Synopsis
Ra’s al Ghul has created his own map of all of the Lazarus Pits across the world, and in his insanity caused by the overuse of the Pits, plans to detonate explosives across every single one to cleanse the world and create mass genocide. A member of his organisation, Edward Nashton has stolen the map however, and fled across the world, hoping to sell the map to the highest bidder whilst also searching for protection from the League of Shadows. Nashton usurped control of a Lazarus Pit to cure his own cancer, and attacked the League of Assassins from within. After Nashton’s attack on the League of Assassins, Ra’s al Ghul is fatally wounded, and must search for a new host body; he plans to take over the body of his grandson, Damian Wayne.
Ra’s al Ghul is fighting to gain control of his grandson’s conscience, the Riddler is plotting to sell the map of the Lazarus Pits to terrorists across the globe in return for protection whilst also ruining cities’ economies and blackmailing those who get in his way to ensure he is not taken as a fool, and deadshot was a contract killer who was hired by Ra’s in an attempt to flush out the Riddler out of Gotham. As the Riddler fights for protection of himself as well as notoriety, he blackmails many notable Gotham figures and also bankrupts dozens of cities across the globe.
It is up to Batman to retrieve the map from Riddler and stop him from ruining the powerful figures of Gotham, protect his son from Ra’s al Ghul, and destroy the League of Assassins once and for all.
The Crew
Director
Paul Greengrass is a venerated English director best known for directing The Bourne movie series and for the 2013 blockbuster hit Captain Phillips, and is very talented in examining real life events and dramatising them in memorable films. I believe Paul Greengrass could be the perfect fit for a Batman movie director as he pays brilliant attention to every detail of his movies, they are realistically grounded enough for the audience to be able to understand quickly enough what the plots of his movies are, and he can perfectly transition the character into the modern world. Now this doesn't mean he'd make the character exactly like Nolan's Batman; I believe Greengrass is very capable of capturing both the real and surreal aspects of the Batman mythos, and presenting them properly onto the bigscreen. He is a director I feel could easily become passionate enough about his characters to ensure they're always popular.
Screenwriters
John Ridley is the perfect fit as a screenwriter of this movie for two main reasons; one, he wrote the script for Twelve Year's a Slave which has won dozens of awards for its brilliant script, and two, he was formerly one of the writers of the Batman, Justice League and Static Shock cartoons. Not only does this mean that he is a talented writer, but it also means he is properly familiar with the mythos of many DC characters and understands them thoroughly. Chris Terrio has had plenty of experience in writing the script to the award-winning Argo movie, is a close friend/colleague with Ben Affleck and has already been pinned to rewrite the script of Batman vs Superman. This means he'll have already become familiar with Batfleck's version of the character and can easily form plenty of ideas of how he'll want to present the character further, and I see no reason why he shouldn't be allowed.
Producers
In the past, Ben Affleck has acted as the producer of a number of movies he has starred in, including the notable Argo, which was popular enough to earn him and Chris Terrio the attention of Warner Bros. to star in Batman vs Superman in the first place. If there is anyone who'll understand how Batfleck will feel and act in the new movies, it will be Batfleck himself. Bruce Timm is also another infamous figure of the old Batman and Justice League cartoons, and will know a great deal about how to present Batman's character to the public, and there is honestly no reason why he shouldn't be consultated at the very least for his general thoughts and suggestions for the new movies. Finally, Charles Roven is a great lead producer who has worked extensively with Warner Bros. in the past on the Dark Knight Trilogy and Man of Steel, and after all the critical acclaim those movies received, I see no reason why he shouldn't be allowed back to help work on more Batman movies.
Cinematography
Robert Elswit has been the talented cinematographer of a number of successful films recently; the Bourne Legacy, The Town and Mission Impossible 5- Ghost Protocol. His role on the film wouldn't necessarily be a big famed role, but it would be a necessity and so a talented cinematographer is needed; who better to fulfill these shoes than a man who has won an oscar and fourteen other awards with fifteen nominations? He has worked on plenty of popular realistic films before with a key surreal touch, so I'm confident that he will be able to capture the essence of Batman on the big screen and help perfect a brilliant movie franchise.
