It's been 21 years since Batman Beyond debuted on TV and turned the Dark Knight legacy on its head. While it initially drew mixed reactions from fans, it received the acclaim and praise it deserved in the years that followed. Terry McGinnis' adventures as the Batman of the Future didn't end after the show was canceled in 2001 either, and he still maintains his spot in the DC Universe in the form of an ongoing comic-book series. With such fanfare, his own video game and an animated feature titled Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, many fans wonder if Terry will ever receive the live-action treatment.

The truth is, it almost happened. In August 2000 Warner Bros. announced that a Batman Beyond live-action film was in development, with Boaz Yakin attached as director and co-writer alongside the show's creators, Alan Burnett and Paul Dini.

RELATED: Batman Beyond Is BACK - Which Leads to a VERY Big Question

Batman Batwoman Beyond

At that point in time, the studio was still dealing with the hangover of Batman & Robin's failure and seeking new ways to reinvigorate the Caped Crusader for the big screen. Yakin, Burnett and Dini proposed a grimmer Blade Runner-inspired film, with legendary actor Clint Eastwood eyed for the part of the elderly Bruce Wayne.

Speaking about his experience of working on the live-action film on Kevin Smith's podcast Fatman on Batman, Dini said, "It was set in Gotham's future, but it didn't quite have the fantastic, futuristic edge. It was sort of like an amalgam. There was a little bit of Dark Knight, there was a little bit of contemporary comics and there was Terry [McGinnis] and the suit and everything. It was old Bruce Wayne."

While the team worked on the script for the film, Dini also worked on a separate screenplay for Return of the Joker. In the end, Warner Bros. decided to go with the latter instead of the former. Reportedly, the studio execs weren't fans of the nihilistic, darker approach that Yakin had envisioned for the story, demanding something lighter and more family-friendly. Refusing to work within the parameters of PG-13, Yakin departed the project for greener pastures and effectively ended its development.

Of course, Yakin's vision was ahead of its time. As displayed by the release and success of The Dark Knight Trilogy and, most recently,  Joker, Warner Bros. is no longer afraid of tackling mature and nihilistic themes in the DC Universe. In 2000, though, the comic-book movie landscape was much different, with these films targeted at a younger audience for the sole purpose of moving toys and other merchandise.

RELATED: Batman Beyond: 8 Loose Ends Another Season Could Tie-Up

Still, there is a lingering what-if scenario here. Imagine if Warner Bros. had greenlit Yakin's vision and secured Eastwood as Bruce. Undoubtedly, the project would've brought massive attention to the genre and showcased a different way of approaching superheroes. Batman Beyond could've been the catalyst to kick-start the new boom in comic-book movies.

On the other hand, there's a strong possibility this film would've been rejected by the mainstream. In 2000 Batman Beyond was a children's animated series. While it appealed to a wider audience and had darker themes than the average cartoon, it was still aimed at younger viewers. Releasing a mature live-action film would be the equivalent of making an R-rated Ben 10 movie -- you effectively exclude the franchise's core audience.

The timing was off in the early 2000s, but there's nothing wrong with right now. Warner Bros. has shown it isn't interested in creating a connected shared universe anymore, so there's a chance to explore a Batman Beyond film without disrupting other plans. In fact, the studio should get on the phone with someone like Denis Villeneuve and discuss plans to bring Neo Gotham to life on the big screen. Now that would be schway!

KEEP READING: Teen Wolf Star Says Live-Action Batman Beyond Is His 'Passion Project'