The news of a live-action adaptation of Batman Beyond, with iconic actor Michael Keaton reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman had excited many. However, based on a piece of insider information, it seems that the project has encountered an indefinite halt. And the credit for it all goes to other DCEU films like The Flash. Having collected around $140 million within 6 days of its release, The Flash has performed underwhelming-y when compared to its massive $220 million budget. And now a ripple effect of its failure might have impacted the live-action adaptation of Batman Beyond.
In a recent episode of his Fatman Beyond podcast, filmmaker Kevin Smith revealed potential plans by Warner Bros. Smith’s information came from the son of executive producer Michael Uslan, a longtime figure in WB’s Batman projects since Tim Burton’s 1989 film.
Kevin Smith reveals insider details on the Batman Beyond project
According to Kevin Smith, he heard that if The Flash, which features Michael Keaton as Batman performed as good as The Batman film, then Warner Bros. Discovery would proceed with a Batman Beyond movie. He said,
“I was hoping that it (The Flash) did better than it did because Michael Uslan’s kid said that…if the movie did as well as The Batman — The Batman opened at $130 million — one of the next Batman movies they’re going to make is Batman Beyond with Michael Keaton. So I was like, ‘Oh, my God, now I hope this movie makes a lot of money.'”
However, The Flash fell short of expectations, grossing around $140 million globally, while its production and marketing budget exceeded $220 million. Despite this setback, director Andy Muschietti, who helmed The Flash, was recently announced as the director for Batman: The Brave and the Bold, a film set in the upcoming James Gunn era of DC Universe movies.
But weren’t there some other Batman Beyond rumors?
Reports about a Batman Beyond movie have surfaced over the years, including one in March mentioning F9 writer Dan Casey working on an animated adaptation in the style of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Another report indicated that a live-action Batman Beyond film, featuring Keaton, was scrapped by James Gunn and Peter Safran when they assumed leadership roles at DC Studios.
However, the underwhelming box office performances of recent Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Comics films, including The Flash, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Black Adam, have raised concerns among fans and industry insiders regarding the future of live-action DC movies.
Meanwhile, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, expected to be the final superhero film in the DC Extended Universe, has received minimal updates. Whereas, fan anticipation is building for the release of Blue Beetle on August 18, considering the fact that it would be the first film in the new Gunn-approved DC Universe.
However, currently playing at theatres, it seems if The Flash manages to crawl out of the tranches, then there is a high chance that it might boost the makers to go ahead with the highly anticipated Batman Beyond project.
Source: CBR.com
