As a longtime moviegoer, I’ve seen a lot of Batmans. It’s no shock the character’s been on screen for decades, and so many actors have had a go at playing the Caped Crusader – from the delightfully cheesy Adam West to Robert Pattinson’s brooding, realistic take, and everything in between. Now, DC Studios is gearing up for yet another Batman film, The Brave and the Bold, which will be part of their new DC Universe. Thinking back over all the Batman movies, it always gets me wondering about the ones that didn’t happen. There was one in particular that ultimately fell apart, and honestly, looking back, maybe that was a good thing.
Before Marvel’s success with the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Iron Man in 2008, Warner Bros. was planning its own superhero team-up movie. They hired director George Miller to create Justice League Mortal, hoping it would launch a series of films. Despite recent Superman Returns and Batman Begins movies, the actors Brandon Routh and Christian Bale weren’t brought back for Justice League Mortal, so the studio had to find new actors – including one who has since become a controversial figure – to play the roles, starting with Batman.
Armie Hammer Was Cast As Batman in Justice League: Mortal
When casting the movie Justice League Mortal, producer Akiva Miller looked for up-and-coming actors, hoping to build a team that could star in DC Comics films for many years. He envisioned Justice League Mortal launching sequels and spin-offs if it did well. Armie Hammer, only 21 at the time (compared to Christian Bale who was 34 when The Dark Knight came out), was chosen to play Batman. Hammer described his take on the character as “almost deranged,” stemming from personal trust issues, and planned for a similarly dark and intense portrayal as Christian Bale’s.
Alongside Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), the planned Justice League Mortal movie was set to feature D.J. Cotrona as Superman, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, Adam Brody as The Flash, and Common as Green Lantern John Stewart, among other actors. Had it been made, it would have been a groundbreaking big-budget film, bringing together many of DC’s most iconic heroes for the first time. However, the film never actually got made. Numerous problems arose during the early stages of production. The project was initially stalled by the Writers Strike in late 2007, and even after the strike ended in early 2008, further issues persisted, including production delays and budget concerns. One problem was that the film didn’t qualify for an Australian tax break because it didn’t feature enough Australian actors.
While the Justice League Mortal movie struggled to get made, The Dark Knight came out and revolutionized superhero films. It was a huge critical and commercial success, earning over $1 billion worldwide, and it made Warner Bros. rethink its plans. The studio decided to focus on individual hero movies instead, which led to the cancellation of Justice League Mortal. In hindsight, this was probably a good thing. Superhero movies were different in the late 2000s. The idea of a team-up like The Avengers wasn’t yet popular with audiences, and having two different actors playing Batman at the same time would have been confusing. The concept of alternate versions of characters, now common thanks to The Multiverse Saga, wasn’t something most moviegoers understood back then, so a more cautious approach made sense.
Armie Hammer once thought his take on Batman in the planned movie Justice League Mortal could have been interesting, but he later admitted he was glad the film never happened. He joked that he wouldn’t want to see a Batman who was only 19 years old, imagining him as a spoiled, immature character. While it would have been exciting to see DC’s heroes team up on screen, most fans likely agree with Hammer now. Christopher Nolan was able to finish his Batman series with a successful film, and Zack Snyder went on to create one of the most acclaimed action movies of all time.
Justice League: Mortal‘s Cancellation Led to Mad Max: Fury Road
After his attempt to make a DC Comics movie was cancelled, George Miller went back to working on Mad Max. He’d wanted to create another film in the Mad Max series for some time, and now he had the opportunity. While Mad Max: Fury Road faced many challenges during production – including pressure from the studio and disagreements between stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron – it eventually made it to theaters. Unlike his previous project, Justice League: Mortal, Fury Road was released in May 2015 and quickly became known as one of the best films of the 21st century.
Let’s be real, everyone’s heard the hype around Fury Road, and for good reason! It absolutely blew me away with its non-stop energy – the visuals were incredible and the action was just flawlessly put together. But it wasn’t just explosions and car chases; there was a surprisingly moving story at its core. Charlize Theron was phenomenal as Furiosa, instantly becoming one of my all-time favorite action heroes. What really impressed me was how it broke out of the typical blockbuster mold and actually got recognized by the awards shows, snagging Oscars for its technical achievements and even nominations for Best Picture and Director. Honestly, after all the trouble with Justice League: Mortal, it’s amazing to see George Miller back on top with something this special.
Today, Fury Road is considered a landmark action film, but it almost didn’t happen. If Justice League: Mortal had been successful and kicked off a DC movie universe, Warner Bros. likely would have kept director George Miller busy with more DC films. Miller might have then leveraged that success to finally get Fury Road made, though DC projects would have remained the studio’s focus. However, if Justice League: Mortal had failed, it’s unlikely Miller would have secured the funding for Fury Road. Now, after the recent Furiosa prequel didn’t perform well, Miller isn’t confident another Mad Max film will be made.
Although fans are thrilled that Mad Max: Fury Road was made, many still wonder what could have been with Justice League: Mortal. It would have been amazing to see a director with George Miller’s action expertise tackle a superhero team-up featuring iconic characters and create large-scale battles. Some argue the timing wasn’t right, especially with the success of the Batman films, but the X-Men movies proved that compelling team-up stories were possible. Given Miller’s skill, he likely would have succeeded in bringing Justice League: Mortal to life.
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2026-01-19 22:42