Never Say Never (1)
September 24, 1994. Having celebrated his birthday, Sion Lee was finally twenty-two.
When he arrived on the set of Batman Forever, one of the actors came running out to greet him.
"Sion!"
"...Huh. Aren't you dead yet?"
"What's that supposed to mean, you bastard! Haha! I'm in your hands again for this movie!"
He was a man Sion couldn't help but wonder if he was bound to by fate: Frederic Pederson.
I could have sworn I killed him off in Pain Walker. Why is he popping up again?
When Sion first received the script, he had noticed Frederic's name in the cast list for a minor role, but he had tried his best to ignore it. At some point, Frederic had started clinging to him like a giant golden retriever every time they met, which was getting a bit exhausting.
This guy... he's incredibly persistent.
Though still confined to minor and supporting roles, Frederic had recently been landing gigs in AAA-list movies with surprising frequency.
"It's all thanks to you! Since Lucid is in this, I got to be in a massive project like Batman too!"
Frederic was completely oblivious, but he was absolutely thrilled. Then again, the environment was spectacular enough to warrant that excitement.
The indoor set, representing a portion of Gotham City, already felt like it was drawing Sion and Frederic into the world of the Dark Knight. Buildings painted in deep charcoal tones, smoke billowing from ventilation shafts, damp pavement, faint lighting, and artificial fog painted a bleak, atmospheric landscape. Yet, the whimsical, unlit neon signs scattered along the streets hinted at the specific direction this universe was trying to take.
Warner Bros. wanted to break away from the dark, brooding Batman that Tim Burton had popularized, aiming instead for a lighter, more kid-friendly superhero flick. To that end, the budget allocated for Batman Forever was a staggering one hundred million dollars. Even for a blockbuster backed by a major Hollywood studio, it was an astronomical sum—truly unprecedented for its time.
With that overwhelming budget and the established prestige of the Batman franchise, Batman Forever was destined to be a box office hit. It would go on to gross over three hundred million dollars domestically, successfully delivering the bright, family-friendly Batman movie Warner Bros. had envisioned.
I don't want to dismiss that direction entirely.
The issue was the substance. Even a movie geared toward children didn't have to be inherently childish. Tim Burton's early success had already proven that. However, in Sion's past life, Batman Forever had gone a bit too far in stripping away the franchise's signature tone. The villains were rendered cartoonish, and the dramatic tension stemming from the hero's inner conflict was severely diluted.
But now, with Lucid stepping into the void instead of Two-Face, things had changed dramatically. It was all thanks to the success of Pain Walker.
The butterfly effect of all my hard work since regressing.
Because Pain Walker had achieved massive success despite being a dark, serious superhero film, Warner Bros. had closely monitored the public's reaction. They ultimately concluded that they didn't need to make Batman Forever entirely for toddlers. By replacing Two-Face with Lucid—a character whose boundaries between good and evil were beautifully blurred—a natural, compelling triangle was formed between Batman, Lucid, and the Riddler.
In short, the narrative had evolved.
Since the future has changed from this point onward, I really have to deliver.
Both on camera and off.
Sion intended to do his absolute best as a supporting actor to make both the hero and the primary villain shine. Naturally, doing so would only elevate his own stock in the industry.
Of course, Sion was entirely confident.
A few weeks into the filming of Batman Forever, a barbecue party was underway at a lavish Hollywood mansion.
While Val Kilmer, the actor playing Bruce Wayne, was busy grilling meat for his guests, his wife, Joanne, walked over to wipe the sweat from his brow and handed him a cold beer.
"Eat something while you work. Aren't you exhausted?"
"Nah, this is nothing," Val replied casually.
Watching him from the patio table, one of his friends called out, "Well, look at our star! You seem to be in a much better mood lately, Val."
"Seriously. Before filming started, you looked like death warmed over, complaining about how garbage the Batman suit was."
"..."
Val paused his grilling and walked over to the table, pointing a spatula at them. "Hey, didn't I tell you guys not to talk so loud?"
"Ah, right, right. Sorry."
"Lowering my decibels now."
Val Kilmer was known for being remarkably close with his neighbors. It was quite unusual for a Hollywood superstar, who would typically associate only with peers of similar status who understood the chaotic nature of celebrity life. Yet Val spoke comfortably with his neighbors about his work, even sharing deep secrets. He trusted them implicitly to keep his confidence.
"But Val, your expression really has brightened up," remarked one of the wives at the table. There were three couples present, six people in total.
