2. The Returning Cast Member In A New Role Commissioner: Billy Dee Williams
The transition from Tim Burton to Joel Schumacher as director of the Batman films led to a noticeable decline. Schumacher's intention of lightening up a series that had always hovered the line between dark and playful would eventually sink the franchise. Even before that, though, the casualties of the movie business had mounted up, with original Harvey Dent Billy Dee Williams replaced by Tommy Lee Jones for the role of Two Face. Despite having signed on for Batman two films prior simply so that he could play Two Face in the sequel, Schumacher opted to jettison Williams, albeit with a pay out due to his contract's stipulation that he had first right to play the villain. Much like Dylan Baker, who spent two movies playing Dr Curt Connors for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films whilst he waited for his character's transformation to the Lizard, events outside the films removed the supportive directors and left the actor out. Using Billy Dee Williams a Commissioner Gordon would reset the cycle and return the actor to the universe in style. Of course, the big question that would be asked by casting anyone other than a white actor to the role of James Gordon would be whether it was done purely for PC reasons. Like Heimdall or Perry White, the question would be whether it was done to be inclusive, rather than for legitimate artistic reasons. That's a shame, because the real big questions should be "why hasn't Lando Calrissian been in more films?"