Joss Whedon's 'The Avengers' has already made upwards of $280 million overseas before even hitting US theaters. It's also a phenomenal film in this writer's opinion. Success of this kind, especially in the realm of superhero cinema, always gets the geek hive mind contemplating, and we couldn't help but wonder what a Joss Whedon Batman film would look like. Turns out, as some of you may already know, Whedon did in fact bid to helm the reboot of the Caped Crusader, which of course ultimately went to Christopher Nolan. In a recent interview with GQ, Joss described one of his favorite scenes from his rejected script that gives us a glimpse into his approach to Bats' origins. The scene revolved around a young Bruce Wayne who, after the slaying of his parents, became a morbid child obsessed with death. In a crucial moment, one that would forever shape his destiny, Bruce tries to protect a girl being bullied in an alley. Whedon goes on to say...

"And he's like this tiny 12-year-old who's about to get the shit kicked out of him. And then it cuts to Wayne Manor, and Alfred is running like something terrible has happened, and he finds Bruce, and he's back from the fight, and he's completely fine. And Bruce is like, 'I stopped them. I can stop them.' That was the moment for me. When he goes 'Oh, wait a minute; I can actually do something about this.' The moment he gets that purpose, instead of just sort of being overwhelmed by the grief of his parents' death."

Pretty powerful stuff. Don't get me wrong, I am not at all saying I regret that Christopher Nolan got the Batman gig over Whedon. Hell, Whedon himself even loves 'Batman Begins.' I don't know what more we could have possibly asked for in Nolan's relaunch of the franchise, but it is interesting to think about how the Dark Knight would have risen under a different puppet master. I like the idea of Bruce latching on to a clear sense of purpose as a child, and realizing he had the physical strength to fight those who oppress others. Apparently however, the studio did not like it. As Whedon recalls, "the executive was looking at me like I was Agent Smith made of numbers. He wasn't seeing me at all." Again, I wouldn't change a single frame of 'Batman Begins,' but it's funny to think that Warner Brothers couldn't see the merit in Whedon's vision given that he just made Marvel a boatload of money. Of course, having not read the entire script, I can't speak to the overarching quality of it, but I can at least imagine that the dialogue was as punchy as Batman at an Arkham escapee picnic.

What do you guys think a Whedon Batman would have looked like? Could you see him potentially helming a future entry in the franchise?

Source: GQ