Music
The key phrase 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' really comes to mind here, and it's certainly no surprise considering the long track of work Hans Zimmer has done over the years. From the Lion King, to the Dark Knight, to Man of Steel; his work has grown impressive with age and it would be foly for Warner Bros. to turn him away. My only critique is that he should deviate slightly from the sci-fi version of TDK music that is called the Man of Steel sountrack, and create something new from the scratch that captivates the new tone of the Batman series.
The Cast
Batman/Ben Affleck
Whether you like it or not, Ben Affleck is Batman, and no amount of signatures on an online petition is going to change that. People gave Michael Keaton flame when he was announced to be playing Batman in the 1989 movie and look how that turned out. He's become a better actor since his time as Daredevil, and has done good movies like Argo and The Town. I'm personally hoping he owns the role as Batman so much his name is always brought up when people discuss versions of the characters, like with Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.
Alfred Pennyworth/Jeremy Irons
Now this is one of Zack Synder's castings I am a firm believer in; I didn't think Warner Bros. could top Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, but it looks like they might be able to with Irons. All his roles from Lion King to Eragon are proof of a talented well respected man who can easily make any film he stars in memorable, and I have high hopes for his performance as Alfred. No doubt this version'll be similar to the Earth One Alfred.
Nightwing/Ben Barnes
I’m going to be quite honest here; I’m a little shaky on this casting as I haven’t personally seen that much of the actor, but from what I
have seen, he’s shown some good talent. He stood out quite well in Locked In and also in the second Chronicles of Narnia movie, but he’s a bit underrated nowadays because he hasn’t starred in that many big films since the Chronicles of Narnia series and Dorian Gray, but I see that some actors don’t necessarily need a collection of Oscars or roles in big blockbuster movies to be considered as a good actor. He’s performed the roles he was asked to perform in all of the movies he’s starred in brilliantly, and at the end of the day, that’s all you should expect. To be frank, I was considering Milo Ventimiglia as he’s another popular candidate for the role, but I figured I had enough Heroes actors on my list already. Still, let me know whether you think I should bump Barnes off for Milo or not, I’m open to discussions.
Commissioner Gordon/Harrison Ford
Now this is a casting I am both confident and excited about; a well known famed iconic actor playing a character from the comics I quite admire; I didn't think I could think of someone to replace Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, but I've outdone myself. I've considered Bryan Cranston as Commissioner Gordon for a while, but I want to save him for another role and Harrison Ford is just too great to pass up on. Honestly; he is Indiana Jones. He is Han Solo. What more do you need? I'm not sure whether he'd be interested in signing on for multiple movies nowadays, but if he is, he's just perfect for this role. I'd like to see a Commissioner Gordon whose more protective of his daughter and is also more assertive and headstrong in the GCPD, but isn't a d-bag and is friendly with Batman.
Oracle/Ellen Page
I had a hard time choosing which actress I wanted to play Oracle because I had three in mind, but ultimately Ellen Page stood out, and it's no surprise why. She was great in Hard Candy and won dozens of awards for her brilliant acting in Juno, but her claim to fame for me came in Inception, which she was great in. I originally considered Emily Blunt in terms of age and looks, but she hasn't really done anything spectacular, then I considered Emma Watson, but she's a bit of an overrated actress and I wasn't sure whether she'd be best suited for this role in the DCCU. But Ellen Page would be great as Oracle, hopefully her contract with Fox and the XMen films wlil be over soon so she could star in DC Batman movies.
