comicbook/{{Brainiac}} and Mister Mxyzptlk, who would've played by Creator/DudleyMoore, teaming up against Superman, who would also meet his cousin, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, who was adopted by Brainiac. The three characters would have been involved in a LoveTriangle, with a jealous Brainiac turning Superman evil and Supergirl agreeing to marry him if he returned Superman to normal. Superman would have made a deal with Mxyzptlk to transport him and Brainiac to another dimension in order to settle the matter without superpowers, which they would have done by jousting in medieval armor.
** Gus Gorman was meant to be the human guise of ''ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}''.
* ''Film/Supergirl1984'':
** Creator/ChristopherReeve was supposed to cameo as Superman at one point.
** Ilya Salkind and screenwriter David Odell originally wanted Brainiac to appear in the movie, and would have featured multiple planets over the course of the movie. If this had come to pass, this would have been the most expensive of the Superman films at that time.
** The movie was originally going to use a brand new costume design for Supergirl, and there are even test shots of Creator/HelenSlater wearing it. The producers changed their minds at the last minute, and decided to go with the classic Supergirl look instead. However, the comics had already adopted the new look [[RetCanon to better line up with the movie]], and Supergirl ended up wearing it until her death in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.
** An [[https://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Supergirl.html early draft]] of the script had Bianca as Selena's advisor and mentor. With her help, Selena launched a coup to take over ruling the Circle from Nigel, then betrayed Bianca and left her mad after being corrupted by her newfound power. Ethan and Supergirl would then free Selena, initiating a HeelFaceTurn. Selena was EasilyForgiven and left to go to Argo City with Kara.
** Creator/BrookeShields was so close to getting the role of Supergirl but was ultimately overruled at the urging of co-producer Ilya Salkind, who wanted an unknown. It was a decision Ilya later regretted. Creator/MelanieGriffith was also considered.
** Creator/DemiMoore was originally slated to play Lucy Lane, but backed out to work on ''Film/BlameItOnRio''.
** Creator/JohnTravolta was approached to play Ethan.
** Creator/DudleyMoore was offered $4 million to play Zaltar, but turned it down ''and'' suggested his former TV partner Creator/PeterCook play Nigel. (Moore would play Patch in the Salkinds' next production, ''Film/SantaClausTheMovie'', reportedly for the same fee.)
** The plot was originally going to involve Supergirl rescuing Superman from Selene. It was changed when Creator/ChristopherReeve refused to take part in the movie.
** Creator/RobertWise turned down the offer to direct this film.
** Music/DollyParton was offered $7 million to play Selena, but she turned it down because she was uncomfortable playing a witch. Creator/JaneFonda and Creator/GoldieHawn also turned it down.
* ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace''
** Creator/WesCraven was originally slated to direct the movie, but was replaced due to CreativeDifferences with Creator/ChristopherReeve. Reeve recommended Creator/RonHoward as director, but Cannon Group went with Creator/SidneyJFurie, instead.
** Reportedly, the original budget was about $35 million, but Creator/TheCannonGroup slashed it in half.
** The planned soundtrack album (split between songs - mostly for nightclub scenes along with Music/JerryLeeLewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"[[note]]heard coming from Lenny Luthor's car when he breaks his uncle Lex out of prison[[/note]] would have been included as well - and Alexander Courage's score) was cancelled when most of the scenes for which the chosen tracks were written got cut from the movie. (This was before the phrase "Music From And Inspired By" became the ''bête noire'' of film music fans.)
** Quite a lot of material (45 minutes worth!) was cut for the movie's theatrical release, with some odd choices. One would think an extended action sequence of Superman fighting a super-powered opponent (the Bizarro-esque first incarnation of Nuclear Man) would be something you'd want to ''keep''. Other deleted scenes make the plot hang together a little better, and there's a nice character scene between Lois Lane and the weakened Clark/Superman at Clark's apartment.

