James Gunn Says He’s Open to a ‘Batman Beyond’ Movie at DC Studios, and the Idea Has a Long History

Where Batman fits in the DCU has been one of the biggest questions hanging over James Gunn’s new universe. Fans have debated everything from casting to which version of the Dark Knight should arrive first, and a new comment has added a fresh wrinkle to that conversation.

The idea at the center of it has been circling Warner Bros. for more than 2 decades. ‘Batman Beyond’ began as an animated series in 1999 and has been floated as a live-action project multiple times since, with Michael Keaton’s name often attached in fan wish lists and rumors. None of those attempts has made it to the screen.

Now Gunn has given the idea a boost. Speaking to ¡HOLA! USA on the red carpet at the ‘Clayface’ premiere, the DC Studios co-CEO said he loves ‘Batman Beyond’ and called it a great thing for the future. He added that it is a property that originated in animation and could make a good movie, though he did not announce any project or timeline.

James Gunn is open to a BATMAN BEYOND film at DC Studios 🦇 On which animated Batman could make a great movie: "I love Batman Beyond. So that’s a great thing for the future. And I think that’s something that originated in animation that could be a good movie." (Via Hola! USA) https://t.co/A29IcrJrj7

— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) October 14, 2026

The animated series, created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, debuted in 1999 as a futuristic sequel to ‘Batman: The Animated Series’. It follows Terry McGinnis, a young man who becomes the Batman of the future after an elderly Bruce Wayne hangs up the cape and cowl and retreats to a lonely life in his mansion. When Terry stumbles onto a prototype suit, Bruce becomes his mentor, which gives the show its central dynamic of passing the mantle from one generation to the next.

That structure is also what makes it appealing for a shared universe. It tells a self-contained Batman story without needing to retell an origin that audiences have seen many times.

Live-action versions have come close before. Boaz Yakin was selected to co-write and direct a ‘Batman Beyond’ movie back in 2000, but it never materialized. Years later, rumors suggested that Warner Bros. wanted to make a project with Michael Keaton as the older Bruce, which fans loved because of his work in the 1989 ‘Batman’ and 1992 ‘Batman Returns’.

More recently, journalist Jeff Sneider reported that a solo Keaton Batman movie being written by Christina Hodson was shelved after Gunn and Safran took over DC. TheWrap’s Umberto Gonzalez said that project was in fact the ‘Batman Beyond’ film. Neither report has been confirmed by DC Studios.

For now, the studio’s Batman plans are focused elsewhere. ‘The Brave and the Bold’, announced in 2023 and directed by Andy Muschietti, is the project meant to introduce the DCU’s Batman, centering on Bruce Wayne and his son Damian, along with the wider Bat-family. No actor has been cast as Batman, and the DCU’s version is meant to exist separately from Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ films.

‘Clayface’ also changes how Gotham appears in the DCU. The movie takes place before ‘Creature Commandos’ season 1, so Batman is already active in the timeline, but he doesn’t appear in the film. Instead, the studio is using a villain-centered story to introduce Gotham, and director James Watkins has said the shadow of the Bat is felt inherently in a city called Gotham.

The comment was part of a big premiere night for the studio. Gunn also confirmed that Clayface will return in a future DCU project, while Peter Safran said the ‘Swamp Thing’ script is being written. ‘Clayface’ opens in theaters October 23, and early reactions have praised its brutal horror tone.

A ‘Batman Beyond’ movie is still just an expression of interest rather than a plan, and the studio has a lot on its plate before it could get there. But after years of rumors, hearing the DCU’s co-CEO say he loves the property is enough to get fans talking again.

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