Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series was an iconic piece of television from the ’90s. The show was immensely popular both in the mainstream and fan zeitgeist, so much so that characters created specifically for the show (i.e., Harley Quinn) received their very own space in Batman lore. The Animated Series continues to serve as a source of inspiration for a plethora of Batman projects currently in the works. A retelling of sorts is even confirmed to be in the works from original creator Bruce Timm.

When the series ended in 1995, Timm created The New Batman Adventures. Though not as popular, the series did win a few daytime Emmys and introduced characters like Nightwing to a larger audience. Following the end of this show, fans were greeted with the cyberpunk spectacle that is Batman Beyond. Featuring the original Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy, Batman Beyond told the story of an older Bruce Wayne’ mentoring’ Terry McGinnis as Neogotham’s Batman.

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Now how does this year’s Batgirl movie fit into all of this? And are fans in for a retelling of the iconic Batman Beyond story?

Add a Bit of Michael Keaton

     DC/Warner Bros.

Batman Beyond gained a cult following and was critically loved across the board. It was generally darker and more gritty than other superhero cartoons at the time and featured a radical take of Gotham City. The animated movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker was a fever dream of nostalgia, solid storytelling, and the return of fan-favorite Mark Hamill as the Joker. Kevin Conroy’s iconic performance was a welcome addition to the show, and as such, it served as a true sequel to The Animated Series.

When it was announced that Ben Affleck would no longer be playing Bruce Wayne/Batman, there were rumors that Warner Bros. was trying to adapt Batman Beyond to the big screen. This is still up in the air, but fans did get confirmation that Michael Keaton will return as Batman in this year’s The Flash. Acting as a Nick Fury type, Keaton will be present in The Flash to unite multiple timelines. No doubt Warner Bros. hopes to emulate the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The Path Forward

     DC

This week, fans were greeted with set images from Batgirl of Keaton in his iconic black and yellow suit. While it has undergone a few upgrades, the costume is as iconic as ever and is seriously intimidating. Some scoopers have claimed that this may be a flashback scene, harking back to Batman’s crime-fighting days. Time will tell as the film is slated for release later this year, but how does this all add up?

It could be through post events of The Flash that Keaton’s Bruce Wayne will be brought to the present timeline and will act as Batgirl’s mentor, à la Batman Beyond. He will serve as a guiding force for Batman and teach her his own brand of crime-fighting. No doubt this will be pretty intriguing to see on screen for the first time. The only gripe with this storyline is that it all sounds a bit confusing because we don’t know what timeline the film is working with.

When Batgirl was first announced, fans were dubious about what Warner Bros. had in store for the character. Barbara Gordon has so many iconic storylines – who can forget the moment in The Killing Joke when the Joker shoots her in the spine, leaving her to become Oracle? Considering the studio’s track record, a fair amount of doubt is warranted. This was further exacerbated by the fact that Firefly was cast as the main villain in the movie. Granted, Brandon Fraser is having a bit of a revival; the character he plays is not particularly memorable and has no real fan following.

If Warner Bros. indeed did base this film on Batman Beyond (like it’s shaping up to be), why not just go ahead and remake that iconic cartoon for the big screen with Keaton? Hopefully, fan doubts are proven wrong, and both DC and the Batverse will return to their former glory.