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['Batman v Superman' Rumor: The New Version of Commissioner Gordon]

http://screenrant.com/batman-superman-dawn-justice-comissioner-jim-gordon/

'Batman v Superman' Rumor: The New Version of Commissioner Gordon

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is getting steps closer to being a theatrical reality, now that director Zack Snyder has finished production on the film. As we wait for the official first trailer to drop (previewing an entire DC Justice League shared universe to follow), we have only the long run of rumors to consult for major topics of discussion.

Most fans have heard the major whispers about this new version of Batman (Ben Affleck): He is going to be older, semi-retired from crime fighting; he may be estranged from Dick Grayson and rolling with a female Robin; he's possibly policing Gotham City through the use of drones, and he doesn't take too kindly to the level of destruction inflicted by Superman at the end of Man of Steel.

Today, we're getting another rumor that points to a major change to Batman lore that could be established in Batman V Superman – and it's one that fans will likely take issue with.

Even thought this is a rumor, what it pertains to could be considered a MAJOR SPOILER for Batman V Superman. You Have been warned.

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POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!!!

Badass Digest reports that in the Batman V Superman continuity, Batman will have no Commissioner Gordon, as Jim Gordon will be dead. No details about when or how Gordon died, only that the film features a memorial plaque to the man, denoting that he perished some time in the past.

In The Dark Knight Returns comic book storyline, Gordon and Bruce Wayne (who's been retired from Batman service for some time) reconciled openly with one another, acknowledging the secret behind The Batman. It made for a good Gordon/Batman story when Bruce subsequently went back to Batman duty, leaving Gordon in the awkward position of having to hand over control of the GCPD to a new commissioner, Ellen Yindel, who was brought in specifically to bring down Batman because Gordon would not.

If Batman V Superman truly has moved past Jim Gordon, there's every possibility that the Ellen Yindel character (or some variation) could be filling that void. Furthermore, the Yindel(-esque) character could also have a  similar reaction as the version of Yindel in the comic when Batman finally reappears on the scene (i.e., against him at first, but eventually accepting the need for him).

Of course, such a continuity shake-up also calls into question many other things – such as the status of characters like Barbara Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle) or Dick Grayson (Robin), and whether or not Jared Leto's Joker had anything to do with how Gordon perished. If Alfred (Jeremy Irons) is still alive and Gordon is not, it suggests that age was not so much the reason behind the Commissioner's demise.

It would be strange to have a Batman movie world without Gordon; then again, Gordon is currently having his character explored without a caped counterpart, as seen in Fox's Gotham TV series. Depending on how you feel about the success (or lack thereof) of Gotham's approach, this idea of dead Gordon in BvS will either sit comfortably or uneasily on your mind.
As always, this is all just RUMOR for now, but with production finished, we expect to start learning more official news about Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in the coming months.

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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will be in theaters on March 25, 2016.  It is directed by Zack Snyder, based on a script by David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio, and stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Laurence Fishburne, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Holly Hunter, Ray Fisher, and possibly Jason Momoa. It opens in U.S. theaters on March 25th, 2016

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Any thoughts?

I would have loved to have seen a new cinematic version of Gordon, preferably played by Bryan Cranston, but I also think Gary Oldman's take on Commissioner Gordon came close to being 'definitive' in a way one can't say of any of the live-action versions of Batman, Alfred or even the Joker, so far.  Also, as the article states, fans of "Gotham", of whom I count myself, are currently getting a full Gordon fix thanks to that show's focus on his character, and hopefully, we'll see Ben McKenzie play the character for a few seasons into middle-age/the moustache, trench-coat and glasses wearing version of the character we all know and love.

http://www.comicvine.com/articles/does-it-hold-up-batman-1989/1100-150636/

SPOILER: It does! 

It's a good, positive piece and a nice change from all the negative online comments I read elsewhere attributing the film's enduring popularity to nostalgia alone.  In fact the writer, Corey Schroeder, appears to like the film to an even greater degree than he used to (whilst also stating that he was initially dreading a return to this film beforehand).

I agree with practically everything Schroeder says apart from the final suggestion that the film is 'style over substance', although even here he states that "the style is so striking and the substance still there enough to make it an extremely entertaining revisit." 

