With the upcoming Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, a story about the Dark Knight set in Victorian times, the DC animated movie universe is dipping its toes into the long history of Elseworld comic stories. Beginning in 1989, books released under that banner were set outside of regular DC continuity, which allowed writers to give the usual status quo an intriguing twist. This opened up endless storytelling opportunities, and it would be exciting if the animated movies could follow suit.
As it happens, this is exactly the plan of Bruce Timm, the Batman: TAS alum who nowadays produces DC’s animated efforts. At a recent press screening for Gotham by Gaslight, Timm revealed that he hopes to adapt Superman: Red Son next time around, as the Elseworlds tale would be a nice counterpoint to the Batman-centric Gaslight.
This should definitely please fans, as Red Son is one of the most well regarded Elseworlds stories out there. Written by Kick-Ass‘ Mark Millar and illustrated by Dave Johnson and Killian Plunkett, it imagines what would happen if baby Kal-El didn’t crash into the Kent farm in Smallville, but instead landed in Soviet Russia. It’s a darker twist on the usual Superman narrative, but has a lot to say about the Man of Steel’s core nature.
In fact, Red Son has such a strong story to it that we found out a few months ago that it could even be on its way to a live-action adaptation as well. Kong: Skull Island‘s Jordan Vogt-Roberts revealed that Warner Bros. had turned down his pitch for a film based on the comic. Mark Millar then followed up this comment with the reveal that he knew of other directors who had been offered the project.
Whether it turns out to be live-action or animation, though, it’s clear that there’s a thirst for a Superman: Red Son movie out there and as such, we imagine it’ll be just a matter of time before we see it on the big screen. As always, watch this space for more.
