The 2023 DC Superhero Flop That Pushed Tim Burton Into “Quiet Revolt”

The reality of creative ownership in Hollywood is undergoing a major philosophical shift as technology advances. When comic book universes clash on the big screen, the line between a respectful homage and corporate exploitation often becomes blurred.

For a visionary like Tim Burton, who spent years crafting a mesmerizing cinematic universe for DC superheroes, seeing his distinct artistic fingerprints recycled without consultation in ‘The Flash‘ (2023) was downright disrespectful. In a 2023 interview, Burton revealed that this corporate entitlement has pushed him into a “quiet revolt” against studios using technology to strip art of its humanity.

Tim Burton’s Stand Against Studio Exploitation

Directed by Andrés Muschietti, ‘The Flash’ resurrected both Michael Keaton‘s Batman and Nicolas Cage’s Superman. Tim Burton directed Keaton in two Batman movies: ‘Batman’ (1989) and ‘Batman Returns’ (1992).

Related: The “Psychotic” Reason Tim Burton Fought For Michael Keaton’s ‘Batman’ 

Having gained a huge success with these films, Burton agreed to direct a Superman movie titled ‘Superman Lives,’ featuring Nicolas Cage in the lead role. However, the film never came into existence. By the time the creators shelved the project in 1998, Burton had spent two years working on it in pre-production stage.

Following the disappointing turn of events, Burton never worked on superhero material. Then came the year 2023 when DC brought Ketan and Cage back into the mix. When asked about the cancelation of ‘Superman Lives’ and the duo’s cameo appearances, Burton didn’t mince words.

“I will say this, when you work that long on a project and it doesn’t happen, it affects you for the rest of your life. Because you get passionate about things, and each thing is an unknown journey, and it wasn’t there yet. But it’s one of those experiences that never leaves you, a little bit,” he told BFI.

Doubling down on his disappointment, Burton bashed studios for stripping away directorial ownership and artistic soul through the use of technology. “But also it goes into another AI thing, and this is why I think I’m over it with the studio.”

“They can take what you did, Batman or whatever, and culturally misappropriate it, or whatever you want to call it. Even though you’re a slave of Disney or Warner Brothers, they can do whatever they want. So in my latter years of life, I’m in quiet revolt against all this.”

The Bitter Hollywood Divide Over CGI Cameos

Despite not naming ‘The Flash’ explicitly in his comments, it’s evident that Burton referred to his work on Batman and how the movie altered the character created by him. From his comments on technology, it’s clear that he is definitely not in favor of DC bringing back Keaton’s Batman.

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Moreover, it is quite possible that he shares the same opinion concerning Cage’s Superman cameo in ‘The Flash.’ As for the AI aspect in Burton’s comment, the director might be speaking about the CGI used to create the cameos.

Cage had shot new scenes for his Superman cameo, but the creators used CGI to make him look younger. Interestingly, Burton’s comments differ a lot from those of Kevin Smith, the original ‘Superman Lives’ screenwriter.

Speaking about the cameos, Smith defends their use saying that “the CGI recastings of Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Helen Slater’s Supergirl and others is a really nice homage to the past”. When discussing Cage’s cameo, Smith called it “an absolute delight.”

Burton appeared to represent the majority of people. Many viewers and critics of ‘The Flash’ slammed DC for the use of CGI for recasting old or dead actors. Nevertheless, most of them didn’t share Burton’s view on the misappropriation of Keaton’s Batman in the movie.

Ironically, Keaton’s return to the DC Universe was one of its most liked aspects. Unfortunately for Burton and filmmakers sharing his viewpoint, it suggests that studios won’t stop using beloved actors and characters to cash in on the nostalgic value.

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