Colin Farrell and Jude Law Almost Starred in an Abandoned Batman vs. Superman Movie – Here’s What Could Have Been

Colin Farrell is back in the Batman universe, reprising his role as The Penguin in an upcoming series after debuting the character in The Batman (2022) alongside Robert Pattinson. But long before this, Farrell almost donned the cape as Batman himself.

Over 20 years ago, following the critical and commercial failure of Batman & Robin, Warner Bros. sought a new direction for the franchise. One of the more surprising ideas involved a Batman vs. Superman movie, with Colin Farrell as Batman and Jude Law as Superman. This would have been the first cinematic clash between the two iconic superheroes, years before 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The proposed film was said to have a much darker tone. According to filmmaker Akiva Goldsman, the story began with Alfred’s funeral. Bruce Wayne would then fall in love, only for his wife to be killed by the Joker. In a devastating twist, it would later be revealed that the entire marriage was a scheme orchestrated by the Joker, making it one of the darkest Batman storylines ever envisioned.

This version of Batman vs. Superman was set to be directed by Wolfgang Petersen in the early 2000s but never came to fruition. Fans would have to wait 15 more years before finally seeing the two superheroes face off on the big screen in Dawn of Justice, with Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, followed by the Justice League movie.

Had the Colin Farrell and Jude Law version been made, it would have given audiences a much grittier and psychological take on the superhero genre.