Matt Reeves’ recent Dark Knight venture is the third major live-action rendition of the character in the last 10 years, and while it seems like a lot to already be thinking aboutwhat comes afterThe Batmanmovies, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC could do well to look to TV for the next take’s future.
That might be asking a lot, especially considering the company’s chaotic merger laying waste to a slew of streaming projects and DC’s reputation for its use of Batman — and lack thereof — in the live-action TV space. However, whileThe Batmanis an exciting fresh start for a detective-focused, neo-noir Gotham City, a shakeup in the medium of choice could give the next long-term reboot a new and tantalizing creative anglethrough the HBO brand.
A change of pace from the theatrical format
On the surface, it’s at least understandable why Warner Bros. and DC have historically saved Batman’s biggest on-screen stories for the movie theaters. The Dark Knight has a massive box office pull thanks to beingthe second-highest-grossing individual superhero IPbehind Spider-Man. And as Matt Reeves’ prospective trilogy-opener has shown, the brooding hero has had more hits than misses in the theatrical space.
At the same time, it’s also reasonable to see why audiences and longtime fans see a lot of potential being left on the table. Warner and DC do like to dance around the concept of Batman on TV by airing a slew of solid-to-mediocre Gotham-centric series that sure enoughmentionhis existence — or depict him in a cameo-level role. Meanwhile, solo outings are reserved for the occasional animated series.
Animation is by no means a “lesser” format and the likes ofBatman: Caped Crusaderoozes with great potentialof its own, but a proper live-action solo TV series seems like free creative real estate begging to be used that would also be a refreshing change of pace from theatrical movies.
Again, this is where the turmoil complicates things at the executive level, as HBO Max has been getting gutted of content since the merger closed. But one would think that a brand with such a level of weight behind it as Batman could make its case on the HBO cable network specifically, as it appears that part of the brand has — thankfully — been left to its own devices.
Movies wouldn’t have to necessarily stop in the meantime either, as the DC Extended Universe — assuming it ever finds its footing — could have its own live-action Batman in a supporting role while also venturing intoSpider-Verse-esque animated movies with, say,Batman Beyondon the side.
This would, once again, allow for a more serious solo live-action universe to exist on its own terms through HBO. If there’s one thing to take away fromSpider-Man: No Way Home, it’s that audiences won’t find multiple versions of the same iconic character as convoluted as some might think.
The live-action successor to The Animated Series
The aforementioned neo-noir flavor that Reeves has given his Batman universe is an enticing one, as it’s both grounded and lets the character indulge the detective element of his comic book counterpart that even the best movies neglected. Likewise, if Reeves and Pattinson’s comments on the movie are of any indication, it also doesn’t rule out the more larger-than-life characters and villains like Mr. Freeze from being adapted (or redeemed) in live-action.
Even so, what a live-action Batman TV series either as an HBO or HBO Max original offers a unique opportunity that the likes ofThe Animated SeriesandThe New Batman Adventuresalready have an outline for.
The serialized episodic adventures throughout the revered cartoon were perhaps the best on-screen homage to the Dark Knight’s corner of the DC universe in the source material, comic book fantasy and all. There would be little to no need for exposition as to why these characters exist and how they came to be in a similar way that the animated show dropped audiences into its stylish art deco world.
Better still, it would be a great way to hearken to the ’80s and ’90s era of Batman comics where the World’s Greatest Detective took part in a mixture of single-issue cases and multi-part story arcs. There’d be room for both in a 10-episode season where each episode is around an hour long, and it would be an excellent format for introducing a revolving door of the superhero’s deep rogues gallery.
What creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm did for the DC Animated Universe, in general, was a fantastic effort in and of itself, and it’s baffling that Warner didn’t use that as a blueprint for its DCEU. Timm and Reeves are among the producers for the aforementionedCaped Crusaderaiming to recreate that magic in animation, and it would be remiss if the company’s higher-ups aren’t at least mulling over the idea.
A Batman series with HBO’s impressive production value (just look at the impressive visual spectacle and complex dramatic scope ofHouse of the Dragon) would have incredible creative potential, and could practically hit the ground running with a seasoned version of the hero and a proper, realized Bat-family around him. Fans have long since been craving Robin, Nightwing, and co. to get the live-action attention they deserve, which is something even the praised Reeves film and Christopher Nolan’s acclaimedThe Dark Knighttrilogy didn’t acknowledge.
So long as the superhero genre maintains its immense mainstream popularity, the dense mythos of Batman’s world shouldn’t have trouble finding an audience on the network practically known as the face of premium TV.
DC Films’The Batmanand Warner Bros. Animation’sBatman: The Animated Seriesareboth available to stream now on HBO Max.
