The year was 1989. While the last time Batman appeared on the big screen was in Adam West's wonderfully campy 1966 film, the more serious comics - such as The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke - had proven increasingly popular. There was, to put it lightly, a demand for a ‘serious’ Batman film.

When Tim Burton - director of Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice - was announced as the upcoming Batman film’s director there was outrage, many fans believing his odd style would lead to yet another West-esque version of the Caped Crusader. Warner Bros. did themselves no favours casting Michael Keaton as the lead, the actor best known for his comedy work at the time.

Against the odds, what transpired was a rather brilliant version of The Dark Knight, one that would break box-office records and set the tone for all future Batman adaptations.

With the release of Burton’s next film, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, growing closer, we revisited the classic film, only to realise Batman holds the key to many problems with Hollywood’s latest batch of superhero flicks. So, what can Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe, and the X-Men Cinematic Universe learn from Batman?

33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 Show all 34 1 /34 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 1. Captain America: Civil War Release date: 6 May 2016. Iron Man and Captain America are set to face off in this superhero blockbuster that will feature nearly all the Avengers but won’t be an Avengers film. It will also mark the first time Spider-Man will feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Sony having made a deal with Marvel Studios. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 2. X-Men: Apocalypse Release date: 27 May 2016. Following the success of Days of Future Past, Apocalypse will follow the young X-Men team as the battle against Oscar Isaac’s titular villain as he gathers his four horsemen; Magneto (Fassbender), Angel (Hardy), Storm (Shipp), and Psylocke (Munn). Expect carnage and no Wolverine. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 3. Suicide Squad Release date: 5 August 2016. The first ‘supervillain’ film, Suicide Squad is also based in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe, where Batman and Superman live) and will introduce the world to Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Jared Leto’s Joker. One of the more exciting upcoming DC films that’s for sure. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 4. Doctor Strange Release date: 4 November 2016. Benedict Cumberbatch will debut in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Captain America and Iron Man live) as the Sorcerer Supreme. The film already has an incredible cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachael McAdams and Tilda Swinton. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 5. Untitled Lego Batman film Release date: 20 February 2017. Kicking off 2017 is the Lego version of Batman, who will lead his own spin-off, having already featured in the amazing Lego Movie. Will Arnett voices the titular character, while Zach Garfianakis - from the Hangover - will voice The Joker. But will he better than Leto? 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 6. Untitled Wolverine film Release date: 3 March 2017. Having not starred in X-Men: Apocalypse, Wolverine will return to the big screen in a solo film which was recently made R-Rated following the success of Deadpool. It is expected to be Hugh Jackman’s last outing as the titular character. Fox 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Release date: 5 May 2017. Chris Pratt and the crew are returning to space in the sequel to the surprisingly successful Guardians of the Galaxy. According to director James Gunn, the film will not feature Thanos, even though he will to play a major role in phase MCU Phase 3. Cast includes newcomers Kurt Russell and Pom Klementieff, as well as, rumour has it, Sylvester Stallone. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 8. Wonder Woman Release date: 23 June 2017. Gal Gadot is returning to the DCEU in her very own film, marking the first female-led superhero film on this list. Chris Pine is on board to play Wonder Woman’s love interest. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 9. Untitled Spider-Man reboot Release date: 7 July 2017. Yes, it is another Spider-Man reboot, having previously been redone with Andrew Garfield as the lead. However, this time it is part of the MCU, with Tom Holland as the titular character, and a heavily rumoured cameo by Iron Man could be in the pipeline. We can dream. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 10. Untitled Fox film Release date: 6 October 2017. In a strange announcement, Fox decided to withhold the release of Gambit until a future, as-yet unannounced date, which could be here, or this could be a completely separate project. Many suspect Deadpool 2 could nicely fit here, Fox capitalising on the success of the first film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 11. Thor: Ragnarok Release date: 3 November 2017. Chris Hemsworth will be returning as the Norse God in his third solo MCU film. Flight of the Conchords’ Taika Waititi is on board to direct, and promises a fun adventure that will likely lead into Marvel’s next project, Infinity War. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 12. Justice League Part One Release date: 17 November 2017. Hot on the heals of Thor comes Justice League Part One, the first DCEU team-up flick which will see Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg work together to fight bad guys. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 13: Untitled Fox film Release date: 12 January 2018. Kicking off 2018 will likely be the second Deadpool film, but then again, this could very well be another X-Men team-up. There’s also talk of an X-Force film, with Deadpool and other mutants teaming up to fight evil. