Before Tom Welling ever put on the red jacket, Warner Bros. had already greenlit a different superhero origin story — one starring a young Bruce Wayne, with Shawn Ashmore in the title role and Michael Rosenbaum as Harvey Dent. They killed it before a single frame was shot, and in doing so, accidentally created one of the greatest superhero TV shows ever made: Smallville.
The Bruce Wayne TV Series That Almost Happened
In the late ’90s, Batman was a swear around Warner Bros. After the failure of Batman & Robin to ignite the box office, the studio wasn’t in the mood to create another flop. That doesn’t mean it was against creating a Dark Knight-themed property, just not another film.
The Iron Giant‘s screenwriter, Tim McCanlies, had an idea to reinvent Batman for TV, this time focusing on the man behind the Batsuit, Bruce Wayne. McCanlies prepared a 62-page pilot script and pitched it to Tollin/Robbins Productions. Immediately, the rights were bought and shopped around to the networks around town. The WB Television Network was interested, thinking it would follow the tradition of a show such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and target more teen audiences. Furthermore, it could be paired with Angel, which had also proven to be a hit. Everything seemed on track…
The Cast Warner Bros. Never Let You See
Bruce Wayne would’ve focused on an 18-year-old Bruce before he became Batman. In fact, the audience wouldn’t have seen him put on the cape or cowl at all. It would’ve also introduced other supporting characters of the lore that would’ve played a part in his journey to become the crime fighter. The original plan was for the show to run for five to six seasons.
While the series never made it in front of the camera, actors were linked with several vital roles. For the part of Bruce Wayne, Shawn Ashmore (Bobby Drake/Iceman in X-Men, X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand) and Trevor Fehrman were mentioned as possibilities. Regarding supporting characters, Michael Rosenbaum (yes, the Lex Luthor Michael Rosenbaum) was considered for Harvey Dent, while David Krumholtz was eyed for Jim Gordon.
Why Warner Bros. Pulled the Plug on Bruce Wayne
Everyone was on board to get Bruce Wayne into production—everyone except Warner Bros.’ film division, that is. Joel Schumacher had pitched a grittier version of Batman to the film execs, who felt the Batman: Year One-inspired angle was just what they needed to get the franchise back on track. As a result, the film division canned the proposed TV series and wasted a few more years before eventually changing course and releasing Batman Begins in 2005.
How Bruce Wayne’s Cancellation Accidentally Built Smallville
Tollin/Robbins Productions weren’t about to accept defeat, though, so they took the original idea and made it all about Clark Kent and Superman. They pitched the concept to Warner Bros. Television. The network was interested and paired the production with showrunners/writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar to create Smallville with Tom Welling (who initially thought he lost the role to Jensen Ackles), and the rest is history.
After Smallville‘s success, Gough and Millar attempted to pitch Bruce Wayne as a spinoff series; however, the network was having none of it, deciding to release Birds of Prey instead. Finally, everything came full circle when Gotham, a live-action TV series about the young Bruce Wayne, was released in 2014. Hollywood, right?
RELATED: Smallville Hid Batman as a Corpse in Season 1 — Then Buried Wonder Woman Right Next to Him
Bruce Wayne |
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A young Bruce Wayne before he became Batman |
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| Creator: Tim McCanlies |
| Cast: Shawn Ashmore as Bruce Wayne, Michael Rosenbaum as Harvey Dent, David Krumholtz as Commissioner Jim Gordon |
| Genre: Action, Crime Drama, Superhero |
| Number of Seasons: 0 |
| Streaming Service: N/A |