Lucius Fox/Denzel Washington
Another great casting I'm confident and excited about, albeit it isn't an original idea, but it is certainly one I see no faults in. Like with Gary Oldman, I thought Morgan Freeman did the role of Lucius Fox so well I wasn't sure anyone could top him; outside of these films, he's arguably well known for playing God in the almighty movies; how do you beat the image of God working for Batman? You get the image of a man who played a big-shot gangster and a famed revolutionary to work for Batman. Denzel Washington has been in the game of films for a long time, done brilliant work as Malcolm X, in the American Gangster movie and in the 2012 hit Flight. With this version of Lucius Fox, I'd like him to be more hands on in assisting Batman's fight against crime and not show fear or reluctantance in risking his life multiple times to help Batman, and to even show willingness to sacrifice himself rather than Batman's much younger sidekicks like Robin and Nightwing.
Thomas and Martha Wayne/Thomas Gibson and Connie Nielseon
I'm not really that fussed about the casting for Batman's parents primarily because I want to see my idea of this movie be another origin movie or one that focuses on flashback after flashback that reminds Batman who he is. With the story including Damian's introduction to the Batclan, I'd like to be one or two scenes where Damian asks about the history of the Wayne family and Bruce begins having flashbacks to his parents' deaths, and instantly hesitates to reveal properly to the young Damian what exactly happened to them whilst trying to protect him from Ra's. Gibson and Nielseon are pretty unknown capable actors who I think can do the role; I don't think they'll receive big oscars for it considering it would only be a few scenes, but they're important nonetheless and I have faith they could make the scenes emotional enough to move anyone.
Cyborg/Chadwick Boseman
Not a usual casting you'd expect to find in a Batman movie, but in my idea, he's a vital part of the story, and I've always liked the idea of team-up movies being the way forward. With Boseman, he's a bit of an unknown actor and hasn't done that much stuff, but he played a high profile American jock in 42, and is starring in two seemingly big movies this year. He's slowly working up the ladder in terms of gaining a recognisable profile, but has already shown great passion for his roles, which is what I appreciate the most in an actor. I've considered Michael B. Jordan, but it looks like he's pretty much signed on for the Fantastic Four reboot and will probably be offlimits for DC, so Boseman all the way for me. In this movie, Cyborg would act as a technological tactician for Batman who fears he's become more isolated from the rest of the League and Cyborg also wants to basically find himself a 'home'. This movie is where he becomes great friends with Nightwing, later building up to a Teen Titans movie.
Harvey Bullock/Greg Grunberg
I'll admit, I'm pretty biased for this casting in that I'm just a big fan of Heroes, but I honestly think given the chance, Grunberg can easily do the role of Harvey Bullock well. That, is due to one reason and one reason alone; he acts as an unappreciated cop in almost all of the roles he stars as, everything from Heroes to Hawaii Five-0 to even L.A.Noire. He's had a lot of experience in different films TV shows and videogames, but I think he is more than ready for a blockbuster hit like a Batman movie. In this movie, I'd like to see Harvey Bullock just try to do everything on his own in an aggressive way, but not to appear too similar to Officer Flass from Batman Begins.
Dr Silas Stone/Joe Morton
Another case of an actor whose done so many roles and had so much experience in dozens of films over the past few decades, but never received such recognition because he hasn't appeared in a recent big blockbuster. I first saw this guy about three years ago in school when I watched him as Crooks in Of Mice and Men, then saw him in American Gangster, but nothing else since. I've seen a few clips of him in CSI, and I think even though I've only seen a few films/episodes with him in, he's more than capable of playing Dr Stone. It wouldn't be that large of a role in this film, but like with Thomas and Martha Wayne, it's an important one.
Mayor Hamilton Hill/Adam West
I'll admit, I didn't take casting this role as seriously as I should have, but I think it would be a decent enough role for Adam West to play. In this film, the idea is the Riddler would blackmail several important Gotham figures, including the mayor himself, in order to threaten Batman to listen to his demands regarding the Map of The Lazarus. West would appear in the film for twenty-thirty minutes at the most, and would play the role of an old begrudging Gotham figure whose reluctant to accept the new age of heroes and villains, and believes simply in shades of grey rather than morality. West's appearance in this film as Hill would be a great throwback to the old Batman shows, and would be a great way to draw in the older fans who may not, for whatever reason, appreciate the newer Batman flicks.
