No superhero is relegated to one single iteration. Comic books have no shortage of multiverses and parallel time lines populated with different versions of well-known heroes and villains, and years of movies, TV shows and video games have only added more versions of these beloved characters. At this point, a version of Wolverine from a far-flung future can randomly join the present-day X-Men roster and comic readers won’t bat an eye. Ultimately, all of these varied incarnations are under one roof.
The perfect representation of this on the big screen has been the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which saw various alternate reality versions of Spider-Man and his counterparts team up. A character like Spider-Man lends himself well to the hyper-kinetic animation and subversive humor of the film, but the same treatment could be applied to a more dour hero, Batman, were it could even produce better results.
The idea of an animated Spider-Verse-esque film featuring Batman and the various versions of the character from comics and film might seem a bit counter intuitive. Sony’s Academy Award-Winning film was so well received by fans and critics because it effortlessly blended the heart, humor, and frantic comic book-style leaps in logic into a cohesive narrative that anyone could enjoy and understand. There is an intrinsically light and breezy vibe to Peter Parker and Miles Morales, despite the tragic events that helped shape them into the heroes they would eventually become.
In sharp contrast, Batman usually doesn’t have the same freewheeling spirit, but that's where things could become quite a bit of fun. The varied iterations of the Dark Knight have been so disparate over the last 80 years that a massive multi-media inspired crossover narrative could please crowds by bringing all of the divergent Dark Knights together.
The LEGO Batman Movie touched on this notion by giving viewers one single Batman who had lived the various lives portrayed on screen all the way back to the age of black and white serials. Everything that had ever happened to any Batman seemed to be cannon.
However, a "Bat-Verse" style film could thrive be throwing that idea on its head. Instead of having all these past variations of the character be part of his history, they could be their own characters and including versions of Batman from the comics would only broaden the possibility for conflict and comedy. After all, just how would an Adam West Batman deal with Frank Miller's Dark Knight? Would the black-and-white 1940s serial Batman understand a single word uttered by the more tech-savvy versions of the character? Even if the Batmen in this hypothetical film were sourced solely from comic books, there would still be plenty of room for exploration. The Elseworlds titles alone could provide enough material to fill a trilogy of films. Who wouldn't want to see vampire Batman from Batman: Red Rain and Gotham by Gaslight's Batman have to work together?
For the moment, this is all wishful thinking, especially given the relative uncertain surrounding the future of Batman in the DC Extended Universe. However, taking big chances and producing films that operate outside of the confines of a cinematic universe structure could be reinvigorating for Batman on the big screen.
Batman is so culturally ubiquitous that everyone has a point of reference for him. The grim, snarling Batman from The Dark Knight Strikes Back and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is THE Batman to some fans. The same can be said for the campy Adam West version or the pulpy crime-solver from the comics published in the '70s or even the futuristic heir to the cape and cowl, Terry McGinnis from Batman Beyond. Everyone who gravitated toward the character in their formative (or adult) years holds their version of Batman dear to their heart.
Incorporating all of these Batmen into a single story would be a surefire crowd-pleaser that would likely fare extremely well at the box office.
The biggest hurdle to all of this would be crafting a narrative around one centralized Batman who the audience cares about and bringing in all these iterations of the the character without making it feel too cluttered or silly. After all, Batman is far more straight-faced and grounded than Spider-Man, so a McGuffin like "the Goober" may not be the way to go.
At any rate, building an army of Batmen from across pop culture and having them work together (or against each other) in a big budget animated film could actually broaden movie-goers' horizons. Much in the way Spider-Verse introduced a younger audiences to Spider-Gwen and Peter Porker, perhaps this "Batverse" film could introduce a Batman some viewers never knew they needed in their life. While it would be wise to shy away from true outliers like Andy Warhol's Batman Dracula, a Bat-Verse movie could be a way to see a familiar hero in a very new light.