Val let out a soft chuckle and shrugged. "I suppose I was whining quite a bit before. Honestly, putting on that Batman suit makes me feel like a baked potato. I wanted to deliver a serious, nuanced performance as Bruce Wayne, but everyone was so obsessed with 'Batman' that it drove me crazy. But... everything changed when a certain someone joined the cast."
Val smiled warmly as the image of Sion Lee crossed his mind.
"The kid is more than ten years younger than me, but his skills are no joke. His acting is far beyond what I expected, but what's truly terrifying is his ability to read his scene partner's intentions with absolute precision. It's not just me, either. The director, Jim—it didn't take long for all of them to be completely won over."
"Jim... as in Jim Carrey?"
"Oh my god! I absolutely loved him in Ace Ventura!"
"Yeah, that's the one. He plays an incredibly charismatic role in this film, and Sion Lee has this uncanny way of capturing his energy. How do I put it? Is he a wizard? A hypnotist? I don't know what kind of magic he worked, but when I walked onto the set the day after my day off, the two of them were sitting there laughing and playing poker together."
Before filming began, Val had never imagined the set would have such a harmonious atmosphere.
I thought I'd never get to do the kind of acting I wanted, that I'd just have to do exactly what Warner Bros. demanded.
Most importantly, the inclusion of Sion's character, Lucid, had added a profound depth to the narrative. Serving as a tempting foil to Batman while the hero pursued the Riddler, Lucid didn't have a massive amount of screen time, but he functioned as the perfect catalyst to complete the Dark Knight's emotional arc. Val Kilmer found it utterly impossible to dislike Sion Lee, who was proving to be the perfect lubricant for the production both on and off-camera.
Meanwhile, around the same time, Jim Carrey was meditating alone in his home.
As an actor with a background in stand-up comedy, Jim was someone whose personality shifted drastically depending on whether the camera was rolling. On stage, he was a high-energy showman who commanded the room with explosive vitality; in private, he was a quiet, introspective soul who constantly sought inner peace and explored his own identity. Possessing a monumental talent shaped by this complex duality, Jim was currently finding the shoot incredibly stimulating.
To think I'd meet someone who truly understands me.
Sion Lee, that remarkably handsome young actor, did not look at Jim Carrey and see only the "manic comedian" that everyone else saw.
Though Jim had skyrocketed to superstardom with Ace Ventura and The Mask, the sudden fame had left a profound emptiness deep within his soul. An actor is someone who must harness even those dark, hollow emotions and technically project them outward. Jim was deeply interested in serious, dramatic acting where he could utilize those feelings, but because the public demanded only the "showman," he had been feeling stifled and trapped.
It was during this period of frustration that Sion had approached him, offered a warm handshake, and spoken to him quietly.
"..."
"That's why he's so desperate to prove how brilliant he is."
Sion's insightful words had awakened a new dimension within Jim's interpretation of the Riddler. As he began to layer that psychological depth onto his performance, a far more fascinating, nuanced artistic color began to bloom within him.
"Whew."
Finishing his meditation, Jim Carrey smiled softly to himself.
"It's been a very long time since I've actually looked forward to going to a movie set."
The eyes of the genius, once exhausted by a grueling schedule and the suffocating pressure of his public image, now sparkled with vibrant life.
Inside the atmospheric, dimly lit set, two men stood facing each other in a bizarrely constructed room.
Jim Carrey, clad in a green suit covered in question marks and wearing a mask over his eyes, stood opposite Sion Lee, who wore a pristine white suit and a matching white mask. The crew watched the scene unfold, a palpable tension hanging in the air.
Director Joel Schumacher called "Action!" and Jim Carrey instantly transformed into the Riddler. He began to move, clacking his teeth together in an exaggerated fashion, twirling his cane, and dancing with manic energy.
"Mr... Lucid!"
Lucid remained silent, offering no response.
"What brings you to a place like this?"
"I heard you plan to kill Batman. I'd prefer you didn't, so I came to offer some advice."
"Oho! I was chased out of my own town and plan to settle here in Gotham. Wouldn't it be much easier if one pesky little bat disappeared? ...And! Why on earth should I listen to you-u-u?!"
"You're always like this."
Hearing Sion's next line, Joel Schumacher's eyes widened. It was an ad-lib—one of many Sion had been seamlessly weaving into the shoot.
"I know why you're so obsessed with posing riddles and demanding answers. You simply can't comprehend them, can you? The human animal. And so, you're desperately screaming from deep inside: 'Look at me! See how brilliant I am!' But your cleverness doesn't work on me, Riddler."
"..."
