DC Comics is showing fans a first look at a new Batman project that puts a whole new spin on the iconic character, with the Caped Crusader a person of colour for the first time ever.
The new four-part series is being scripted by writer-director John Ridley, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for “12 Years a Slave”.
“In this future, Gotham City is controlled by the Magistrate,” wrote DC of the new comic series’ premise. “This villainous regime has taken control of the city, now under constant surveillance. All masked vigilantes have been outlawed and Batman has been killed. But led by an all-new Batman, a new assembly of Gotham’s guardians rise to give hope to all of those who lost it!”
Gotham's future is in his hands 🦇 Tim Fox is the Next Batman — meet him before #DCFutureState here ⏩ https://t.co/GbbqM1esgE pic.twitter.com/yXA5fFoUis
— Batman (@DCBatman) December 10, 2020
In an interview with The New York Times , Ridley revealed that his children were particularly excited about the new project
“They appreciate the things that I do. They’re happy for me. They’re great supporters. But they would much rather see Black Panther than 12 Years a Slave, let’s be honest,” he told the Times in November.
“So to be able to write the next Batman, for them to know that this next Batman is going to be Black, everybody else on the planet can hate it, have a problem with it, denigrate it, but I have my audience and they already love it,” he added.
News originally emerged back in August, at the DC FanDome event, that Ridley would be helming a new Batman series.
During a FanDome conversation, reported Polygon, Ridley wouldn’t entirely confirm that his Batman would be Black, but certainly hinted at the possibility.
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“I think it’s a pretty safe bet that if I’m writing Batman, it’s probably a little better than a 47-per-cent chance he’s going to be a person of colour,” said Ridley.
Ridley offered even more evidence by confirming the four-episode limited series would focus on the family of Lucius Fox, head of Wayne Enterprises (played by Morgan Freeman in Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy).
“But he [Fox] has a family and this is a family that has secrets, has kept secrets from one another,” Ridley explained. “It’s a little bit different dynamic than the Batman that we’ve always seen.”
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As DC Comics fans already know, the character’s son, Lucas Fox, is already a costumed vigilante known as Batwing, leading to speculation that he’ll upgrade to the full batsuit.
Ridley’s new Batman series is scheduled to debut in January 2021.
