2024's Batman Beyond fan movie has provided a perfect DCU casting I didn't know I needed. Inspired by the classic animated Batman Beyond series that ran for three seasons between 1999-2001, Lumis Entertainment has created a short film imagining what a live-action movie could look like starring DC's Terry McGinnis as The Dark Knight of the future in Neo Gotham However, the actor chosen to play Terry couldn't be better and deserves to be Batman Beyond one day in an official project from DC Studios and Warner Bros.
Lumis Entertainment's Batman Beyond: Year One is written and directed by Michael Yu. In the short film, Terry McGinnis balances meeting someone new with his secret life as Batman protecting New Gotham and receiving guidance from his mentor Bruce Wayne. To that end, this younger Batman of the future is played by Ryan Potter, whom I now absolutely want to see in an official Batman Beyond project one day.
Batman Beyond: Year One Has Proven To Me Just How Much Potential A DCU Batman Beyond Project Would Have
A Massively Underused Source of Unique Batman Content
Batman Beyond: Year One is only 13 and a half minutes long. Despite that short window, the new short is an incredible piece of fan-made superhero media that beautifully proves just how good a full-length Batman Beyond project could be. Set within the futuristic and glowing skyscrapers of Neo Gotham, Batman epically shines with his gadgets and high-tech batsuit as he takes on members of the Royal Flush Gang.
Michael Keaton's Batman will appear in The Flash, and following it up with a Tim Burton-helmed Batman Beyond could wrap up his Batman arc.
Tragically, Warner Bros. has reportedly passed on more than one Batman Beyond project in recent years. This includes an animated feature in a similar style as Sony's Spider-Verse movies, as well as a live-action Batman Beyond project that would have included Michael Keaton as an elderly Bruce Wayne mentoring Terry McGinnis. To that end, it's very exciting to see what a live-action project could look like with this new fan film (while also making Warner Bros' inaction even worse).
Batman Beyond: Year One's Terry McGinnis Would Be A Great DCU Casting
He Perfectly Embodies Bruce Wayne's Future Protégé
It's well worth pointing out that Ryan Potter's casting as Terry McGinnis is one of the best parts of this new fan film. Known for voicing Hiro Hamada in Disney's animated Big Hero 6 movie and playing Beast Boy in DC's live-action Titans series, Potter is no stranger to the superhero genre. That said, I found Ryan Potter's portrayal of Terry McGinnis to be quite remarkable, especially when he was out of the batsuit fighting two members of the Jokerz Gang and flirting with a new girl in his life.
In Batman Beyond: Year One, Ryan Potter achieves a strong balance between being the action-hero with Batman alongside a more "regular guy" characterization as Terry. To that end, fans of the original Batman Beyond animated series will likely agree that Potter very much looks the part, both in appearance and personality. To that end, I sincerely hope that Ryan Potter will one day receive an audition when and if DC Studios finally pulls the trigger on an official Batman Beyond project, whether it's set in the future of the DCU or as an Elseworlds movie set in its own reality.
Why Batman Beyond: Year One Could Make Casting Ryan Potter As The DCU's Terry McGinnis More Likely
It's More Likely Than It Might Seem
Naturally, this new fan film offers a very compelling and entertaining proof of concept for Ryan Potter and Terry McGinnis. With that in mind, it might actually go a long way in helping Potter get cast in the DCU at some point down the line. After all, Alan Tudyk has been cast to voice and play Clayface in the DCU even though he's already the voice of Clayface in the Harley Quinn series, and some actors from the old DCEU are continuing to play their characters in the new DCU.
"At any rate, it's incredibly cool to see Ryan Potter play such a beloved version of The Dark Knight in live-action all the same..."
Likewise, David Corenswet was a popular Superman fan cast years before he was officially cast as the next Man of Steel. Keeping all that in mind, it further supports the idea that fan support (like being cast in a fan film) might make an official Batman Beyond casting for Ryan Potter more possible than one might think. At any rate, it's incredibly cool to see Ryan Potter play such a beloved version of The Dark Knight in live-action all the same.
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