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 14. Black Panther Release date: 16 February 2018. The first non-white male-led superhero film in the MCU comes in the form of Black Panther, with Chadwick Boseman reprising the titular role, having also starred as the Panther in Civil War. Creed’s Ryan Coogler is on to direct what could be a very exciting film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 15. The Flash Release date: 16 March 2018. The Flash will be the first DCEU film since Justice League, and sees Ezra Miller take the lead. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were supposed to pen the film before Disney snapped them up for the Han Solo-film, leaving Seth Grahame-Smith to take charge. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 16. Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 Release date: 4 May 2018. And so, we finally get to the point of all these Infinity Stones! Thanos will be the big bad, with the Avengers needing to team up to defeat their biggest foe yet. It has previously been described as “the end of the Avengers as we know it”. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 17. Ant-Man and The Wasp Release date: 6 July 2018. Peyton Reed will be back to direct this surprise sequel to one of the better received MCU films. While the name is ridiculous, at least Marvel are finally having a leading female superhero. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 18. Untitled Fox film Release date: 13 July 2018. Again, not much word on this one except it is thought to be X-Men spin-off New Mutants, something Josh Boone has been hit up to write. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 19. Animated Spider-Man Film Release date: 20 July 2018. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Amy Pascal - the team behind the live-action Spider-Man films - are producing this ‘unrelated’ animated adaptation of the hero. Because you can never have too much Spider-Man, right? 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 20. Aquaman Release date: 27 July 2018. Another Justice League spin-off, Jason Momoa plays the leading man. Furious 7’s James Wan is on to direct, but little else is known about the film. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 21. Captain Marvel Release date: 8 March 2019. We’ve hit 2019, and the first confirmed superhero film will be the first proper female-led MCU film. No-one is confirmed to be in the titular role of Carol Danvers just yet. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 22. Shazam Release date: 5 April 2019. Dwayne Johnson stars as the villain in this DCEU film which will be somewhat separate to the other DC films. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 23. Avengers: Infinity War Part 2. Release date: 3 May 2019. The conclusion to the long drawn MCU saga. Expect a big finish with at least a few planets being destroyed. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 24. Justice League Part Two Release date: 14 June 2019. Soon after the Infinity War story reaches its conclusion, so will the Justice League’s. Not much is known, except Darkseid will likely be the villain for at least one of the parts. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 25. Inhumans Release date: 12 July 2019. The concept of Inhumans (or Marvel’s mutants) has already been introduced in TV, through Marvel’s Agents of Shield, yet the film is expected to introduce the Royal Family who have yet to be seen in the show. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 26. Cyborg Release date: 3 April 2020. Having debuted in Justice League Part One three years previously, Cyborg will finally be making his own outing, with Ray Fisher as the titular character. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 27. Untitled MCU film Release date: 1 May 2020. The first of three untitled Marvel films. There are a couple of contenders, the first is a likely sequel to Spider-Man with Sony, or a third Guardians of the Galaxy film, thus finishing the trilogy. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 28. Green Lantern Corps. Release date: 19 June 2020. Before you start to worry, this has nothing to do with the Ryan Reynolds-starring flick that hit cinemas a little while ago. Instead, this will be another DCEU film that will likely spin-off from Justice League after the Green Lantern Corps cameo in one of the parts. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 29. Untitled MCU film Release date: 10 July 2020. As well as Spider-Man or Guardians of the Galaxy sequels, a Doctor Strange or Black Panther one could fit in nicely here. Or perhaps Black Widow may finally get the solo-film she deserves. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 30. Untitled MCU film Release date: 6 November 2020. Some speculators also think a Blade film could fit in here, marking over 20 years since the first Blade. But many believe the character may be better suited to a Netflix series, as with Daredevil and Jessica Jones. There’s also talk of a Runaways film reaching cinemas at some stage. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 31. Untitled Ben Affleck Batman film Release date: TBA. Now we’re onto the TBA release dates, the first of which is a Batman solo film, written and directed by Ben Affleck. When this is due, no one is quite sure but expect it sooner rather than later if Batman v Superman is a success. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 32. Suicide Squad 2 Release date: TBA (rumoured 2017). A sequel to Suicide Squad is expected to come in 2017 according to recent reports, but nothing has been confirmed. If the first is successful, it should come as no surprise for Warner Bros to rearrange their schedule to fit in this surefire hit. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 33. Venom Release date: TBA. This is an odd one, as it has been confirmed Sony are wanting to release a Venom film completely unrelated to the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Venom, as you may know, is a Spider-Man villain, intrinsically linked to Spider-Man, so it seems odd they would release a film unrelated to the rebooted project and not linked to the MCU. 33 Superhero films set for release between 2016 and 2020 Anything else? Well, now you mention it, there’s also that sequel to Fantastic Four that has seemingly been dropped by Fox. Plus, there’s the Gambit film which has been put on hold (but will likely fill an untitled Fox slot so we haven’t added it extra). Then again, it could be shoehorned in somehow… Marvel