The Riddler's expression stiffened ever so slightly. It was a micro-expression, a subtle beat of emotional acting that perhaps only the more mature viewers in the audience would catch. Then, snapping back into his theatrical persona, he retorted instantly.
"Ha! Haha! Ha!"
"..."
"Splendid! My dear gentleman! But that foolish 'babble' won't work on me. Because I am the Riddler! I only show off my intellectual superiority by posing riddles. Only then do I truly feel alive. And that is a beautiful thing. Why? Because for a brief moment, I get to be on top!"
He wore a ridiculous costume and a manic grin, but beneath the clownish exterior of the Riddler lay a profound, tragic human riddle. Watching Jim Carrey and Sion Lee continue their brilliant improvisation, Joel Schumacher felt his mind racing with possibilities.
Warner Bros. had explicitly demanded a lighthearted, entertaining film reminiscent of the 1960s television series.
"Please direct this with the feel of the 1966 Batman series. Understood? Let's plan the merchandising thoroughly this time so we don't repeat the mistakes of the previous film."
Yet, with the script altered to bring in Lucid instead of Two-Face, Sion was subtly injecting a layer of suspense into the film's atmosphere, like a secret ingredient. It was like adding a dash of rich, dark spices to a sweet dish. And yet, he never lost sight of the comedic, lighter elements.
In the very next sequence, Lucid fell victim to one of the Riddler's traps. After struggling and flailing about for a moment, Lucid emerged and delivered a single, deadpan line.
"Ouch."
Delivered with a completely serious face, those brief, dry comedic beats were absolutely lethal. Sion was not only getting along famously with everyone on set, but he was also gradually breathing a unique inspiration into the entire film.
Joel Schumacher, who would have preferred to make a serious, atmospheric film like Batman: Year One if not for the studio's heavy-handed interference, found himself slowly being swayed. Still, he couldn't simply ignore the demands of the executives. Once the day's shoot wrapped, he called Sion over.
"Ah, Director. You wanted to see me?"
"...Yes. Let's have a quick chat, shall we?"
Inside the studio office, Joel took a deep drag of his cigarette, contemplating how to broach the subject before finally speaking.
"Mr. Lee. Your acting is truly magnificent."
"Is that a compliment? Hand over a snack first, then we'll talk."
"..."
Startled by the sudden request, Joel reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a half-melted candy, handing it over. ...Did he ask because he knew I had this? Joel always kept one on hand to combat low blood sugar toward the end of a long shoot, but it seemed he would have to skip it today.
"Aw, it's completely melted. I'll pass."
"..."
Apparently, it had just been a coincidence.
"A-Anyway, you understand the core concept of this Batman film, right?"
"What about it?"
"We're dialing back the darkness, keeping it light so children can enjoy it... a bit like Adam West's Batman. So, while your performance, Mr. Lee... is excellent—truly, it's fantastic, and everyone on set is thrilled with it—I'm deeply worried we won't be able to use it in the final cut."
"Why? Is it too mature?"
"I'm afraid the executives will demand we excise it entirely. You know the scene we shot where Batman confronts a giant bat within his own trauma and overcomes it? Val absolutely loved it. But there's a very high probability it will be cut. They'll say it's too dark, that children might find the bat terrifying."
"Do you want me to tone it down?"
"Well..."
"Director."
Sion smiled, his strikingly handsome face fixed on Joel Schumacher. Despite being a seasoned veteran of Hollywood, Joel felt a sudden wave of intimidation from the sheer presence of this young actor, momentarily catching him off guard.
"As you know, shouldn't what we want to create be the most important thing?"
"W-Well, yes, of course."
"Let's shoot everything we want to shoot, put it in the rough cut, and if they tell us to cut it later, we'll cut it then. As an actor, I want to push my performance as far as I possibly can. Don't you feel the same way as a director? Besides, Batman needs a bit of a serious flavor to work, no matter how lighthearted the overall atmosphere is."
"Naturally... I agree completely."
"I could feel it while we were shooting. That you wanted to make this kind of movie, Director."
"...How did you know that?"
"Because even while keeping the darker elements genuinely dark, you're utilizing such a vibrant, diverse color palette."
"Whew... I'm incredibly glad you appreciate the artistry in that contrast."
With just a few words, Joel Schumacher was completely won over. Human beings were simple creatures in that regard; they might try to hide their deepest desires, but when someone effortlessly recognized and validated those hidden passions, their hearts would open naturally.
At this very moment, Sion, armed with his knowledge of the future, had reached into the director's heart much like Lucid would, drawing out his innermost creative dreams. Not just to make a simple Batman movie for children, but to craft a masterpiece of depth, contrast, and exquisite detail.