When Michael Keaton was shockingly announced to be reprising the role of Bruce Wayne for the first time since Tim Burton’s Batman Returns in The Flash, most fans accepted it as an inevitability that the long-rumored Batman Beyond live-action movie was finally about to become a reality.
After all, Warner Bros. wouldn’t sign an actor who turns 70 this year to what’s reported to be a multi-film contract if the thought of adapting the fan favorite animated series hadn’t crossed their minds at least once, especially when DC Films President Walter Hamada confirmed that the plan is to move forward with two separate Batman franchises, one with Robert Pattinson in the lead and the other with Keaton.
It’s also led to a surge in viewership for Batman Beyond on HBO Max, after it was finally added to the content library in December, with old and new fans flocking to the platform to either revisit the adventures of Terry McGinnis, or check them out for the first time. Not only that, but in a recent interview, voice and casting director Max McMillian urged folks to campaign online if they want brand new episodes, admitting that the creative team would be more than happy to oblige if the opportunity were to arise.
“It will depend on the fans asking, and asking, and asking for it until Warner Bros. would be foolish not to. So they have to begin a campaign of sorts and just let Warner Bros. know that that’s what they want. Because we would like to make it, it would be great fun, we’re all still around, we’re all still available, everybody’s still doing beautiful work. So yes please, and thank you.”
Of course, we’ve seen this sort of thing happen already without yielding any results, after the key creatives behind both Gargoyles and X-Men: The Animated Series hoped that fan campaigns would lead to new content, but so far neither has been given the green light. However, HBO Max are placing a much greater focus on animated projects than Disney Plus, so if the idea gathers enough momentum, we might well end up seeing more episodes of Batman Beyond.
