This Is The One Superhero Movie Denis Villeneuve Would Be Open To Directing

It's not often that Oscar-nominated directors set their sights on making superhero movies. Typically, filmmakers in the upper echelons of Hollywood tend to stay away from Marvel and DC blockbusters, and for various different reasons. But that doesn't mean some of those filmmakers wouldn't be intrigued by the idea of getting to bring their favorite comic book characters to life. In fact, it seems like an idea that even Denis Villeneuve would be open to exploring.

That's a bit surprising, considering Villeneuve has voiced his disapproval of superhero films in the past, telling El Mundo in September 2021 that he thought "perhaps the problem is that we are in front of too many Marvel movies that are nothing more than a 'cut and paste' of others." The comment led many to believe that Villeneuve wasn't interested in dipping his toes into the superhero genre, but maybe he's just more of a DC Comics fan?

The "Dune" director recently spoke with MTV News' Josh Horowitz about the one superhero movie he could actually see himself jumping behind the camera for, and it's an answer that has comic books fans salivating.

According to Denis Villeneuve, it's the Caped Crusader who holds the top spot on his personal list of superhero rankings. "Batman would be probably the only character that I could relate to," he recently told MTV News' Josh Horowitz. "From what I read, like 'Arkham Asylum.' A book like that, I got in contact with when I was an adult. It's for me, the character that I could connect to."

"Batman: Arkham Asylum," also known as "Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth," is a 1989 graphic novel written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Dave McKean. It's widely considered to be one of the greatest "Batman" stories ever told, with its premise centering around the fictional DC psychiatric hospital known as Arkham Asylum and its story showcasing a surprising exploration of Batman's inner demons.

During their conversation, Horowitz also took the chance to ask Villeneuve if he had ever been approached to direct a "Batman" film by Warner Bros. in response to rumors saying that he had. "I don't remember being approached for 'Batman,'" the director responded. 

While that's probably not the answer they wanted to hear, it looks like comic book fans are just going to have to keep their hopes up about Villeneuve possibly tackling a "Batman" film one day. "Just talk to him about a 'Batman Beyond' film with Michael Keaton starting as an older Wayne," wrote one Twitter user in response to Horowitz's interview. "Someone needs to push the narrative."

"Dune" is scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters and on HBO Max on October 22.