Darren Aronofskys Unmade Batman Film

Darren Aronofsky might not be the first name you think of when it comes to superhero films, with his dark, disturbing, surreal movies such ass Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan but at one point that was an idea on the table. The film was titled Batman Year One and based off the Frank Miller comic of the same same. The film would have starred Joaquin Phoenix and Christian Bale.

In 1999 Darren Aronofsky pitched Warner Bros a batman film. The film would have been a reboot starring Clint Eastwood as Batman and would have been set in Tokyo. Aronofsky wanted the film to be gritty and realistic without any cartoonish elements. Aronofsky teamed up with Frank Miller opt write the screenplay for the film. A leaked screenplay shows Bruce Wayne homeless since the death of his parents and taken in by a character called big al who is a car machinic in Gotham. He also has a son little al a big middle aged black man who would act as the Alfred butler character in the film after big Al’s death. Bruce would learn combat from books and make a suit using makeshift tools and equipment from an army and navy store. Bruce would also use chemical weapons inspired by chemistry sets he was gifted as a child.

He would also lose all his teeth and replace them with white steel dentures he painted white. This films Cat Woman would be working in a prostitution house as a dominatrix and would not be white as well as cuffing a customer in one scene. She also finds out Bruce is batman. James Gordon is closer to his comic counterpart but is suicidal. His introduction would be him contemplating suicide with is service revolver in the bathroom whilst his wife sleeps in the next room. Gordon would fight against corruption in the police force with commissioner lobe as the antagonist. In the climax batman would stab lobe in the eye and carve a zed on his face. The film ends with Bruce reclaiming his inheritance and him and Al moving into Wayne Manor.

Some pre-production art has appeared online however there is speculation that it might be fake. Aronofsky even stated that it has nothing to do with is work. The rumour is that Christian bale would have played batman who would end up playing the Caracter in Nolan’s trilogy. Aronofsky stated that the studio wanted Freddy prince junior, and he wanted Joaquin Phoenix which allowed him to see that him and the studio were set one making two different films. Phoenix although never playing batman did end up playing the Joker in the 2019 film of the same name. Miller stated that Aronofsky’s vison of batman was darker than even his leading to augments. They created screenplay but warner bros said no. The executives wanted a child friendly batman instead. In Aronofskys film the bat mobile was just a normal car with some gadgets stuck on it. Instead of his fortune batman lead a life in the streets so he could understand what the people were going through. He built his own Batcave in an abandoned part of the subway and cut the bat suit himself from cloth. Batman wanted to fight both crime and a corrupt police force.  

The films death was ultimately due to conflicting interests over the films tone. Warner Brothers wanted to make a film that would sell toys and Aronofsky didn’t. He stated that he was pitching an R-rated batman film with little money. The studio was shocked at the script and wanted a softer film. In 2002 the film was dismantled.

Personally, as someone who loves Aronofskys work and doesn’t really care about superhero’s a Aronofsky take on a batman film does defiantly intrigue me.