* ''Film/SupermanReturns:''
** Creator/WillSmith and Creator/JoshHartnett were approached for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] before Creator/BrandonRouth was cast. However, Smith turned down the offer due to his reluctance to portray [[Main/RaceLift a traditionally white character]] after doing ''Film/WildWildWest'', while Hartnett turned it down due to fears of being [[Main/TypeCasting typecast]] as the iconic comic book character.
*** Creator/PaulWalker, Creator/BrendanFraser, Creator/AshtonKutcher, Creator/DavidBoreanaz, Creator/IanSomerhalder, Creator/GlennHowerton, Creator/RyanMcPartlin, Creator/SamHeughan, Creator/DanielCudmore, Creator/JerryOConnell and Creator/HenryCavill also auditioned for the part of Superman before the casting of Routh. Cavill would eventually go on to portray the titular character in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, while O'Connell would voice him in the WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse..
** Creator/JenniferConnelly, Creator/CatherineZetaJones, Creator/ElishaCuthbert, Creator/KeiraKnightley, Creator/ClaireDanes, Creator/MischaBarton and Creator/KeriRussell were considered for ComicBook/LoisLane before the casting of Creator/KateBosworth.
*** Creator/AmyAdams auditioned for the role of Lois Lane as well before the casting of Bosworth. Adams would later go on to portray the character in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
** Creator/TopherGrace, Creator/EricChristianOlsen and Creator/ShawnAshmore were considered for the part of Comicbook/JimmyOlsen before Creator/SamHuntington was cast. Shawn's brother, Creator/AaronAshmore, would later portray Henry James "Jimmy" and [[spoiler: his younger brother James "Jimmy" Olsen]] in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''.
** Creator/HughLaurie was originally cast as Perry White before the casting of Creator/FrankLangella. However, Laurie dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts with ''Series/{{House}}''.
** Creator/ShekharKapur, Creator/MichaelBay, Creator/OliverStone, Creator/RobertRodriguez, Creator/MNightShyamalan, [[Film/{{Blade}} Stephen Norrington]] and Creator/MartinCampbell were initially offered to direct the film before Creator/BryanSinger was hired. Campbell would eventually go on to helm ''{{Film/Green Lantern|2011}}''.
** Singer wanted Creator/ChristopherReeve to make a cameo appearance in the film but Reeve died before filming began. Singer then decided to dedicate the film to him.
** In interviews, Creator/KalPenn revealed he originally had a much greater role. It would have been revealed that his character was a disgraced former Daily Planet science reporter who was bribed by Lex Luthor to plant false evidence of Krypton's possible survival, thus inspiring Superman to leave Earth and explore Krypton's ruins.
** Singer wanted General Zod to be in the film, with Creator/JudeLaw playing him. After Law turned down the role several times, Singer eliminated the character from the script.
** A scene dropped from the script had Superman visiting Ground Zero.

!!Live-Action TV
[[folder:''Batman'' (1966)]]
* The Creator/AdamWest series was cancelled by ABC, but NBC was willing to pick up the show for a fourth season. Unfortunately, all of the sets had been destroyed just a week before and NBC was unwilling to pay for new sets.
* During the crossover with ''Series/TheGreenHornet'', Robin was originally supposed to defeat Kato, but Creator/BruceLee got really angry, so it was changed to a draw. Even though Creator/BurtWard was a legitimate martial artist, he was nowhere near Lee's level, and a lot of fans found it hard to believe Kato didn't outright win.
* An outline for an episode featuring Two-Face was submitted (by none other than Creator/HarlanEllison), where Creator/ClintEastwood would have played a news anchor who was disfigured by an exploding TV, but it did not go through as the character was considered too grotesque to be made campy. The story would be adapted into an issue of ''ComicBook/Batman66''.
* The original Batsuit was much different in the test pilot than the one seen in-series. It sported a more-purpleish cowl with two different eyebrow expressions and longer ears and a Bat-emblem resembling the old comic emblems.
* Lyle Waggoner was considered for the lead part, and got as far as doing a screen test with juvenile actor Peter Deyell as Robin. Waggoner's line readings are a little more tense than the cool style favored by Adam West. He'd play a [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]] character in the next decade as Steve Trevor on ''Series/WonderWoman''.
[[/folder]]

* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/GreenLantern2011''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/Joker2019''

* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/Titans2018''

* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/TeenTitans2003''
* ''WhatCouldHaveBeen/YoungJustice2010''

** Creator/CarrieFisher, Creator/StockardChanning, Creator/LesleyAnnWarren, [[Film/DeathWish3 Deborah Raffin]], [[Film/OverTheTop Susan Blakely]] and Creator/AnneArcher auditioned for the role of Comicbook/LoisLane before Creator/MargotKidder was cast.

