In a time when every version of Batman has been brought to the big screen many times over, the question I have is why not Batman Beyond?
And before all the DC fans go nuts, I know there was a Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker animated movie, and yes, it was awesome. But a character/story this special deserves more than 52 episodes and 1 straight to VHS movie (were there DVD players in 2000).
For those of you not aware, Batman Beyond was an animated series that aired from ’99-’01 that I personally thought was epic. As you can surmise from the name, it takes place in the future and starred Terry McGinnis as the next generation of Batman. No, Bruce Wayne isn’t dead, but he is incredibly old and long since retired from the superhero life. Its through a series of random events that McGinnis stumbles upon the Batcave and takes up the mantle of Batman. The first two episodes are basically a TV movie that introduces Batman Beyond to the world….and it’s an amazing introduction.
Even as an adult, I have gone back and re-watched the entire series, and honestly I don’t know why it didn’t gain more traction. The story was so fresh, and did an amazing job staying true to the Batman legacy. Introducing a character like Batman into a futuristic world is not easy, but the writers made the story stand on it’s own while not losing the core of the Batman brand. They also didn’t rely on those other versions of Batman when it came to villains. Sure, there were a couple familiar faces who make a nostalgic appearance, but for the most part, Batman is battling a new brand of evil in Gotham.
So the question I ask myself is, why hasn’t this been adopted to a live action movie. With the popularity of bringing cartoons to the big screen, it feels like a live-action version of Batman Beyond should have been completed long ago. Worse case, with the success found with Flash and Green Arrow, Batman Beyond would be a perfect compliment to those shows on the CW.
On a completely different note, as I was researching this blog, I learned that the voice of Batman Beyond is none other than Eric Matthews from Boy Meets World (real name Will Friedle). Honestly this blew my mind because it bridged two of my favorite childhood shows….and I found out when I was 36.
