In an alternate universe, Justice League would’ve already been released in 2009 under the name Justice League Mortal. And it would’ve been directed by none other than Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller.
Unfortunately the film was abandoned, but not before actor Arnie Hammer was cast as Batman.
In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hammer explained more about what we could’ve expected from his Batman portrayal.
“It was pre-Christian Bale but the Christian Bale Batman had a lot more in common with it than any of the previous ones, whether it be George Clooney or Michael Keaton, which were almost campy. This was one about a guy who is severely psychologically, almost deranged. It was dark and it was really intense and this guy had major trust issues, the whole thing. It was a great concept and a really cool idea.”
He also admitted how surprised he was to have won the role of Batman, considering he had little acting experience at the time.
“That was crazy. That was nuts,” said Hammer. “I was just a kid with a goofy name.”
Hammer also opened up about the audition process for the film which was shrouded in secrecy.
“I can specifically remember getting the phone call, and them being like, ‘You got the part in the movie,'” Hammer recalled. “We didn’t know what part we were going in for. They didn’t say you were going in for Batman. It was nothing. Literally nothing. They didn’t even give you scenes from the movie. My audition scene was the Ned Beatty monologue from Network.”
It’s unfortunate that the film never came to be as it’s something fans will constantly have to wonder about. And after the mixed results that the 2017 Justice League film has been conjuring up, fans may be regretting never having gotten George Miller’s Justice League Mortal.