* ''{{Film/Green Lantern|2011}}'':
** Creator/BradleyCooper was Creator/MartinCampbell's first choice for the role of [[Franchise/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] before Creator/RyanReynolds was cast.
*** Creator/JonHamm and Creator/ChrisPine were also considered for the part of Hal Jordan. Pine would eventually go on to portray Comicbook/SteveTrevor in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
*** Music/JustinTimberlake, Creator/SamWorthington and Creator/JaredLeto screen-tested for the titular role as well before the casting of Reynolds. Leto would later go on to portray the [[Comicbook/TheJoker Joker]] in ''{{Film/Suicide Squad|2016}}''.
** Creator/KeriRussell, Creator/JenniferGarner, Creator/DianeKruger and Creator/EvaGreen were considered for the part of [[Characters/GLStarSapphireCorps Carol Ferris]] before the casting of Creator/BlakeLively.
** Creator/JackieEarleHaley and Creator/HugoWeaving were considered for the role of [[Characters/GLSinestroCorps Sinestro]] before Creator/MarkStrong was cast.
** Creator/ZackSnyder was offered to direct the film before Creator/MartinCampbell was hired, but turned it down due to commitments to ''Film/{{Watchmen}}''. Snyder would later go on to helm [[Film/ManOfSteel thr]][[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice ee]] [[Film/JusticeLeague2017 films]] in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
** An early draft of the script contained a cameo by Alan Scott, who was going to be the United States President, and near the end would reveal his own past as a Green Lantern to Jordan, and give him his blessing. He was later revised to become an agent of the Checkmate agency (the Checkmate membership stayed true to the comics), who would approach and offer Jordan membership. Later drafts finally wrote him out of the film, and replaced him with Amanda Waller. Scott would have been played by Creator/PierceBrosnan, who would go on to play Comicbook/DoctorFate in ''Comicbook/BlackAdam'' set within the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
** Blake Lively indicated that if the film were successful enough, she would've like to portray Carol Ferris becoming Star Sapphire, [[StillbornFranchise which of course will now never happen]].
** An early script planned a cameo from Guy Gardner, as a football player whom Abin Sur's ring briefly considers before moving on to Hal Jordan, before it was written out.
** At one point ComicBook/{{Superman}} was in the script (he had a cameo as one of the candidates considered to receive a power ring), but he was cut out because the filmmakers didn't want to depend on another superhero for a success.
** The first script draft originally had Legion from ''Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn'' as the main villain, until later rewrites changed it to Parallax.
** Martin Campbell's cut of the movie, before ExecutiveMeddling [[http://movies.cosmicbooknews.com/content/green-lantern-2011-studio-cuts-ruined-movie-directors-cut-way kicked in.]] See above.
** They originally intended to make a practical Green Lantern costume to be enhanced with CG but the more they experimented with the technology they knew they needed to make it fully CG, as they didn't want to show audiences another rubber/spandex/leather superhero costume. However, there is concept art for a more Batman-style armored GL look.
** There were a few attempts to bring the Green Lantern to the silver screen before this one, the most infamous one being the script written by Robert Smigel in 2004 that would've reinterpreted the premise as a raunchy adult comedy. Very loosely based on the ''Emerald Dawn'' storylines, it would've starred Creator/JackBlack as a loser furniture store employee named Jud Plato who was selected to become the next Green Lantern on the basis that he "fearlessly" [[{{squick}} ate severed animals heads]] for a TV reality show. Reportedly, negative fan reception to this treatment after details of it leaked onto the internet caused Warner Bros. to can the project very quickly.

*** Music/DavidBowie, Creator/WillemDafoe, Creator/BradDourif, Creator/JamesWoods and Creator/TimCurry were also considered for the Joker before the casting of Nicholson. Curry would later go on to be cast as the character in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', but was replaced by Creator/MarkHamill due to him coming down with bronchitis his voice being too similar to Captain Hook in ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'', and being considered '''TOO''' scary for younger viewers.

** Creator/SeanYoung was originally cast as Vicki Vale, but was injured in a horseback riding accident prior to commencement of filming which caused her to drop out of the project. Young would eventually go on to visit production offices dressed in a ''homemade [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Catwoman]] costume'', demanding an audition for ''Film/BatmanReturns'', before being escorted off the premises