(A quick note: I thoroughly enjoy many modern superhero flicks, my favourite being Guardians of the Galaxy, but there are some faults among them. This discussion also focusses on the first of Burton’s Batman films, only touching briefly on Returns.)

Style

For many, the Avengers and X-Men films come across as “flat and bland,” taking no artistic risks, sticking to a tried-and-tested formula in an attempt to make each ‘feel’ in the same universe. While there are some diversions, a single director (minus perhaps Zack Snyder) has yet to leave as significant stylistic mark as Burton.

From Batman’s suit to the Batcave, you can tell Batman is a Burton film. For instance, there’s one moment when the Batwing aligns with the moon, a wonderful image that looks fantastic but adds little to the plot. Then there’s the Batsuit, foregoing spandex and deciding on a more intimidating (and less flexible) suit with ridiculous ears. These stylistic risks are missing from many modern films. (Coming back to Snyder; the Batman v Superman director goes overboard on style, his films not having the necessary substance to make his imagery particularly impactful. Burton, however, finds a happy medium)

Noticeable music

Another criticism of recent superhero films is the music. Think about Iron Man’s theme song? The Hulk’s? Thor’s? Spiderman’s (not “Does whatever a spider can”)? There’s very little distinction between each. Meanwhile, Danny Elfman scored Batman and won a Grammy, his songs dominating many of the film's scenes, often equalling Burton’s imagery for impact.

Then, of course, there are Prince’s songs, blasted out by Jack Nicholson’s Joker numerous times throughout the film to occasionally ridiculous yet brilliant effect. As a result, the album was number one in the US for six consecutive weeks. Only Suicide Squad has had original music that has made an impact on the charts recently (and the songs are not exactly Prince quality).

Villains

More and more, the villains in superhero films are being criticised for lacking depth. Just look at Ant-Man; while a fantastically fun film, the villain - Darren Cross/Yellowjacket - has practically nothing going on. That’s not Corey Stoll’s fault, the script gave him absolutely no room to breath.

Burton’s film, however, spends as much time, if not more, with the Joker than with Batman. Bruce Wayne is barely featured in the first 20-minutes, Burton electing to focus on Jack Napier’s transformation into the psychopathic killer. Christopher Nolan used a similar tactic with The Dark Knight’s version of the character, Heath Ledger’s portrayal being critically acclaimed. No-one has compared since. Nicholson's Joker even had memorable lines such as "Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?" Can you remember anything Loki said to the Avengers? It’s time for another great on-screen supervillain.

Gotham's more than just a place

Thanks to Burton’s stylistic flair, Gotham is far more than just another city; it’s a proper setting, one that impacts on the viewer, its darkness perpetrating every crevasse of the screen. There are memorable buildings - such as the climatic cathedral - that you will actually remember once the film has finished.

Modern superhero films really fail to capture a sense of place, often jumping from somewhere-to-somewhere-else, failing to offer any flavour of the location. Again, this really comes down to bland places with no character of their own, something that really needs to be addressed.

Something Batman doesn’t have and still needs improvement: female characters

Other than Kim Basinger’s screaming Vicki Vale, there really aren’t any notable female character’s in Burton’s film (Catwoman in Returns being noticably absent here). Modern superhero films, thankfully, have improved somewhat - the likes of Black Widow, Harley Quinn, Jessica Jones, Wonder Woman, and Agent Carter being notable characters. Unfortunately, there’s still room for improvement: none of the aforementioned characters have led a feature-length film. Thankfully things are improving, with Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, and Captain Marvel on the way. Still, it’s taken long enough.