Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t a perfect movie, but it sure is a wildly entertaining one. It’s also a return to form for Tim Burton. The Ghost With the Most helped the director find some of his old mojo. That has led many to wonder what other franchises Burton could return to next. The most popular—and most obvious—choice has been another one his Beetlejuice star also headlined. And you know what? That should absolutely happen. Warner Bros. Discovery, right now, should sign Tim Burton and Michael Keaton to make a third and final Batman movie together.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s already massive box office haul is proof moviegoers, even after waiting for decades, will turn out in droves to see Michael Keaton in a Tim Burton movie. And that was with a property not nearly as guaranteed to find success as a new Batman film would be. Superman is not DC’s single most bulletproof cinematic superhero. It’s the Caped Crusader. Every time Warner Bros. makes a solo Dark Knight, film people show up.
A third Burton Batman wouldn’t pose any problems for James Gunn’s burgeoning DCU, either, even though that cinematic universe will soon introduce its own Bruce Wayne. Movies set outside of the DCU, like Joker: Folie à Deux, fall under a separate “Elseworlds” banner. And it’s not as if anyone would confuse Burton’s surreal Gotham with Matt Reeves’ far more grounded and grittier “Battinson” Elseworlds franchise, either. There’s room for all of them. Especially since Burton and Keaton would almost certainly only be making one final Batman film.
But ticket sales are a concern for the studio, not fans. Just as the multiverse and canon questions are something for James Gunn to worry about. The best reason Burton and Keaton should bring back their Dark Knight is the only one that actually matter: the movie itself.
Burton’s two Batman films are distinct, memorable, and fantastic in their own ways. He created a stylish, heightened universe that stands out from every other live-action adaptation of Batman. His Gotham is a comic book full of iconic characters come to life. The director’s films also feature what many consider to be the greatest Batman ever. For an actor who was a “controversial” pick at the time, Keaton delivered a perfect Bruce Wayne for Burton’s vision. The Flash also showed Keaton still has great Batman performances left to give. (After Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, it’s obvious Michael Keaton can put on any old costume and it will seem like he never took it off.)
Yet, the two never got to finish their story. Batman Returns is not a satisfying conclusion in any way. It’s ending is a somber setup for another entry. And as much as DC would like us to think George Clooney and Val Kilmer’s turns as Bruce Wayne served continuations, no one really believes that. Joel Schumacher’s far sillier, far more “family-friendly” Gotham was definitely not Tim Burton’s, which is even more beloved and appreciated now than it was when him and Keaton walked away from the franchise.
The very long delay for a third film could also end up being a huge blessing. It could help Burton and Keaton make something special. Had they returned for Batman 3 in the ’90s, they would have told another chapter in the same story. It would have been the same Bruce Wayne dealing with a new problem. But decades later, Keaton’s Caped Crusader would be so much older and different in meaningful ways.
What would that mean for him? How would he have changed? Did failure harden him? Did loss soften him? How would he have reacted to age and diminishing strength? How would experience and wisdom have shaped him over the years? Did he train someone else to take over as Gotham’s hero?
There are plenty of great stories about an older Bruce Wayne, including Batman Beyond, that Burton could take inspiration from while crafting his own tale, just as he did with his first two films. The possibility alone is enough to that DC should greenlight this movie tomorrow without a script. Simply returning to that version of Gotham is, too. Just as seeing Michael Keaton as that Batman, and not his multiversal counterpart, is.
But there’s one final reason Beetlejuice Beetlejuice should lead to Batman 3. Burton’s two installments are among the most important movies ever made. Yes, movies, not just superhero movies. The genre now dominates Hollywood, and superheroes would not be as ubiquitous on the big screen without Keaton’s time in the cowl. Few movie franchises have left behind a legacy like that. And even fewer are worthy of a legacy sequel.
Parents upset about McDonald’s toys should not have deprived Tim Burton from closing out his time in Gotham the way he wanted. It should not have made Michael Keaton walk away from Wayne Manor. They should have been able to drive off in the greatest Batmobile ever they way they wanted.
Tim Burton spent decades away from the afterlife, but when he returned there with Michael Keaton they found cinematic magic once more. Now that they have it’s time to finally let them do the same in Gotham City.
