Batman is clearly one of the most iconic and influential superheroes of all time. Despite having no superpowers, the Dark Knight has managed to become one of the faces of DC Comics and has defeated all manner of supervillains, malevolent monsters, and evil gods. With such an iconic figure, it’s no wonder that Batman’s legacy carries well into the future. DC Comics has presented numerous possible futures for its universe, and almost all of them include some version of Batman. Whether it’s an older Bruce Wayne or someone else being inspired to take up the mantle, there will always be a Batman to protect the future.
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Batman is no stranger to inspiring the next generation of heroes, as evidenced by his extensive Bat-Family. And decades and even centuries into the future, criminals everywhere will still fear the Dark Knight.
5) Future State Batman
In 2021, DC Comics launched the Future State event that presents the next generation of DC’s heroes and villains. In this future, Gotham City has become a police state under the private security force known as the Magistrate. This arm of the evil state was formed with the purpose to kill any vigilante it captures. After Bruce Wayne’s apparent death, a new Batman emerges. This is Jace Fox who is the former estranged son of Lucius Fox. He decides to don the cowl to fight against Magistrate’s authoritarian regime and its army of corrupt super-soldiers. In addition to battling Magistrate, Jace Fox fights supervillains like Warmonger and the Next Joker, who seek to take over Gotham City. Jace also becomes a member of the Future State’s Justice League and helps fight the White Martians. As the new Batman, Jace Fox is more than just another crimefighter; he is a symbol of revolution and that true heroism has returned to Gotham.
4) Damian Wayne Batman
Batman has had plenty of Robins over the years, but the one who wanted the most to inherit the Caped Crusader’s mantle is his own son, Damian Wayne. In the dark future of Batman #666, Damian gets his wish but at an enormous cost. After the Joker killed the second Batman, Dick Grayson, Damian abandoned his no-kill rule and began slaughtering criminals. When an elderly Bruce Wayne confronts his son, Damian almost kills him as well. After the Bat-Family denounces him, Damian is inspired to make his own Batsuit and become the new Batman. Damian’s desperation to live up to his father’s legacy leads him to make a literal deal with the Devil to ensure Gotham’s survival. Unfortunately, despite Damian’s best efforts, Gotham becomes a hellscape, with its citizens infected with Joker Venom. However, even after the US Government nuked Gotham to contain the virus, Damian’s deal with the Devil ensures that he and Gotham will persevere, even if the city’s a Hell on Earth.
3) Batman One Million
Even one million months after the modern day, Batman is still a force to be reckoned with. In the 853rd century, humanity has spread across the stars, and their premier protectors are Justice Legion Alpha, inspired by the original Justice League. Naturally, this version of the Justice League has its own Batman. In this future, Pluto had been turned into a giant asylum. Batman One Million’s parents were prison guards who were butchered by the inmates. Like the Dark Knight of the modern day, the deaths of Batman One Million’s parents motivated him to become a force for justice. Acting as Pluto’s only superhero, Batman One Million has mastered telepathic martial arts and wields a high-tech suit that can take on different forms. Batman One Million’s partner in crimefighting is the small robot Robin the Toy Wonder. Together, this futuristic dynamic duo battle villains like the Laughter, Dice God, Riddle City, and Meta-Clay.
2) Dark Knight Returns Batman
If there’s one thing you can say about Batman, it’s that he’s stubborn. In the critically acclaimed Dark Knight Returns series, 55-year-old Bruce Wayne decides to step out of retirement when he sees that Gotham City is on the brink of total collapse. Despite his age, Batman quickly proves he hasn’t lost any of his skill or tenacity by taking out some of Gotham’s most vicious criminals, like the Mutant Leader. His return also inspired a young girl named Carrie Kelley to become his new Robin. Batman’s challenges only grow greater over time as he has his final battle against the Joker, fights a corrupted Dick Grayson, and even helps to fend off a full-scale Kryptonian invasion. Of course, this Batman’s most iconic feat was defeating Superman, who was tasked by the President with arresting the Caped Crusader for his vigilante activities. Dark Knight Returns showed that Batman’s greatest strength is his unstoppable willpower.
1) Batman Beyond
Few heroes have proven their worthiness as Batman’s successor more than Terry McGinnis. A punk teen living in Neo-Gotham, Terry eventually stumbles upon the Batcave and discovers that the elderly billionaire Bruce Wayne was the original Batman. When Terry’s father is murdered, he seeks justice by stealing one of Bruce’s Batsuits and tracking down his father’s killers. Afterward, Bruce agrees to train Terry to become the new Batman of Neo-Gotham. Instead of the classic Batsuit, Terry wears a high-tech suit that gives the user super-strength, invisibility, flight, and batarang launchers. Terry has fought both all-new villains like Blight, Inque, Spellbinder, and Shriek, while also taking down members of Batman’s original rogues gallery like the Joker, Mr. Freeze, and Man-Bat. And when he’s not taking down villains, Terry’s trying to be a normal high schooler, which separates him from the rest of the Bat-Family. Now, Terry McGinnis is among the most iconic and heroic versions of Batman DC Comics has ever created.
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