Whenever the prospect of live-action DC films comes up, Batman Beyond is guaranteed to enter the conversation. It seems like the perfect layup: a way to do Batman without relying on Bruce Wayne, adapting a beloved animated series that still resonates with fans, and the idea of Batman in a Akira/Blade Runner-esque world is ripe with potential. But despite a few pitches, a Batman Beyond live-action film never manifested…until LA Comic Con 2024.
For the final day, the Batman Beyond: Year One film would screen for fans, with cast and crew members in attendance. Fan films tend to screen at conventions, but this one was different. How different? When I got into the panel room, it was packed, meaning that I had to stand in the back. It was worth it though; once the lights dimmed and the projector rolled, it felt like we were in a (very small) theater.
Batman Beyond: Year One took its plot from the Season 1 episode “Dead Man’s Hand”, which pits Terry McGinnis against the Royal Flush Gang. Complicating matters is the fact that he’s fallen for a girl named Melanie Walker…who’s part of the Gang! Writer/director Michael Yu keeps the same cyberpunk aesthetic that permeated the Batman Beyond cartoon, mixing in some great hand to hand fights. The casting of Ryan Potter (Big Hero 6, Titans) as Terry is also a plus, as Potter nails Terry’s mannerisms to a T. Finally, the Batsuit is a nice mix of armor and spandex, and looked gorgeous.
After the film, Jonathan Loizou (aka the Daily Kryptonian) held a Q&A session with Yu, Isabelle Hahn, who played Melanie/Ten in Year One, and producer Philip McElroy. Yu opened up by discussing the appearance of Bruce Wayne, who is voiced by a mystery actor; he said he had someone in mind, but wouldn’t elaborate. Yu also revealed that during production of the film, he reached out to Kevin Conroy to potentially have Conroy reprise his role as Bruce; Conroy’s passing meant that nothing came of it, but the film is dedicated to his memory.
The panelists also discussed their knowledge of Batman and how it grew working on the project. While Yu was a fan of the original Batman Beyond series, Hahn said she immediately binged the show upon getting the part of Melanie; McElroy was introduced to Batman via the Tim Burton movies. McElroy also discussed how producing Year One was different from other films he worked on since the film was funded by Kickstarter. When Loizou asked them what DC character they’d do if James Gunn and Peter Safran approached them, McElroy said “I’ll take anything!” Hahn floated the idea of playing Teen Titans member Raven, while Yu said he’d love to do a Batman Beyond project or even a mainline Batman film.
Though Batman Beyond: Year One is currently a standalone project, Yu also expressed his desire to do a trilogy of films, even citing the sound-manipulating villain Shriek as a potential villain for Terry to face. From what I saw, Batman Beyond: Year One could easily pull it off – and considering this is made for a fraction of the budget of other superhero blockbusters, that’s all the more impressive.
You can watch Michael Yu’s projects at the Lumis Entertainment channel on YouTube.
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