Warner Bros. and DC have already demonstrated with Joker that they don’t have any issues portraying two different versions of the same character in separate timelines, although they’re probably also hoping that people have already forgotten that Jared Leto’s controversial take on the Clown Prince of Crime even existed.
Of course, the critical and commercial success of Todd Phillips’ origin story could lead to a new wave of standalone movies featuring DC heroes that don’t take place within the existing continuity of their shared universe, which could one day give fans the live-action Batman Beyond adaptation that they’ve been dreaming of for years. And it seems that that particular project is closer to coming to fruition that we realized.
We recently reported that Warner Bros. were once again exploring the possibility of the bringing the beloved animated series to the big screen, with Michael Keaton wanted to return to the fold after over 30 years to inherit the role of retired crime-fighter and world-weary billionaire Bruce Wayne. On top of that, though, we’ve also been told by our sources – the same ones who said a Green Lantern show was on the way to HBO Max and Diana will get her Golden Eagle armor in Wonder Woman 1984 – that the studio are looking to the Return of the Joker story arc for inspiration.
The tale is arguably the best that Batman Beyond ever produced, and boasts plenty of unexpected plot twists along with some major nods to the Caped Crusader’s illustrious history. Of course, not a lot of comic book movies directly adapt iconic stories from their source material, so it stands to reason that a few creative changes could be made along the way. But if WB decides to take the plunge and finally bring Neo-Gotham to the big screen, then Return of the Joker provides the ideal foundation on which to build.
