Sam Raimi Reveals He Tried to Make a BATMAN Movie but Couldn’t Get the Rights
For fans who grew up on the early 2000s superhero boom, Sam Raimi is a name that carries serious weight. The filmmaker behind Spider-Man helped redefine what comic book movies could be, blending sincerity, spectacle, and pulpy fun in a way that still holds up today.
Now, Raimi is revealed a missed opportunity that might surprise even longtime fans. At one point, he wanted to take a swing at Batman.
While promoting his recent film Send Help, Raimi admitted he once explored the idea of jumping from Marvel to DC, with Gotham’s Dark Knight firmly in his sights. Unfortunately, the idea never made it out of the Batcave.
“I love Batman. I tried to make a Batman film. I couldn't get the rights," he said to Movie Web. "I love The Shadow. I also couldn't get the rights to that one. Superman's always been one of my favorites. Yeah, there's a tremendous amount of DC characters that I love."
Raimi didn’t get into specifics about what kind of Batman story he wanted to tell or why the rights were out of reach at the time. Still, his interest in DC’s lineup runs deep, and Batman wasn’t just a passing thought.
What’s more interesting is that Raimi doesn’t sound like someone who’s closed the door on DC entirely. If the right project came along, he’d be more than ready to jump back into the superhero space, as long as the story truly honors the character and the fans.
"It would just take the writers to come up with an original story based on their character, that's true to the character and part of their real universe," said Raimi, "not something that disappoints the fans, but something that's based on the fans love of the character and brings out the best moment of those characters and their proper conflicts, or the right challenges for the right hero. If it was a story that had a real journey for that particular individual. Then I'd love to make the movie."
Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy helped shape the modern superhero template and laid important groundwork for what would eventually become the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After stepping away from comic book films for years, Raimi made a high-profile return with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, proving he still has plenty of creative fuel left in the tank.
Even though he’s previously shut down the idea of returning for a hypothetical Spider-Man 4, Raimi hasn’t ruled out superhero movies altogether. And the timing might finally be right for DC to give him that long-delayed shot.
With James Gunn and Peter Safran now steering DC Studios, the company is clearly digging deeper into its catalog. Projects centered on Robin and Clayface are already in development, signaling a willingness to explore more corners of the DC universe beyond the usual heavy hitters.
A filmmaker like Raimi, who understands how to balance character, tone, and fan expectations, could be a great fit in that evolving landscape.
As for Batman, the character isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Audiences will next see Robert Pattinson return as the Dark Knight in The Batman: Part 2, followed by Gunn’s The Brave and the Bold, which will introduce a new take on Bruce Wayne and his son Damian.
Whether or not Raimi ever gets his chance to tell a Batman story or jump in to play in the DCU sandbox remains to be seen. What DC project would you like to see him take on?