Highlights

  • Departing from Arkham style, a Batman Beyond game could bring fresh gameplay and design opportunities to honor the beloved series.
  • Embracing the bold Spider-Verse-inspired visuals in a game adaptation could provide a unique and engaging experience for fans of the Dark Knight.

There's no news on the horizon regarding a possible Batman Beyond game, but a recently unveiled Beyond movie pitch could be a launching pad for the series' current-gen gaming debut. This idea would be a departure from the Arkham style of Batman game that has proven to be so popular with fans of the character, but this differentiation could pay off.

Yukhi Demers, a production designer and producer of the Spider-Man: Spider-Verse animated films, recently shared their experience pitching a Batman Beyond feature film to DC and Warner Bros. The finer details of the pitch have not been revealed, but Demers did share some concept art depicting the iconic Beyond suit and near-future rendition of Gotham in the now-popular, striking Spider-Verse style. As evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive response to Demers' social media posts about the pitch, this concept has a lot of promise, but unfortunately, it got a soft rejection from Warner Bros. and DC.

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'Batman Beyond Meets Spider-Verse' Could Be a Great Video Game Foundation

A New Type of Batman Game

Making a Batman story without Bruce Wayne under the mask always comes with some level of risk, but Batman Beyond manages to pull this feat off. Terry McGinnis' distinct personality and backstory, along with this new era of society and technology, are reflected in his behavior, his relationship with his fellow heroes and villains, and his iconic, sleek suit, which he uses to fight crime in a similarly transformed Gotham City.

All in all, Batman Beyond is a big step outside the series convention, and a bold animation style would be a good way to honor that in a video game adaptation.

Of course, a Batman Beyond game could simply follow the Rocksteady formula for a Batman game, focusing on a somewhat grounded, yet still fantastical, rendition of Gotham and its heroes and villains, but this approach could squander its potential. A Batman Beyond game ought to be as big a leap from other Batman games as the show was from Batman: The Animated Series, and the bold, colorful, art direction shared by Demers would be a good way to do that.

A Stylized Batman Beyond Opens the Door for Creative Opportunities

Crafting a game in the visual style of something like the Spider-Verse franchise comes with several benefits beyond just flashy and memorable visuals. Many of the best Batman games experiment with different gameplay styles, setpieces, and level design elements, and this sort of experimentation could be elevated by the singular art style on display in the concept art for the pitched Beyond film.

The Scarecrow hallucinations from the Arkham trilogy, for example, could be cranked up several notches in a game implementing such a unique visual design. Exploration could also be enhanced, as the experience of traversing a comic-inspired science-fiction city, complete with over-the-top architecture and acceptable logical inconsistencies, will be necessarily different from moving through a more grounded and gritty landscape, such as those found in the Arkham series.

The enduring popularity of the Arkham franchise, surpassing even new releases like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, proves that gaming audiences are hungry for a new game starring The Dark Knight. At the same time, a new Batman game that just rehashes the atmosphere, tone, and visual design of the Arkham series, even if it does adapt the Batman Beyond story, could feel a bit old hat, so injecting some personality by way of the bold, Spider-Verse inspired visuals, with unique game design to boot, would go a long way.