Writer Alan Burnett is viewed by many as one of the godfathers of the DC Animated Universe, the corner of DC canon that began in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series, and continued to evolve with shows like Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, and Justice League. Burnett's professional involvement with DC's heroes goes all the way back to the early 1980s, with the Super Friends revamp known as The Legendary Super Powers Team.
In fact, one of Burnett's episodes of Super Powers foreshadows the more serious tone fans will later expect from the DCAU. 1985's "The Fear" was the first onscreen adaptation of Batman's origin, featuring a more serious take on Batman than television audiences were accustomed to, and an opportunity for Adam West to voice a Batman totally divorced from camp. In the episode, Batman must overcome his fear of Crime Alley, the site of his parents' death, after the Scarecrow discerns its significance and uses it against Batman. There are rumors Burnett was hoping the more somber take on Batman would inspire a new series, closer to the spirit of the comics.
This didn't come to pass immediately, but 1989 did see Tim Burton's Batman come to the big screen. And the success of the film gave Warner Bros. the confidence to commission Batman: The Animated Series as a weekday series with a higher-than-average budget for television animation. The project saw a lengthy development process, with young animators Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski experimenting with techniques never used on television, such as airbrushing the backgrounds on black paper (making the look so dark, the network questioned if they were in compliance with Federal Communications Commission guidelines). And not only would Batman feature music inspired by Danny Elfman's gothic film scores, but original music, performed by a full orchestra, was commissioned for each episode.
The show struggled during its lengthy development with the stories, however, with Bruce Timm often butting heads with Sean Catherine Derek, an established animation writer who was more concerned with educating kids on social causes than adapting the tortured hero of the comics. If you want to know why Batman is often lecturing kids about playing near trains or guns or is forced to face the plight of the poor, in those early episodes, thank Derek.
When looking for a new writer to spearhead the show's direction, Alan Burnett's name was suggested by executive Jean MacCurdy, based on his script for "The Fear" back in 1985 and his love for Batman. Familiar with his work, DC Publisher Paul Levitz also voiced support for hiring Burnett, who was under contract with Disney at the time.
Burnett brought a sophistication to the project that suited Timm's vision for the show. It was Burnett, new to the assignment, who read Paul Dini's script for the Mr. Freeze revamp episode "Heart of Ice" and understood immediately this is the kind of story Batman should be telling. Burnett's often cited as one of the strongest writers in the world of animation and has writing credits on such episodes as "Two-Face" and "Riddler's Reform," and the classic film Mask of the Phantasm.
While Burnett would also go on to produce shows like Superman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, Burnett did not work on the final ongoing series in the DCAU canon, Justice League Unlimited. And perhaps the most significant episode of Unlimited is the one written as a potential series finale, 2005's "Epilogue." The story, set in the future world of Batman Beyond, features the shocking revelation that Bruce Wayne is, in fact, the biological father of future Batman, Terry McGinnis.
The episode, written by Bruce Timm & Dwayne McDuffie, has its origins from the days of Batman Beyond's production. Timm has stated, following the first season of the series, that he noticed neither of Terry's parents had dark hair...unlike Terry and his younger brother. But who does have a fine mane of jet-black hair? Bruce Wayne.
Timm kicked the idea around for years and has even stated an earlier version of "Epilogue" could've been the second Batman Beyond movie before weak sales of Return of the Joker killed the project. At a 2019 San Diego Comic-Con panel, Timm even revealed: "Catwoman was going to be our leading villain in the second movie... She was the one who cloned Bruce Wayne to create Terry, but that was going to be our big surprise in our next movie." (Amanda Waller of Cadmus is revealed as the mastermind behind the elaborate scheme in "Epilogue," however. She arranged for the reproductive DNA of Terry's father to be overwritten by Wayne's, via nanobots.)
But, as stated earlier, Alan Burnett had no role in the official reveal of this massive retcon. As Burnett revealed recently on the Above and Batman Beyond podcast, he's not exactly crazy with this concept. Burnett tells the interviewers: "I never wanted (Terry) on Batman Beyond to have Bruce's DNA...and so I don't accept it. And Bruce (Timm) and I are friendly about this." Burnett goes on to elaborate on his belief that anyone can potentially be Batman. They don't have to be "heir to the throne, they don't have to have the same DNA. It's your own willpower that makes you the superhero."
This might be viewed as a minor bit of trivia from the production of the series...except Alan Burnett has recently come out of retirement to co-write an extension of the DCAU. As many fans know, Batman: The Animated Series has returned in comic book form, with writers Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, and artist Ty Templeton. The six-issue miniseries Batman: The Adventures Continue has debuted on digital platforms, featuring a story set nebulously in the days following Batman: The Animated Series. And Burnett also served as a co-writer on last year's animated DCAU film, the Justice League vs. the Fatal Five. So while Burnett's still active in crafting the world of these characters, it's interesting to note there's a significant continuity point that's unlikely to be acknowledged in his stories.
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