Do all roads lead to... (The Batman, Smallville spoilers)

[Simpler Simon]

When asked about what the lost season of STAS would've been like, I believe Bruce Timm once mentioned that it would've been about Superman regaining the world's trust, ending with the formation of the Justice League (culled from all the heroes who had guested on his show).

If Batman Beyond had been picked up for a fourth season, one of the ideas was that it would've been a Justice League Beyond show, with the future JLU from "The Call" playing a larger role in the series (despite Terry turning them down).

For The Batman's upcoming 4th season, Martian Manhunter and The Flash have been confirmed to guest star. I forget if formation of the Justice League was explicitly mentioned, but it seems a possibility.

For Smallville season 6, Oliver Queen will come to Clark looking to round up people with powers to form a Justice League. Past guests like Cyborg and Flash might appear.

So is there a trend/mandate among creative talent/powers-that-be that solo superhero shows need to eventually branch out into a larger superhero team? Do you like the idea that all roads lead to a Justice League?

[Wonderwall]

The fact is the Justice League has been a staple for these heroes for either most or all of their stories. They all start solo but eventually they make a team that fights with each other on occasion. People like to see their heroes team up for some reason so this really isnt a suprise that all these shows do this. And if I recall Batman TAS never went into that JL possible future, and for the most part neither did TNBA.

[HaagenDas]

BTAS and TNBA were realistic based shows so a JL future in those series was out of the question. People flying around, alien invaders, etc is not realistic (well, not yet anyway).

I already said in the Entertainment forum how Bruce Wayne needs to visit Smallville...tweak his origin a bit and have him be a cocky young hotshot of rich parents who doesnt care much about anything but the good life....until his parents are murdered.

[Gpoliceman]

B:TAS and TNAB had guest-stars of other superheroes though, like the Creeper and Etrigan. Maybe Batman could form a mini-Justice League with Batman, Creeper, Etrigan. That would be an interesting team.

[reflection]

BTAS and TNBA were realistic based shows so a JL future in those series was out of the question. People flying around, alien invaders, etc is not realistic (well, not yet anyway).

I already said in the Entertainment forum how Bruce Wayne needs to visit Smallville...tweak his origin a bit and have him be a cocky young hotshot of rich parents who doesnt care much about anything but the good life....until his parents are murdered.

Pretty sure the origins of Smallville were in a pilot about a young Bruce Wayne. It would be tougher to have a "freak of the week" type show about Bruce Wayne. Smallville was probably just easier to conceptualize.

The move to a team makes sense. Eventually heroes need help. Makes sense.

[batmanbeyond13]

It's funny you should say that about Superman and Smallville. I'm a Smallville fan and by the way, became one fully at the begining of season 4. But enough of me, let me get to what I was going to say. STAS was going to lead to the formation of the JLA, but instead we got a different ending. So, it would be great if Smallville kind of got to that point. I would like to see Clark finally in the costume as well as a Justice League forming. In the Flash episode, we get a tease with Bart saying something about starting a little club. Then, we get Arthur in the Aquaman episode talking about a Junior League Association. Not to mention that we've seen Cyborg and we are about to meet Green Arrow, who is coming to Smallville and planning to build a team very much like the Justice League. This could happen on this show. And I bet alot of fans would be very happy. :D

[Nightwing]

I say the "Superman The Animated Series Lost Season/Episodes" is a perfect idea, and so was Bruce Timm's visions of it.

That would be the perfect opportunity for Clark's DCAU personality to embrace his Pre-Crisis Chris Reeve boyscout charm personality. It would also give us more SupermanTAS, and bridge the gap that exists between generations with the DCAU hardcore fans and Richard Donner hardcore fans.

[adoptedBatpuppy]

Maybe, it leads to the Justice League, and maybe not, but superhero team-ups are popular and common on the shows. It makes the show more interesting! :anime:

[DisneyBoy]

It's just about trying to go new and exciting places with your characters. For anniversary episodes, it's customary to get all the best characters together and have a big storyline, be it an action cartoon or live-action drama. And as shows age, the best way to keep audiences interested is to bring out the "big guns". With superhero shows, that means introducing favorite characters, who, like big name actors, will drum up interest several seasons into a series run.

As for the fabled "final season of S:TAS", I actually think it's something that works better in theory than in execution. There's no way Timm and team would have been able to resist the urge to try and do another big impactful storyline, even if they said the last season would have been something of a denoument. I mean really...action stories that tug at your heart are their speciality. Keeping a whole season low-key and building on the romance and redeption themes just wouldn't have cut it, for them or for us.

[Batlaw]

Maybe, it leads to the Justice League, and maybe not, but superhero team-ups are popular and common on the shows. It makes the show more interesting! :anime:
Exactly. In this medium it's also a rather natural progression. Not Absolute but customary.;)

[Toddman]

Then, we get Arthur in the Aquaman episode talking about a Junior League Association. :D

Well, it was actually the Junior Lifeguard Association. In which case, I don't think a guy with a bow and arrow would be much help.:D


Toddman

[batmanbeyond13]

Toddman, glad to hear that I'm not the only Smallville fan here. I'm sure there are others. And how about that no tights and no flight rule? Let's drop that and hope we do see the tights soon. We did get one flight. So, rules are meant to be broken. It would be great if it lead to a Superman show or even a..... Justice League show.:)

[90'sCartoonMan]

Ya know SS, I never really thought about it before, but it makes perfect sense. Superman had many team-ups in his last season (Green Lantern, Aquaman), and there are the other shows you mentioned.

Really, it's all about expanding the universe because you have to start out small. You need your core characters to see if your idea works. Batman The Animated Series, Smallville, they were all sort of experimental.

Then once you have the groundwork, you can acknowledge the larger universe. The Batman eventually brought in Gordon, Batgirl, and now Robin. Smallville took a few seasons until it brought in Lois Lane and then Jimmy Olsen. Teen Titans did something similar by introducing the Doom Patrol and other teen heroes. They wouldn't have mentioned Beast Boy being on the Doom Patrol in early episodes because they needed to establish the Titans on their own.

The Justice League is pretty much the ultimate in showing how big and powerful the DC Universe is, hence why it can be saved for last. Each series shows what one particular hero does and their purpose in the world, and once the viewers see that, they can see the larger world.