One of the things that’s made Batman one of the most enduringly popular characters in our culture for over 70 years is that he can be constantly adapted, reinterpreted and reinvented to suit any period in time. We’ve gone from the camp antics of Adam West’s 60s TV show to Tim Burton’s Gothic aesthetic, then on to the neon-n’-nipples of the Joel Schumacher era, before moving towards the heightened realism of the Dark Knight Trilogy and then Ben Affleck’s brief time under the costume in the DCEU, which brought gods and monsters into play.
Despite having some of his archetypal traits set in stone like the death of his parents and his loyal butler Alfred, Batman is a hugely versatile character that can be approached from any number of angles, even a futuristic one. Speaking of which, a live action adaptation of Batman Beyond has been a dream project in the eyes of fans for years now, and has been rumored in the past, but the speculation surrounding the first big screen trip to Neo-Gotham has seen a huge increase recently.
We previously reported that Warner Bros. were keen on the idea, with Michael Keaton still wanted to reprise the role of Bruce Wayne as had previously been claimed. And now, we’ve heard from our sources – the same ones who said a Green Lantern show is coming to HBO Max and Kevin Conroy was playing Kingdom Come Batman in “Crisis” – that one actor the studio is looking at to play Terry McGinnis in a live-action Batman Beyond movie is Tye Sheridan, who’s perhaps most well known for his role as Cyclops in the X-Men films.
While nothing is set in stone yet, and this proposed adaptation is still in the very early stages of discussion, the massive success of Joker proved that standalone projects based on DC properties can thrive outside of the established DCEU canon. Any Batman flick is guaranteed to be a box office hit, too, and if we can get a prequel about his arch-nemesis, then a movie about the Caped Crusader set decades in the future certainly isn’t outside the realm of possibility.
As for Sheridan, he’s likely not the only name being looked at and who knows if he’d even be available to take the role by the time this project gets off the ground. Either way, though, it’s starting to sound like a live-action Batman Beyond is closer to coming to fruition than it’s ever been and as soon as we hear more about the studio’s plans for it, we’ll be sure to let you know.