The internet has been in an uproar ever since the announcement was made about Robert Pattinson potentially played Batman. But what if there was a way we could be happy with this casting, and get something that fans have been hoping for? Bear with us here. What if Robert Pattinson wasn’t going to play Bruce Wayne’s Batman? What if he was going to play Terry McGinnis? As in, the Batman from Batman Beyond.
While Pattinson may not be the best fit for Bruce, he’s arguably a strong fit for Terry. There are a lot of reasons we’re rooting for the revelation that Robert Pattinson is playing Terry McGinnis. Everything from the character design, to the antagonists and plots that could be opened up by this opportunity.
His Style
Terry steps up and takes on the Batman mantle years after Bruce was forced to retire. He’s strong, determined, and fights very differently from the Batman so many of us know and love.
Terry is agile and light where Bruce was brute force and power. But he’s not afraid to fight dirty. Terry grew up learning to fight punks on the streets, and doesn’t actually have any formal training. He’s learned to fight for his wins, and sometimes that means tossing honor out the window.
His Looks
Terry McGinnis looks drastically different from most of the versions of Batman we’ve seen. Or rather, the versions of Bruce Wayne as Batman. He’s got a narrower frame, which fits in well with his more agile fighting style.
He also has strong facial features – strong jaw, the works. And of course, he’s got the flowing locks that could sweep a girl off her feet. You know, if he could ever be on time to do so. Pattinson may not be a good fit for Bruce’s figure. But it sure seems like he could step right into Terry’s shoes.
His Backstory
Terry wasn’t exactly a good kid before he ran into Bruce Wayne. Heck, the whole reason he ended up with the Bat-suit was because he literally stole it. However, he did manage to prove himself to Bruce and was thus allowed to keep the mantle.
Terry’s backstory is part of what makes him so interesting. He’s flawed. He’s made mistakes. But that just makes him more human and approachable. In many ways, Terry is the perfect mirror to Bruce, and that’s an important lesson for both of them to learn.
Futuristic Gotham
The whole Batman Beyond series takes place after Bruce has been forcibly retired from the job thanks to an injury. So it’s safe to say that it is set farther into the future – especially considering how stubborn Bruce is, and just how long he held on. The futuristic Gotham shown in Batman Beyond is fascinating. Some would even argue beautiful, if not for the gangs and antagonists that still plague the city. It’s a technologically advanced city. Some of the items used casually by civilians would have made previous incarnations of Batman drool.
But this is Gotham we’re talking about. There’s still a significant amount of strife and danger in the city. As well as a decent amount of corruption. The city still stands at least, a testament to the police force.
Justice League Unlimited
DC has been looking for a way to tie all of their movies in, but Batman Beyond wouldn’t mess that up as much as you’d think. If anything, it’d give them an excuse to reboot and rebuild.
Having the Justice League set in the future – to fit in with the timeline – would allow them to bring in new characters, or at least to change out actors as needed. It would give them a chance to redo anything they wanted to change. Plus Terry was given the opportunity to join the Justice League. Granted, Terry opted not to join, but that’s hardly the point.
Return of Old Favorites
Just because the series is set in the future doesn’t mean we won’t see any of our favorite supporting characters from Bruce’s time. For example, Barbara Gordon is still around – and she’s still protecting the city.
Granted, she’s gone down a very different path from the one we last saw her on. Now she’s Commissioner Gordon, and doing her best to keep the city together. Other characters also have appearances or a presence in the city.
Supporting Characters
Terry McGinnis brings with him a litany of supporting characters. Everything from the sort of girlfriend (it’s complicated), the brother, a genius best friend who’s too smart for her own good, and even his own villain-turned-love interest. We’ve seen so many renditions of Bruce’s side characters, wouldn’t it be fun to see something a bit different?
Terry’s friends and family are very different from those we’re used to seeing with Bruce. And yes, Terry does, on the whole, follow the sage advice of keeping his secret. But he doesn’t do so with the same solid determination that Bruce did. He’s constantly tortured by his decisions. Worst yet, being a teenager he’s struggling to hide his night activities while also doing the things that all teenagers are expected to do.
A Chance to Revisit and Revision Villains
Terry doesn’t exclusively fight old Batman villains, of course. Many of them would have passed away or retired by this point in the timeline. But he does see a surprising number of them, all things considered.
A jump forward in time would give the directors a chance to play with old fan favorites. They could pull out bits and pieces of villains plots and characteristics, making something new. Or they could pull the antagonist right into the future. That exact thing actually happened in one of the most recent plots in the comics.
Fresh Faces
The antagonists in Batman Beyond are what really make the series. That makes sense, considering the same can also be said of most Batman series. While there are some reappearances of old Bruce villains, there are plenty of new ones to explore.
Some of the antagonists fit thematically with things we’re used to. For example, the Jokerz. They’re basically a gang formed from the memory of the terror that Joker wrought on Gotham. Can you imagine how interesting that would be to see on the big screen? With a big screen budget to do it justice?
The Duo
Think about it. If Pattinson was to portray Terry, that means there would still be room to cast Bruce. Can you imagine seeing a live-action interpretation of Bruce past his prime? And then to see him interacting with a younger counterpart that has taken his place?
It sounds like pure drama and tension. And it would be absolutely brilliant to watch. We’ve seen stubborn and sullen Bruce Wayne before. But what about a man who’s trying to pass on his legacy – all while sitting on the sidelines? This Bruce Wayne has gone through half a dozen Robins and still doesn’t have a true successor until Terry showed up.
