While every major studio is looking for its own version of the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse franchise, WB is getting one-handed to them. Concept art for an animated Batman Beyond movie showcases a visual aesthetic for a movie that could be a game-changer. The Batman Beyond animated movie would actually be great for Warner-Brothers Discovery, a studio that has a lot riding on their new DCU, with some section of the fandom just waiting for them to fail. And given the popularity of the existing Batman Beyond franchise, along with the creators involved, it may be the next big thing WB needs right now.
Who Is Batman Beyond?
Batman Beyond was an animated Batman series that followed Batman: The Animated Series. While the critically acclaimed TAS is still one of the greatest comic book adaptations of all time, Beyond did something different. The story fast-forwarded to 2039, to neo-Gotham in the future, where Bruce Wayne is now in his 70s, retired from crime-fighting and with no friends or family.
Enter a young high school student, Terry McGinnis, who Wayne takes up as his protege, and trains him to take over the mantle of Batman. This new futuristic Batman takes on similar villains and the next generation of Batman’s classic Rogues gallery. The series ran for 52 episodes but was popular enough to spawn additional stories in comics and other media. And for years, there were talks about a Batman Beyond live-action adaptation. And it almost happened.
The Flash Got Us Close To A Beyond Movie
Given how Michael Keaton was returning as Batman in The Flash, there were some reports of a potential live-action Batman Beyond movie happening if The Flash succeeded at the box office. With Keaton being the original live-action Batman, and now the right age for an older Batman himself ushering in a second Batman in a live-action Batman Beyond would have been perfect However, the horrendous reception of The Flash, both critically and at the box office, completely dashed those plans. Until now, anyway.
Into The Spider-Verse Filmmakers Pitch New Batman Beyond Animated Movie
Recently, the production designer of Sony’s Spider-Verse movies, Yuhki Demers posted some concept art of a new Batman Beyond movie they are pitching to Warner Bros. The stills showcase some of the coolest-looking art in recent times, and the vibe is very much like Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. In the same post, he revealed how he and writer Patrick Harpin recently pitched a new Batman Beyond animated movie to WB, and how they are currently working their way up to pitch it to DC chief, James Gunn.
Demers’ social media post could be a subtle way to garner more fan support and create leverage for the studio to green-light the potential new movie. It wouldn’t be the first time, seeing how Deadpool’s entire success is because of a leaked VFX reel that got fans excited about the franchise. And now that it’s out there, a Batman Beyond animated movie from some of the filmmakers who worked on Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse makes so much sense for WB. And the story even has similarities to its Spider-Verse films.
Terry McGinnis Is The Miles Morales To Bruce Wayne’s Batman
Just like Miles Morales was the second official in-universe Spider-Man, at the same time as Peter Parker, that’s who Terry McGinnis is for the character of Batman. The stories of both are very similar; a veteran superhero mentors a younger hero whom they pass the mantle to while dealing with the growing pains of a new generation of hero.
Given the production design and the details we can see in these new concept images, it very much feels like the Spider-Verse movies. The character design, action and visuals look very innovative and original. The purple-pink hues, almost give off a very anime-style quality to them. This concept art is the perfect example of how a Batman Beyond animated movie would probably do gangbusters for Warner Bros. And it’s the perfect time, too.
What A Batman Beyond Animated Movie Could Mean For WB
WB’s new DCU is starting very shaky. Not because of anything to do with the project itself, but the sheer amount of pressure there is on Gunn’s universe to succeed. Whereas, a Batman Beyond movie almost seems like it’s a guaranteed success. At a time when WB’s animated films are doing great on-demand, this could be a major theatrical franchise for the studio, one that could stand alone from any of the shared universe ideas that the new DCU will attempt. Not to mention the stories are so far in the future, that even if they wanted to make it canon to the DCU, there wouldn’t be much overlap into the stories. If done well.
What do you think about a Batman Beyond animated movie? Let me know in the comments below. Or follow me on X (Twitter) @theshahshahid for more comic book movie chat!
