I recently bought a Batman Beyond graphic novel and remembered how much I enjoyed watching Batman of the Future as it was called here in Europe. So that left me wondering who would play these characters if a big screen adaptation were ever to get the green light. Here are 6 of the big characters and who I think should play them.
Terry McGinnis
Terry McGinnis is the star of Batman Beyond. The new Batman was handed the mantle of the Bat after Bruce Wayne found him fighting off several members of the gang The Jokerz outside Wayne Manor. Bruce comes to see himself in the young McGinnis after finding out that he lost his father at a young age. My pick for Terry McGinnis is Logan Lerman. If you read my previous article of potential Hal Jordans you would be forgiven for thinking I’m a big fan of Lerman. And as I said in that article Lerman is brilliant in Fury but he is much more Terry than Hal.
Bruce Wayne
The one you really wanted to see. Bruce Wayne is the original Batman. Gotham’s Dark Knight for many years, but now he is an older, broken man, he can’t protect Gotham any longer from the new threats that the new age have brought along. Bruce Wayne was probably the hardest to decide on and maybe I’m sentimental or maybe memes hold an odd power over me but I like the idea of Michael Keaton playing Bruce again. It makes sense for a Bruce Wayne 30 odd years after giving up the suit to played by a man who did just that.
Commissioner Gordon
Commissioner Gordon is dead. Long live Commissioner Gordon. Jim Gordon died in the years between Bruce Wayne hanging up his cape and Terry McGinnis dusting it off. His daughter Barbara Gordon has become Commissioner, she is the perfect fit for the job having prowled the night with Batman and Robin for years herself as Batgirl she knows just to keep the streets of Gotham clean enough for the Batman to not be needed anymore. In spite of knowing what it takes to go out every night and stand up to crime, Barbara doesn’t like Terry stepping out into the night. My choice is Julianne Moore. She is a bit younger than the character was in the cartoon but with Keaton being younger she needs to be that much younger too.
Derek Powers
Derek Powers is the CEO of Powers Technology who had merged with Wayne Enterprises. He is accidentally exposed to a chemical weapon which made him into the supervillain Blight. My choice for Powers is Christopher Walken. In Batman Returns he played Max Schrek, but the character wasn’t nearly villainous enough for Walken. Derek Powers is a great forgotten villain that he could bring life to.
Mad Stan
Mad Stan is an anti government activist who’s answer to everything that riles him up is to simply ‘BLOW IT UP”. He was based physically on punk singer and man mountain Henry Rollins who also voiced him. With that size in mind I pick Jensen Ackles. For years people have thrown Jensen’s name into comic move fancasts but this is a character that he could really play. Having played a demonic Dean Winchester many times in Supernatural he is at least a little used to playing a villain even if Mad Stan would just be most likely a secondary villain.
Maxine Gibson
Max was Terry’s best friend. At first she had thought that Terry was a member of the Jokerz street gang only to find out he was in fact the newly returned Batman by using a computer program. Outside of Bruce she was Terry’s only true confidante and his moral compass much like Alfred was to Bruce. Bruce himself wasn’t keen on having Max around although even he eventually became glad to have her help. I’d like to pick Zoe Kravitz for the role, after playing Angel Salvadore in X-Men: First Class and Toast in Mad Max: Fury Road she is fast amassing some serious geek points. Not to mention her role in the Divergent franchise. A little hair cut and some pink dye is it would take to turn her into the computer hacking Alfred to Terry’s Bruce.
What do you think of these choices? Got some better ones in mind? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!