[2015]

2015

Avengers: Age of Ultron (24 April) -   

Ant-Man (17 July) -   

The Fantastic Four (6 August) - 

2016

Deadpool (12 February) - 

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (25 March) -  *

Captain America: Civil War (29 April) -   

X-Men: Apocalypse (19 May) - 

Suicide Squad (5 August) - 

Doctor Strange (28 October) - 

The Sinister Six (11 November) - 

2017

The Wolverine 2 (2 March) - 

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (28 April) -   

Wonder Woman (23 June) - 

The Fantastic Four 2 (14 July) - 

Thor: Ragnarok (28 July) - 

Black Panther (27 October) - 

Justice League (17 November) - 

2018

The Flash (23 March) - 

Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1 (27 April) - 

Captain Marvel (6 July) - 

Aquaman (27 July) - 

Inhumans (26 October) - 

2019

Shazam (5 April) - 

Avengers: Infinity War - Part 2 (26 April) - 

Justice League 2 (14 June) - 

2020

Cyborg (3 April) - 

Green Lantern (19 June) - 


* counts as better than  , but not quite as good as 

...in more than one live-action Batman feature film?

Gossip Gerty 

Does that mean she's the most important female character in the Batman Cinematic Universe? 

http://filmspotting.net/svu/1243-svu-73-batman-returns-anti-heroine-movies.html

I'd definitely recommend the above podcast on the film Filmspotting.

The two podcasters, Matt and Alison, speak very highly of Batman Returns, even stating that it has gotten better with time, particularly with respect to the characterisation of Catwoman.

They discuss the film within the context of the subject, 'Cinematic anti-heroines'.  You may wish to skip the first fifteen minutes or so of the podcast where they discuss a variety of other films that feature anti-heroines (although I'd recommend that you don't - they have some interesting things to say about films such as Baby Face, Kill Bill, Election and My Best Friend's Wedding), but once they get into Batman Returns it's clear they think very highly of Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman as one of the few, maybe only, progressive female comic-book movie characters (they even compare her favourably to Black Widow, arguably the next best female CBM character, from the Avengers films).  Besides Catwoman, they also have several other positive things to say about the movie, but the overall focus is 'Catwoman - the anti-heroine'.

http://www.empireonline.com/features/superheromovies/vote.asp

Poll closes on 15 December but don't leave it.  Vote now! 

I assumed that a thread already existed for the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, but I can't seem to find it.

Anyway, we've got the latest news on the project and how Dr Victor Von Doom, sorry, I meant 'Doom', will be portrayed...

Details are beginning to materialize regarding Josh Trank's upcoming The Fantastic Four with star Toby Kebbell today spilling the beans about the altered origins of his iconic comic book villain, Doctor Doom.

"The thing I really concentrated on for Doctor Doom — or just 'Doom,' as we've got him — was the voice," Kebell told SuperHeroHype during an interview to promote the upcoming Blu-ray of his recent Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. "Even on the animated series, they never got his voice what I imagined it to be when I read the comics as a little boy... What I spent the majority of my time doing was not just being a fan, but being a bit of pedant and making sure I got exactly what I always wanted to see."

Kebbell got a bit more specific with Collider, revealing that there's no Victor Von Doom (or Van Damme, for that matter). Instead, he's playing an iteration named Victor Domashev who is an "anti-social programmer" and posts under the online handle "Doom."

Also starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Michael B. Jordan and Tim Blake Nelson, The Fantastic Four hits the big screen August 7, 2015. Check back for more information as it becomes available and look for our full interview with Kebbell closer to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes's Blu-ray release on December 9.

http://www.superherohype.com/news/321653-toby-kebbell-reveals-first-details-about-the-fantastic-fours-doom

So apparently Doom with be an anti-social computer nerd called 'Victor Domashev' (not Latverian super-scientist/dictator 'Von Doom').  Any thoughts? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vueAC31glPQ

Anyone else looking forward to the sequel? 

Here's a link I found on Youtube to the full series of the "Timecop" TV show which broadcast for the first time in 1997/98:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVegiG9whcaBVDwncXuc__5XoIJG4tAcY

What does everyone think?  Does anyone else like the female lead?    I love her look in the period costumes in 'Stalker', 'Lost Voyage' and 'Public Enemy'.

This is my favourite episode if anyone just wants a taster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yBap07oC48&list=PLVegiG9whcaBVDwncXuc__5XoIJG4tAcY&index=7

Does anyone have a copy of the Michael Singer Making-Of Book for 'Batman Forever' they'd be willing to scan onto this site?

I have all the Making-Of books for the other Burton/Schumacher movies except this one and I'd love to be able to see an electronic copy of this one if possible. 

I am very sad to report that the lovely and talented Jan Hooks who played Jen in 'Batman Returns' and was known for being a member of one of Saturday Night Live's best casts (late 80s to early 90s) died at the far too young age of 57 on 9 October.