Harvey Dent/Adrian Pasdar
Another Heroes casting on my part, but this one has been fairly popular for a while now. He practically played the role of DA Harvey Dent in Heroes initially as a corrupt politician who had a disgruntled outlook on the world which only worsened, and although he's only recently done voice acting for Marvel films and games, I think he'd be quite capable of playing the role of Harvey Dent. Like with Hamilton Hill, Dent would be blackmailed by Riddler in this film over his secret 'Big Bad Harv' split personality, and it would be up to Batman to keep his secret save whilst trying to ensure his other personality doesn't take other. I don't really intend to have Dent become Two Face in this film or the next film idea I have, primarily because the general audience know how he's become Two Face and the character's had a lot of screentime and attention brought to him in Batman movies and comics, and I think it's time for other characters to receive their chance. Nonetheless, Dent as Dent could still play a significant role in this movie, and I'm more than confident Adrian Pasdar is the best actor to play him well.
Dr Jeremiah Arkham/Hugh Laurie
Okay, I'm just going to lay it out simply; he's Doctor House, him and Dr Arkham are far too similar not to at the very least consider him to play the role. This man has done stand-up dry comedy so he'll have the emotionless blank outlook on morality and life that Dr Arkham has, he's done films like 101 Dalmations so he's more than capable of presenting himself in an unbelievably strange kind of way, and he's dedicated a lot of time and passion to acting as House, so he can easily own the role of Dr Arkham if given the chance. Like with Hill and Dent, Arkham in this film would be one of the many people who Riddler blackmails and tries to hunt down, and like with Dent, I don't really plan to make Arkham Black Mask II, because to be frank if I were to put Black Mask into any of my movies, I'd cast the original.
Leslie Thompkins/Emma Thompson
This actress reminds me a lot of the case with Joe Morton; they've both done a lot of great roles in the past, but it is only with the few appearances in the modern movies that they actually receive the strongest of recognition. When I say that though, that doesn't mean Thompson hasn't done that many great movies recently; she won a BAFTA and an Empire Award for her role in Saving Mr Banks last year, and was nominated for and received dozens of awards for Sense and Sensibility. In this film, Leslie Thompkins would have a bit of a complicated role; she would try to act like a surrogate mother to Bruce and look after him however she can, however she does not condone his crime-fighting or allowing young people like Nightwing and Robin to assist him. The Riddler attempts to blackmail her and tries to use her to threaten Batman's identity to further influence him to protect him from the League of Shadows.
The Riddler/Andrew Scott
Now finally, here's the secondary villain of the movie; The Riddler, and the only person I want to play him is Andrew Scott. Why? Because he plays a similar role brilliantly in the BBC TV show Sherlock; honestly, it is both hilarious and spine-chilling to watch him play around in the episodes as if the whole story is just a puppet and he's the one playing the strings. One minute, Moriarty's pretending to be Molly's gay best friend/boyfriend just to get closer to Sherlock, next minute he's a figment of the detective's imagination as he's bound in a straight-jacket shouting about the essence of fear. That, is exactly what I want to see with the Riddler. I want a snobbish obnoxious computer hacker who litereally has the world as his finger-tips and pretends to be afraid of nothing, but is always hearing his jealous sickened father in his head calling him an unloved idiot. I'd like to see the Riddler be Public Enemy No. 1, and to actually enjoy it.
Ra's al Ghul/Jason Isaacs
This might not be a completely original casting, but it is certainly one I would love to see on the big screen, and after the success of the Harry Potter movies, I wouldn't be surprised if WB wanted some of their old actors to return to reign in more money. Jason Isaacs has done a lot of big bad villain roles; everything from Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films to Colonel Tavington in The Patriot, to even Sinestro in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. He played the character of Ra's al Ghul in Under The Red Hood, and I think it's time he played the character again up on the big screen. I'd love to see a more maddened version of the character like in Arkham City; he subconsciously does not want to keep going into the Pits as he knows it drives him insane, but he cannot help but continue wanting to live and lord over the rest of the world, whatever the cost. I think if given the chance, Isaacs could be remembered as one of the best CBM villains of all time if he got to play Ra's al Ghul.
Talia al Ghul/Keira Knightley
For this character, I normally see actresses like Eva Green and Gemma Arterton picked solely because they look the part and have done similar roles before; I want to go with Keira Knightley because not only does she look the part, but I think she's got the perfect charisma for the role of the complicated and mysterious Talia, and she can be seductive enough to toy with Batman. She's won awards for best actress for Atonement, Pirates of the Carribean and has receied nomination after nomination in recent years for dozens of movies. When I heard she was one of the many actresses considered to play the role of Catwoman in TDKR, I was glad she didn't get the role because she isn't suited to it; she's naturally suited to that of Talia, and it's no wonder why. In this movie, I don't Talia to be a villain like she was in TDKR; I want her to be a complex double-crosser in that she's always trying to help both Batman and Ra's, whilst also just looking out for herself and Damian. I'd prefer to steer away from the evil weird character who killed her son and cloned him, and instead go for the old cartoon version of the character and do something new with her. She wouldn't necessarily be the typical damsel in distress, but she wouldn't be an outright menacing villain.
Deadshot/Luke Evans
Originally, I was just going to cast Aaron Paul in this role because I couldn't think of anyone else who both looks the part and can act the role well; then I watched Fast Six for the 1000th time on Skymovies and realised how perfect of a fit Luke Evans would be as Deadshot. He's in a lot of big movies nowadays; Fast Six, the Hobbit, previously in Clash of the Titans and even Robin Hood. In this movie, Deadshot would just have a cameo at the beginning like George St. Pierre's character at the beginning of CA:TWS where it would mainly just be a great way to start the movie; Batman is beating up dozens of goons in a bar, is chasing a couple of mob bosses, and then we learn that he is in fact rescuing them from Deadshot, who he quickly beats. Deadshot would simply serve a cameo at the start that would later build up to the League of Assassins (He would be a contract killer hired by Riddler to stall Batman), then would later build up to a Suicide Squad movie.
The Ending
The film would end with Batman arresting the Riddler, watching Ra's al Ghul fall to his seemingly apparent death, and bring about almost complete destruction to the source of the League of Assassins' power. Those who the Riddler blackmailed would be arrested as their secrets are revealed, including the notable Warden Arkham for mistreating his patients. He is announced to be replaced by Dr Hugo Strange...
As the Riddler is handcuffed and placed into the back of an armoured van, the van drives straight past Blackgate Prison and Arkham Asylum, and begins driving away from the city. The Riddler asks what is going on, and one of the guards in the van takes off his helmet and reveals himself as Colonel Steve Trevor, who wants to recruit him to make his country proud...
In the Batcave, Batman is assessing how much he has left of his arsenal after the Riddler destroyed it all, whilst Damian is goofing around with Ace in the Batcave. Alfred reminds him that it is not his fault for attacking Damian as Ra's deceived him and tried to mentally gain control of him; Damian then jokes 'Thank God it was just you and not someone with superpowers like Superman!'. As Batman stares at his Batcomputer, he grows worried at the fact that if he, the most resillient of minds, could succumb to mindcontrol, then so could his allies, and no one could stop them. He then begins creating contingency plans incase the Justice League ever need to be stopped....
Well that's the end of the casting! I'll be posting up later my fanfic idea of what the plot would be for this movie if anyone's interested, and I'm definitely going to be posting my Justice League fancast soon as well. Let me know your opinions in the comments, which choices are good or bad, and be sure to hit the thumbs up button for my first ever article!