‘Batman Beyond’ animated movie: The ‘Batman Beyond’ concept art explained

You would think anyone attached to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse would have studios jumping at the opportunity to work with them, but it turns out even that kind of resumé may fall short in Hollywood. Spider-Verse producer and production designer Yuhki Demers has asked X for help getting his latest pitch — a Batman Beyond animated movie — to James Gunn after five months of pitching across Warner Bros. ranks.

What is the Batman Beyond movie?

Not so much a movie as it is a concept at this point, the Batman Beyond animated feature is Demers and writer/director artist Patrick Harpin’s “baby.” The two developed an outline and concept art for the movie, which they took to Warner Bros. in the hopes of reaching DC Studios’ head James Gunn.

According to Demers’ account, posted on his X profile, they were told there was “no way” this movie could get done. However, the “never” turned into a “maybe” after the duo presented their package. The art, which features the Bruce Wayne successor from the Batman Beyond animated series, Terry McGinnis, in a fight against resident villain Inque, is strikingly reminiscent of the vibrant animation of the Spider-Verse movies, with a distinct noir Gotham feel. The combination has captivated fans, who are now adamant about getting the pitch to Gunn.

What is Batman Beyond?

Batman Beyond is a popular animated superhero television series based in the DC Universe that aired between 1999 and 2001 on Kids’ WB (The WB’s children’s programming block). Created by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett, it imagined a future where an older Bruce Wayne is forced to retire due to his decaying health, enlisting and mentoring teenager Terry McGinnis to replace him.

The show’s futuristic, cyberpunk style paired with darker themes earned praise and a cult following, going on to win two Annie Awards in 1999 and 2001. It lasted for three seasons, with the latter two being generally considered weaker than their predecessor. In 2000, Warner Bros. Animation released a direct-to-video feature film based on the show called Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, featuring Mark Hamill as the voice of the Clown Prince of Crime. Multiple comic book series were also developed after the show.

Will the Batman Beyond animated movie happen?

A live-action movie was reportedly in development years ago before the DC Extended Universe came crashing down. In 2023, when James Gunn took over the rebranded DC Studios there were also rumors Walter Hamada had hired Daniel Casey (F9, Kin) to write a Batman Beyond animated movie that would have allegedly been “DC’s answer to Into the Spider-Verse.“

James Gunn has promised a slate of animated endeavors as part of his interconnected multimedia universe which could only benefit from a project as stylish as the one Demers and Harpin appear to be cooking up. The critical and cultural acclaim Spider-Verse has gathered as well as the buzz Demers’ post is already generating on social media (a space Gunn is famously active in) could very well get this passion project all the way to the finish line.