Here she is in a great scene in Burton's debut film, 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYfjq3ZYZbA

And during the image consultant scene in 'Batman Returns' as the beautiful Jen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0Cf9hffZ8k

Rest in Peace Jan Hooks

One of our regular posters, Batman89, has recently posted some excellent production photos from the first Burton film on his superb site, '1989Batman.com'.

You can find them here: http://www.1989batman.com/

Here is a sample:

I'd love to read your reasons as to what your preferred version of Catwoman is, and what your least favourite version is too, if you have one.

Also, do you think there is a canonical origin story for Catwoman?  Batman's backstory is pretty consistent, except for 'Elseworlds' type stories, but does Catwoman have a similarly established/predominant backstory?

Apart from Batman, obviously, which Batman villain/supporting character would you like to see appear in live-action TV (e.g. "Gotham") or film (e.g. the Ben Affleck incarnation of Batman) soon?  The question applies to both characters that have already made a live-action appearance in some capacity or a character that has yet to be transferred into live-action TV/film.  I'd also be keen to know your reasons for picking that character, or characters, and if you have any thoughts as to how you'd like to see that character/characters adapted (and if possible, who you think would be perfect for the part, but don't worry if you can't think of anyone).

The gorgeous Cristi Conaway who plays the 'Ice Princess' is 50 today.  Happy Birthday Ms Conaway!

I've rarely felt so affected by the death of a celebrity.  Robin Williams was such a prevalent and welcome part of my childhood, with his appearances in "Mork and Mindy", roles in 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen', 'Dead Poets Society', 'Hook', 'The Fisher King' and 'Mrs. Doubtfire', and regular and consistently hilarious appearances on British chat shows.  And as I got older I really appreciated his stand-up and turns in brilliant dramatic films like 'Good Morning Vietnam' (the film that probably utilised him to the best capacity), 'The World According to Garp' and later 'Good Will Hunting', and darker stuff like 'One Hour Photo', 'Insomnia' and 'World's Greatest Dad'.

I've posted in this section of the forum because it's notable that Williams came close to playing Batman villains, or at least was rumoured to be up for playing Batman villains, on about four occasions, his name having been associated with 'The Joker', 'The Penguin', 'The Riddler' and later 'Hugo Strange' at various points in his career.  As with the late, and also exceptionally talented, Philip Seymour Hoffman as 'The Penguin', it's a shame that we never got to see Williams play any of those characters.  I'm sure he'd have been amazing in any one of those roles.

Of course, he leaves behind a wonderful filmography, and I'm delighted that he was recognised by the Academy for 'Good Will Hunting' in 1997, a truly wonderful and poignant performance that seemed to come straight from the heart.

Rest in Peace Mork. 

http://www.superherohype.com/news/309059-the-cast-and-crew-of-gotham-talk-about-the-upcoming-series#/slide/1

Executive producer Bruno Heller discussed one of the overall arcs for the first season of the series, saying: "The first year is very much about the rise of the Penguin and his involvement with Fish Mooney."

While Robin Lord Taylor, who plays Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin in the series, was asked about how he researched the role for the series, replying: "I watched Batman Returns like 500 times."

The Burton haters must have gone into conniptions on reading this. 

Anyway, this is great news, even if Lord Taylor is being tongue-in-cheek, which I somehow suspect.  The fact that he cites 'Batman Returns' suggests that he, and presumably the showrunners, is treating the Burton films with the respect they deserve, and that will hopefully be partly reflected in the show (although as with any new live-action Batman iteration, I hope this will be its own unique take).

I got the idea from this site I stumbled on: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/206-comics-and-graphic-novels/69660455

So which character would you ideally like to see adapted for the comic-books as canonical?  After all, the animated TV show invented a few like Harley Quinn and Nora Fries.

I discovered this site whilst doing my usual 'Batman' google search: http://www.pyroandballyhoo.com/25th-anniversary-batman-top-ten-funniest-moments/

I don't know much about the site but this page is great as it lists ten great comic moments from 'Batman 1989'.  I've included each of the ten in the poll, but you may have other favourite comic moments.

My personal one, which another commenter on that site mentions, is when Bruce Wayne briefly advises the Joker about a guy he knows called Jack "mean kid, hurt people".  To which the Joker replies "I like him already."

Check out these great pictures of Warner Bros' new studio tour: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/Search/Search.aspx?EventId=499218745

This looks amazing, but unfortunately it's only available for a limited time and I don't have the cash to travel to California.  I hope the display might one day come to Europe. 

Here are a few pics of the exhibition to whet your appetite: