The Arrowverse is going into its second phase of bringing DC Comics characters to life, and Batman Beyond is the perfect spinoff that The CW should develop next. For over 8 years, Arrow has been one of the primary shows of the beloved franchise. But as the Green Arrow drama came to an end in January and Supergirl season 6 is the show’s final one, it opens up new slots in the line-up for other DC characters to join the Arrowverse. Currently, the network has a total of 7 shows for next season, including the arrival of Superman & Lois as well as season 2 the DC Universe-migrated series Stargirl.
However, as The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow enters their 7th and 6th respective seasons, it’s only a matter of time before they’ll come to an end as well. Crisis on Infinite Earths was essentially a soft reboot for the Arrowverse as its longevity was extended which paves the way for new shows to be produced. With one chapter closed, as Oliver revived the Multiverse, the DC TV universe has opened the doors for new possibilities in terms of what shows they create. While Batwoman is going through its changes for season 2 with Javicia Leslie taking over as the lead, could Batman still have a place on The CW?
While Bruce Wayne (or at least his face was) introduced in the Batwoman season 1 finale, the Dark Knight being around on a regular basis is still something of a pipe dream. For the coming season, the only way Bruce will be seen in Batwoman will be through Hush literally having his face thanks to Alice. Currently, Warner Bros. has its new Batman reboot coming with Robert Pattinson’s The Batman. But thanks to the popular 1999 animated series, The CW may have a different and possibly better option to incorporate the Caped Crusader into the Arrowverse. This is why Batman Beyond should be The CW’s next DC TV spinoff series.
Batman Beyond was the spin-off to the highly-acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures. While the animated series lasted for only 3 seasons, Batman Beyond developed a cult following. The show’s popularity eventually led to the protagonist Terry McGinnis being introduced into DC Comics, and in the last few years he has become part of the main continuity. Since 2010, DC has given Terry his own comic series with several follow-ups runs. As beloved as the Batman of the Future is, Warner Bros. has neglected the value of the character outside the comics. Other than his animated show, Terry has yet to appear in any other DC properties. However, Terry almost made it to the big screen when the studio was attempting to reboot the Batman franchise after the disastrous Batman & Robin.
Remember the Titans director Boaz Yakin was suggested by his agent to direct a massive Hollywood blockbuster film before looking into doing another indie movie. Yakin had an interest in doing a Batman film and, thanks to his agent; the director got a meeting with Warner Bros. where he pitched a live-action adaptation of Batman Beyond. Together with the show creators Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, a screenplay was written that the studio fell in love with. But the pressure got to Yakin as he eventually pulled out from the project before it could ever be made. While little is known about Yakin’s Batman Beyond, it was pitched as a “teenage, kind of futuristic, cyberpunk” version of Batman.
Even though Warner Bros. could easily make one today, a Batman Beyond film is currently very unlikely to ever happen on the big screen. For years and years, Bruce Wayne has always been the Batman for the studio, no matter what. Besides Pattinson’s upcoming version, the main DCEU continuity still has Ben Affleck’s Caped Crusader, who's joining Michael Keaton in The Flash film. Along with Affleck’s version appearing in the Justice League Snyder Cut, the studio is highly unlikely to want to bring Terry in while there are at least two Bruce Waynes on the big screen. While it’s not impossible, Warner Bros. has made it clear that they want a Batman franchise going that features Bruce as the titular hero.
Before Batwoman premiered on The CW, the Arrowverse was essentially forbidden from using any big Batman characters, Gotham City and, of course, Bruce himself. But once Kate Kane was introduced during the Elseworlds crossover, Arrowverse fans finally discovered what was up with Earth-1's famous playboy billionaire. For unknown reasons that have yet to be revealed, Bruce went missing years ago and Batwoman season 1 may have given some clues to why he left Gotham City. While it's possible that it was because of him allegedly murdering the Joker, The CW doesn't seem to be getting access to Bruce anytime soon other than Warren Christie playing Hush with his face.
For the franchise, it's a way to still "use" Bruce without going against the restrictions they've been given by their studio's film division. Even on Titans, they pretty much purposely introduced an older Bruce who didn't suit-up once during his season 2 appearances. There's also the case to be made regarding Kevin Conroy's Earth-99 Bruce who appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Conroy provided the voice for Bruce Wayne in several projects, including Batman: TAS and Batman Beyond. This Earth-99 Bruce had given up the mantle years ago while also having grown incredibly cynical as his actions included having killed that world's Superman. While his Batsuit is seen, Conroy's character never suited up once before being killed during a clash with Kate.
As long as Warner Bros. has their restrictions in play, it's very unlikely that the Arrowverse or even Titans will ever see their versions of Bruce Wayne fully suited up as Batman. While the studio has loosened up their restrictions over the years, hence why Superman is now getting his own show, it may never happen for Bruce. As long as the Batman films continue to be commercial successes for them, Warner Bros. will avoid bringing the mainstream Batman to TV, neither as a supporting player or leading his own show. But with Terry, who comes from a future setting, it's a solid compromise where Warner Bros. gets to have the cake and eat it too.
In every live-action adaptation of the Batman mythology on-screen, it has always been Bruce underneath the cowl. From Keaton, Christian Bale, Affleck, and soon Pattinson, there have and will be many actors to portray the iconic detective for years to come. But similarly to Marvel with Miles Morales being another Spider-Man, the idea of having a person of color take up said iconic mantle has become more of a normal thing in comics over the years. DC Comics will soon be introducing that into the Batman mythology with John Ridley's upcoming series that will feature a diverse Caped Crusader that will arrive on January 21, 2021.
While Terry McGinnis has always been depicted as being a Caucasian male, the character could easily be played by an Asian actor. Some viewers have argued that the Batman Beyond protagonist has Asian features [via Reddit], and there were even rumors in the last couple of years that Warner Bros. was looking for an Asian actor to voice the role for an animated movie [via SYFY]. Even if the idea isn't canonized, it's something that the Batman mythology could deeply benefit from. As the character evolves, there'll be eventually others to help carry the Batman title which is what Ridley's series is looking to do. In the Arrowverse's case, it would be a perfect choice to go that route.
With Ruby Rose leaving Batwoman, it paved the way for a woman of color to take over the mantle which is what's happening through Leslie's Ryan Wilder. If a Batman Beyond spinoff happened, then there's no reason why Terry couldn't be depicted as Asian-American since that's essentially how he has been designed as in art. With The CW being known for bringing in major DC players and reimagine them to allow for diversity to be represented, a new Batman would 100% fit in with the franchise. The Batman mythology has its handful of diverse characters, but they could always expand upon that.
Thanks to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the idea of a Batman Beyond series was pretty much set up the moment Kara and Kate went to Earth-99. The Monitor depicted that Earth as being in the future, which is obviously a nod to the animated series taking place years after Bruce's prime. The idea was even more solidified with Conroy coming in to play an older version of Bruce. Since the iconic Batman voice actor played Bruce in Batman Beyond, that idea transcended so well from animation to live-action when he guest-starred in the 5-part crossover. However, Bruce died before the Anti-Monitor eventually destroyed Earth-99.
But because Oliver rebooted the Multiverse, it's very possible that Earth-99 was restored and perhaps even altered. Perhaps that world's Bruce wasn't as damaged as he was when viewers met him in the crossover. That could pave the way for Conroy's version of Bruce to get another go in the Arrowverse while mentoring Terry in a possible spinoff. Rather than take place on Earth-Prime, Batman Beyond is better off being in its own world within the revived Multiverse. That way, Batwoman and Batman Beyond wouldn't have to worry about following each others' continuities. Since Christie's Bruce doesn't look like a young version of Conroy's elderly Earth-99 Bruce, the two shows would manage to avoid that headache.
By doing it that way, it gives some breath of fresh air for the Arrowverse. Not only would it have a show take place on another Earth, post-Crisis, but it could be the first futuristic show for The CW. Since Green Arrow and the Canaries hasn't been ordered — and at this point, is unlikely to be happening — Batman Beyond could take on that setting. Since Camrus Johnson got to play a different Luke Fox on Earth-99, this show could allow Batwoman actors to crossover and portray new versions of their characters. Even actors from the other Arrowverse shows could pop up and play older alternative versions of themselves on Batman Beyond. With the Arrowverse coming back in 2021, hopefully, The CW will look to Batman Beyond as their next spinoff for the 2021-2022 TV season.
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