Warner Bros. is developing an animated Batman Beyond movie for theatrical release. The film will be based on the animated series of the same name, which ran from 1999-2001.

Batman Beyond was a follow-up to the immensely popular Batman: The Animated Series. The show takes place in a future Gotham with an aging Bruce Wayne finally choosing to abandon the mantle of Batman. After many years without the Dark Knight protecting Gotham, Terry McGinnis stumbles upon the secret of Bruce’s former life. Bruce is reluctant to allow his alter ego to return in any form, but after Terry’s father is murdered, he convinces Bruce that it’s time for someone else to don the Batsuit. The beloved series ran for three seasons and was well received by both fans and critics. 

Related: 15 Things You Never Knew About Batman Beyond

After concept art for an unknown animated Batman film leaked online, Geeks WorldWide discovered that there is currently an animated Batman Beyond movie in the works through Warner Animation Group. Though few details have been released, there is a possibility that the film will begin production in 2020 with a theatrical release possibly in 2022. The announcement of the film is evidently DC's response to the recent acclaim drawn by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Screen Rant reached out to Warner Bros. for comment. Check out some of the concept art below:

Batman Beyond concept art
Terry McGinnis Batman Beyond concept art

There have long been hopes for a Batman Beyond movie. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker was a direct-to-video film released in 2000, but since the show ended, there hasn’t been much movement to revive it. The series continues to retain a loyal fanbase and there have been talks of both live-action and animated adaptations over the years.  Screen Rant has previously suggested that Matt Reeves’s upcoming film centering on the Caped Crusader should be a Batman Beyond movie. Former Teen Wolf star Tyler Posey has even shown interest in portraying Terry McGinnis on the big screen. As far as the animated movie goes, according to SuperBroMovies writer Daniel Ritchman, Warner Bros. is looking to cast an Asian-American actor to voice Terry.

While a live-action Batman Beyond movie would have certainly been a fun direction to take, there is no denying that an animated one could be equally excellent. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse certainly proved that animation is still a perfect medium to tell a superhero story, especially with so much of that film looking like comic panels come to life. Of course, Batman Beyond began as a cartoon in the first place, so it's sensible for it to return as one. Marvel may currently be the reigning champion on the live-action front, but DC long ago established itself as the gold standard of superhero animation. The trend that they began with Batman: The Animated Series in the early ‘90s still continues to this day with Young Justice: Outsiders, not to mention all the amazing shows in between. Plus, the Warner Animation Group (The LEGO Movie) will be developing the film, which is definitely promising.

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Source: Geeks WorldWideDaniel Ritchman