New Batman Beyond Animated Movie Rumored to Have Been in the Works

The DC Universe has been undergoing a lot of changes in recent years, with James Gunn and Peter Safran now taking over the helm of DC Studios. Late last month, the duo unveiled the first ten projects that will be part of their new DC Universe slate, in addition to standalone Elseworlds projects like The Batman Part II and Joker: Folie a Deux. There has been a lot of speculation about what other stories are still to come, and a new rumor sheds light on one past possibility. According to Jeff Sneider's The Hot Mic podcast, an animated Batman Beyond movie was put into development during Walter Hamada's time leading DC (lining up with rumors in 2019 suggesting as much), which would have been DC's answer to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It is unclear at this point if that project is or is not still in active development under Gunn and Safran's tenure.

"The following project was commissioned by Walter Hamada," Sneider prefaced. "It was, as far as I know, never reported. As of this minute, the project is in development at DC now. These guys could get called in next week or whatever. This is the project that I've heard has never been reported, and there are multiple drafts of it. Daniel Casey, the writer of Fast 9, wrote a Batman Beyond movie, but the catch wasn't that it was live action, because that was what Christina Hodson was [working on]. [It was an] animated Batman Beyond, to be DC's answer to Into the Spider-Verse."

This is the second Batman Beyond project rumored to have been in the works for the previous era of DC, with Birds of Prey and The Flash's Christina Hodson believed to have written the script for a now-scrapped live-action version. Michael Keaton would have returned as Bruce Wayne / Batman in the film, after returning in The Flash, with Michelle Pfeiffer's Selina Kyle / Catwoman possibly having returned as well.

What is on the DC Universe slate?

As Gunn and Safran revealed, the initial DC Studios slate for "Gods and Monsters" will include movies for Superman: Legacy, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing, and The Authority. It will include the HBO Max television shows Waller, Booster Gold, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and an animated Creature Commandos series.

"We're honored to be the stewards of these DC characters we've loved since we were children," Gunn and Safran said in a statement when their roles were first announced. "We look forward to collaborating with the most talented writers, directors, and actors in the world to create an integrated, multilayered universe that still allows for the individual expression of the artists involved. Our commitment to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the DC stable of characters is only equaled by our commitment to the wonder of human possibility these characters represent. We're excited to invigorate the theatrical experience around the world as we tell some of the biggest, most beautiful, and grandest stories ever told."

What do you think of this new Batman Beyond rumor? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!