Before DC Studios was formed, Warner Bros. had been considering a live-action Batman Beyond movie set in the DCEU. The idea was for Michael Keaton's Dark Knight to pass the mantle to Terry McGinnis, giving the franchise a new, younger Batman (and allowing the studio to move on from Ben Affleck).
With The Brave and the Bold on the way, Batman Beyond was scrapped. Now, though, we've learned that writer/director Patrick Harpin (My Dad the Bounty Hunter) and Production Designer/Producer Yuhki Demers (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) pitched an animated movie set in the future Gotham just five months ago.
"[Five] months ago Patrick Harpin walked into [Warner Bros.] [DC] and pitched a Batman Beyond animated feature," Demers revealed on X. "Before we pitched, they warned us 'There is absolutely no way we can do a Beyond movie,' but they loved our enthusiasm."
"We pitched the outline for the entire film, and what started as a 'never' turned into a 'maybe.'"
It doesn't sound like DC Studios or James Gunn were involved in this meeting as he later added, "In the time since, we've been pitching our way up the company hoping to get to [James Gunn]. But for now, here's a taste of what we've been cooking."
As you can see below, Demers also shared some eye-catching concept art from the proposed Batman Beyond movie and it looks incredible. We see no reason a project like this couldn't exist under that "Elseworlds" banner but this doesn't seem like the best way to get Gunn's attention.
By sharing this pitch on social media, it gives the impression that Demers and Harpin are hoping to force the studio's hand by getting fans on board with the idea. It's a good idea in some respects, but one which could give off the wrong impression to those in charge.
The original Batman Beyond TV series premiered in 1999 and followed Terry McGinnis, a teenager who takes up the mantle of Batman under the guidance of an elderly Bruce Wayne. In this future Gotham, Terry dons a high-tech Batsuit, inheriting the legacy of the original Dark Knight.
The show still has a devoted fanbase and a new approach would surely be welcomed. For now, though, nothing is officially in the works as far as we're aware.