Failed ‘Batman & Robin’ Sequel Almost Appears One DC Villain 17 Years Before Their First Live-Action Appearance

Unfilmed sequel Batman and Robin almost introduced Harley Quinn to the world of DC live-action films several years before she made her debut in this capacity. Batman and Robin occupies a difficult place in the annals of Batman film history, being one of the most easily recognized – and most consistently disliked – releases in the entire Dark Knight catalog of films. However, this only makes the actual story of this installment and its impact on the DC cinematic landscape even more interesting.

This is especially true when it comes to a film that was originally supposed to come out after Batman and Robin in the Batman film line, as it was not originally intended to be the final installment of the series. In fact, the unmade fifth film was apparently meant to be a grand unification of this slate of films, bringing back some amazing villains and introducing new ones all the time. Plans for the story even saw Harley Quinn take on the living Batman, which could lead to some key changes for the character and for DC as a whole.

Batman Unchained Could Have Been Harley Quinn’s Live-Action Debut Years Before It Happened

Harley Quinn’s movie history was almost completely different

Although Harley Quinn first appeared on the small screen in 1992, making her first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series – and soon after made her comic book debut – she had to wait much longer before appearing on the big screen. Suicide Squad brought to life the first game version of Quinn, but the character almost appeared in a cinematic release long before this with Batman Unchainedwhich was slated for release in 1999 – just a few years after audiences first met DC’s other top clown.

Screenplay by Mark Protosevich for Batman Unchained The film’s events reportedly pitted the DC hero against Scarecrow and Harley Quinn, allowing the series to explore new territory while still maintaining useful connections to the Joker and the series’ history for when and if they might be useful. However, the film never came to fruition, leaving Harley Quinn only in comics, television, and animated films for a long time until the film was released 17 years later in 2016. Suicide Squad.

As the now defining live-action version of Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie has delivered a solid run of performances as the character between Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)And Suicide Squad. However, it is noteworthy that – before the Joker: Foil-deuce introduced the world to Lady Gaga’s version of Quinn in 2024 – she was also the only film version of Harley Quinn to grace the screens. Thus, the mysteries as to what Batman UnchainedBringing Quinn onto the stage is particularly appropriate.

Introducing Harley Quinn into an earlier Batman series would have had amazing results

Batman Unchained had a unique iteration of the DC character

The evolution of Harley Quinn in the universe and in the real world has been an interesting process. First introduced as the Joker’s adoring and lovestruck sidekick – a role played for comic effect – in Batman: The Animated Seriesthe stories quickly began to explore the trials and tribulations of being romantically involved with a ruthless supervillain, with the toxic nature of the couple’s relationship becoming a major part of Harley’s story, ultimately leading to the duo breaking up to give Quinn her own storylines.

Interesting, Batman Unchained would reportedly make Harley Quinn the Joker’s daughterradically changing the dynamic she would have had with the then-deceased Joker and making her place in the film industry even more interesting. Combine that with the rumored casting of Courtney Love as Harley Quinn and the Joker, who is slated to return in the film – albeit as a figment of Batman’s imagination, revived by the events of the film – and it’s clear that Quinn’s story would be a no-brainer. the other version had already been told, which made the missed opportunity even more remarkable.

It is also worth noting that Quinn made her debut in Suicide Squad The results were mixed: although Robbie’s performance was praised, the film itself was also unsuccessful. So, looking at how Batman Unchained could have changed the character’s live-action debut is also interesting in that sense, although the film, which never came to fruition, leaves it largely up to the imagination.

Why Batman Unchained Was Never Made

Batman Unchained finds itself in a difficult situation for several reasons.

Ultimately, Batman Unchainedthis place is like Batman and Robinthe continuation apparently led to its collapse. While working on liberatedscript before Batman and Robinrelease, the film’s reception remains consistently negative to this day, based on its 12% critic score and 16% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes – meant that it was difficult to imagine that the next release would pay off. This was matched by lower box office receipts than any other Batman film in the series before it, despite some promising opening weekend results. Batman and Robin – consolidation of your failures.

It said: Batman Unchained may not have been done even if Batman and Robin was the more successful film both critically and commercially, as the story’s big twists were perhaps too much to justify to the executives – although Batman and Robin myself no doubt it didn’t help. In a report from Hollywood ReporterWriter Mark Protosiewicz details the delivery of the first draft of the script to director Joel Schumacher and a Warner Bros. executive, stating that Schumacher described it this way: “the most expensive film ever made.According to Protosevich, this was followed by radio silence from the studio and the subsequent termination of the project.

However, details about Batman Unchained and what could have been for his story will always make him a fascinating chapter of DC history, even if it never saw the light of day as a successor Batman and Robin. Since the DC Universe will likely see a new version of Harley Quinn and her upcoming releases, it will be interesting to see how the future of DC movie releases reflects its past, and if there are any snippets of what liberatedHarley Quinn could be seen in new iterations of the character.

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