Does Michael Keaton’s Return as Batman In the DCU Herald a ‘Batman Beyond’ Feature?
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Warner Bros. recent announcement that the future of the DC Cinematic Universe was going to embrace its multiverse, including parallel competing iterations of Batman, and that one of them would be Michael Keaton returning to don the cowl has spurred rampant speculation that this all sets up the stage perfectly for a Batman Beyond live action feature.
Fans are excited and this seems to make sense.
https://twitter.com/RiseFallNick/status/1346225903584608256
Batman Beyond was an animated series that ran from 1999-2001 spanning 52 episodes and a direct to DVD feature. Developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett and produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics, Beyond was set in 2019, which was 20 years ahead of the last Batman animated series by the same team, The New Batman Adventures and took wild creative leaps, showing us a Neo Gotham and a new Batman, Terry McGuinness that was more Akira than previous incarnations.
*bursts into the room* Someone told me Batman Beyond is trending, so I'm here to push my Terry McGinnis agenda pic.twitter.com/SWPe0rRoDl
— Kira ✨ Okamoto (@kirameks) January 4, 2021
The future of the DC Cinematic Universe has been in flux since 2016’s dismal critical and financial failure: Justice League. But a recent interview in the New York Times with newly installed DC Films head Walter Hamada laid out an intricate plan that includes simultaneous Batman stories, and the creation of a DC multiverse.
I am eagerly waiting for everyone to rediscover Batman Beyond. A cartoon about the future that itself was ahead of it's time. It's great! Watch it! pic.twitter.com/eqP3gXzRHm
— Michael Hernandez (@AllTimeGrandpa) January 1, 2021
After experimenting with more standalone stories like Joker, DC/Warner Bros. will now, like the comics, have multiple universes running concurrently, with Wonder Woman existing Earth 1, while Pattinson’s take on Batman will belong to Earth 2. That Batman will not belong to the DCEU, which will have its own Batman saga running concurrently.
in the best world we would get:
– Michael Keaton in a Batman Beyond movie
– Ben Affleck in a Batman HBOMax Series
– Robert Pattinson as Batman in his own already confirmed trilogy, a World’s Finest movie and appearing in some of the inevitable spin off movies and shows pic.twitter.com/EXzj8BOsMW
— Luke (@qLxke_) January 3, 2021
“To make all the story lines work, DC Films will introduce movie audiences to a comics concept known as the multiverse: parallel worlds where different versions of the same character exist simultaneously,” the Times writes, pointing to the studio’s “two different film sagas” involving Batman. The Flash is the film that is expected to set the DCEU Batman franchise in motion, with both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton set to don the cape and cowl for that 2022 release.
Terry McGuinness and the cast of characters are hugely popular even by Batman purists, Beyond would give the Bat franchise fresh ground not a constant reimagining of the death of the Waynes, but a look ahead to the qualities of the character that make him a hero no matter what the era.
Batman Beyond and Ace by Sean Gordon Murphy#BatmanBeyond pic.twitter.com/pMAn3poK9q
— Rob Rogers (@theaginggeek) January 4, 2021
Or my favorite reason Tweeted by @alexisamenace:
The only reason I’m excited for Keaton Batman is because it’s straight up insane. Like we already have a Batman that kills in the DCEU you might as well just give it some 90’s flavor. So fuck it do Batman beyond and Batman with a giant t-Rex. Go crazy
The only reason I’m excited for Keaton Batman is because it’s straight up insane. Like we already have a Batman that kills in the DCEU you might as well just give it some 90’s flavor. So fuck it do Batman beyond and Batman with a giant t-Rex. Go crazy pic.twitter.com/9U8mCb73ox
— Alex ???? Loves You. (@alexisamenace) January 4, 2021
I can’t think of a better reason.