What's Next For Batman?

Gamers have known for a while that Arkham Knight was set to be the final Batman game developed by Rocksteady. They made it known that they only wanted to do a trilogy (obviously not counting Origins as that was made by WB Montreal), and with that, many have wondered what’s next for the Arkham series?

This article does contain SPOILERS regarding Arkham Knight’s ending, so do not read on if you've yet to finish the game.

It’s easy to assume that the ‘death’ of Bruce Wayne at the end of Arkham Knight signalled the end of the Arkham games, I mean, no Bruce Wayne = no Batman right? It would be quite odd to see Batman’s story continue being told within the Arkham timeline without Wayne present. At the same time, considering how adored the Arkham games have become, it’s hard to imagine not seeing another game developed, especially in this day and age when there is always money to be made.

With Rocksteady backing away from the Batman universe, it’s possible that WB Montreal will continue on with the franchise and there are a lot of paths they could take.

Batman Beyond
So right off the bat (no pun intended), Batman Beyond (or a similar take on it) makes sense if the cape and cowl were to be donned by someone other than Bruce Wayne (which would certainly work following the ending of Arkham Knight). Controlling Terry McGinnis in Neo-Gotham, (while Bruce Wayne assists from behind the curtain) could be the most natural next step for the franchise, both in terms of design and gameplay. It’d also allow the reintroduction of some of the newer villains that were featured in the Batman Beyond show, such as Inque, Mad Stan and Blight along with older versions of the villains we are familiar with.

Suicide Squad
If WB Montreal does make another game in the Batman universe, it wouldn’t be too shocking to see it be centred on the Suicide Squad. Many have wondered if there was going to be more to the post-credits scene in Arkham: Origins, where Amanda Waller asked Deathstroke to join her Suicide Squad. So with WB Montreal having developed Origins, this could be exactly what they’ve had planned for when Rocksteady finished up with the series. However if this did happen, we’d likely see a massive change to the design of the games world, as it’s hard to imagine travelling around an open world as a villain (at least in a somewhat realistic manner).

Will we be given the opportunity to sign up for the squad?

Justice League
The most unlikely of the three ideas and yet it’s perhaps the one that many are continually hoping for. While I’m sure being able to use the Justice League would result in a change in the design of the game’s world (in the same way it would with Suicide Squad), the prospect of controlling Superman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, The Flash or Wonder Woman in an open world is ridiculously exciting. Hell if designing a game with multiple playable characters in an open world is too complex (or just plain wouldn’t work), then why not give us a solo game based on one of the heroes. Superman is seriously due a good game, while Green Arrow and Flash have grown in popularity thanks to the CW shows. So if we were to see the Arkham series evolve into more of a DC centric series, those three would likely be the prime candidates for their own solo game.

Remember how much we wanted a good Batman game?...Think this guy needs one just as much now

Let’s face it…the Arkham series is too beloved to be done. While the story of Bruce Wayne is likely finished, there is still a lot that can be done with the series and I’m sure everyone has their own theory on where it will be taken next.

What do you think is next for the Batman Arkham series? Do you think it should evolve into something involving other heroes? Let us know in the comments or hit me up on twitter - @KingKicks

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