The original Batman TV series, which ran for three seasons on ABC between 1966 and 1968, featured many of the classic villains from the Caped Crusader’s earlier comic books. Among the more iconic antagonists to make appearances during the show’s brief run were such fan favorites as The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman, and The Riddler. One big name who was noticeably absent from the series, however, was Two-Face (a.k.a. Harvey Dent), who first showed up in Detective Comics #66 back in 1942. But that doesn’t mean the idea of including the character wasn’t brought up prior to Batman’s cancellation.
In fact, prolific science-fiction writer Harlan Ellison once wrote an outline for an episode that was intended to introduce Two-Face. The story, entitled “The Two-Way Crimes of Two-Face,” was reportedly rejected because the character was believed to be too scary for younger audiences. In 2014, Ellison’s outline was adapted into the comic book Batman ‘66: The Lost Episode. The plot revolves around Batman and Robin’s pursuit of Two-Face after he robs an auction house and, at one point, delves into the backstory of how his face was burned.
But according to author and historian Martin Grams, Ellison’s wasn’t the only proposal made while the ‘60s TV series was still on the air. Based on his research, there were a number of other pitches that never made it into production, for one reason or another. Yet and still, Grams is convinced that if the show had been renewed for a fourth season, Two-Face would’ve popped up eventually. Furthermore, after taking a look at the production paperwork, Grams says that none other than Clint Eastwood was slated to play the part.
The 1960s Batman Show Almost Cast Clint Eastwood as a Major Villain
All things considered, this doesn’t seem to be outside the realm of possibility. In his 1994 autobiography, Back to the Batcave, Adam West talked about Eastwood coming to visit him on the set of Batman one day, and revealed that they later became friends. Evidently, the two were working with the same publicity agents at the time. But while we sadly never got to see Eastwood’s take on the character, we did at least get to hear William Shatner put his spin on things in the 2017 animated film Batman vs. Two-Face, which was also based on the original TV series.
You can check out the official trailer for Batman vs. Two-Face below.