DC Studios isn't only looking to Marvel Studios for inspiration as it builds its franchise, borrowing a move for its first Batman spin-off film that helped Sony's Spider-Verse take off. The live-action DCU is firing on all cylinders right now thanks to the release of Lanterns, the HBO series from the minds of Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. There's so much buzz around it that it's easy to forget that James Gunn and Co. have their hands in their fair share of animated cookie jars.
On the TV side of things, Creature Commandos is getting a second season in the near future. A Mister Miracle show that will introduce DC Studios' version of Darkseid is also in the pipeline. Both of those shows are canon to the DCU, though, which may hamper their ability to go all out. Dynamic Duo, an animated Batman spin-off, won't be fighting with one arm behind its back.
Animation studio Swaybox is working on a film that will roll out the red carpet for two Robins, Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, and tell their story using what it calls "Momo animation," a blend of CGI animation, stop-motion, and live-action performance. That may sound like an expensive endeavor. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, DC Studios has provided Dynamic Duo with a $90 million budget.
In an age where superhero movie budgets often balloon to $200 million or more, it's smart business to hand out modest budgets and hope for the best. Sony Pictures took that approach with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which also had a $90 million budget. Phil Lord and his collaborators worked with what they had and delivered a massive hit that grossed $395 million worldwide.
Sony got bang for its buck, giving the powers that be the confidence they needed to greenlight a sequel. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hit theaters a few years after its predecessor and grossed $690 million on a $125 million budget. Studios can usually only dream of wins that big.
Now, it's DC Studios' turn to try the historically successful formula. And it has a lot more than the right financial attitude in its favor. Dynamic Duo has all the makings of a superhero classic, one that can be DC's answer to Spider-Verse in more ways than one.
Dynamic Duo Can Be the Start of a Massive DC Studios Franchise
Into the Spider-Verse worked so well because it was something new. Sony had produced six live-action Spider-Man movies prior to its release, and they all covered familiar ground, putting a young Peter Parker in a tough spot and forcing him to work his way out of it. Miles Morales lived in a world that already had a Wall-Crawler, then lost him out of the blue, forcing him to step up while navigating life as a teenager.
Miles' origin story felt like a breath of fresh air. And then Across the Spider-Verse kicked things up a notch by introducing all kinds of new Spider-People. DC Studios would be wise to create a similar blueprint for Dynamic Duo, as it would all but guarantee that audiences become invested in Elseworlds projects.
It's no secret that fans are tired of seeing Batman's origin play out on screen. Just like with Spider-Man, there isn't anything left to say about how Bruce Wayne goes from a terrified child to Gotham City's greatest hero. The Dark Knight's proteges aren't in the same boat. Robin has only made a handful of big-screen appearances, and most of them are worth forgetting about.
What Dynamic Duo can take advantage of are the stark differences between Dick and Jason. Of course, Dick is a straight arrow, embodying all the good parts of Batman and none of the bad. Jason, on the other hand, is a loose cannon who struggles to follow directions.
Teaming those two up sets the stage for plenty of conflict, on and off the battlefield. There will also be room to explore how the heroes approach fighting differently, much like how the Spider-Verse movies have given their characters unique combat styles that utilize mesmerizing animation tricks.
And as soon as DC Studios feels like it has a winner on its hands with Dynamic Duo, the floodgates can open. Batman has arguably the most iconic supporting cast in all of comics, one that even edges out Spider-Man and his amazing friends. There's no reason why DC Studios has to stop at just two Robins when it can bring three or four more into the fold and introduce other heroes, such as Batgirl, Batwoman, and Azrael.
The sky is the limit for an animated Batman cinematic franchise. All DC Studios has to do is take the same leap of faith that Sony did all those years ago.
