A new report claims President Donald Trump wants to influence popular culture through the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery – to Skydance/Paramount – as part of his broader push into entertainment, and that includes a revival of classic action franchises like Rush Hour.
Could it also be the reason for the possibly return of Ben Affleck as Batman and the return of the SnyderVerse?
Report: Trump Pressing for a Rush Hour Revival
Semafor.com reports that Trump has “personally pressed” Paramount’s ownership to bring back Rush Hour with Brett Ratner for a fourth movie.
A source said to be familiar with the conversations says Trump offered creative input on potential projects and expressed interest in the kind of action-comedy hits that defined the late ’80s and ’90s. Trump is also said to be a big fan of Bloodsport.
Ratner, who fell out of Hollywood after 2017 sexual misconduct allegations, has quietly worked his way back. Semafor says he spent months following Melania Trump for an Amazon documentary that reportedly sold for $40 million.
Trump Wants Old-School Action Movies Back
According to the report, Trump wants to revive movies with the tone of classic buddy-cop films and testosterone-heavy action stories.
Producer Dallas Sonnier told Semafor he expects “a wave of classically male-driven movies with mentally tough, traditional, courageous, confident heroes… plus explosions, gun battles, helicopters, fistfights, and car chases.”
That description lines up with the era of Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, and even Zack Snyder versions of Batman — grim, aggressive, and centered around mythic, uncompromising heroes.
The Trump Batman Connection
Trump has publicly praised Ben Affleck’s Batman, calling the actor’s performance the best live-action version. Affleck confirmed, “He was thrilled I was playing Batman.”
Trump even once said, “I am Batman.”
With Snyder releasing a new Henry Cavill Superman image on Veterans Day — and with our reporting that the SnyderVerse is back in play behind the scenes — the idea of Trump backing a harder-edged Batman isn’t coming out of nowhere.
If Trump wants to shape pop culture and bring back the kind of films he thinks Hollywood abandoned, Batman is exactly the type of character who would fit that agenda.
We can also add that if Trump is influencing pop culture, would Trump let someone like James Gunn develop Batman? We’ve already been told those inside Warner Bros. are worried what Gunn would do with Batman following his goofy Superman and DCU.
What This Means for the SnyderVerse
Nothing is confirmed. But it’s notable that:
- Trump likes Affleck’s Batman
- Snyder is again posting DC-related images
- Industry chatter says Ratner is getting opportunities
- Paramount and Comcast are battling for WBD, which controls DC
If a new wave of ’90s-style action movies lands at studios aligned with Trump’s influence, a SnyderVerse-style Batman — or even Affleck himself — becomes a talking point again.
As the ownership fight for Warner Bros. Discovery continues and studios explore new strategies, we’ll see if Trump’s pop-culture push ends up affecting DC’s biggest hero.
