DC's This could end up being Luke Fox, who has long been rumored to take over the role of Batman from Bruce Wayne, becoming an all new Dark Knight and the first Batman who would be a person of color.
Luke Fox is the son of Lucius Fox, who has helped Bruce Wayne run his company for years, while also providing him with all kinds of new tech for his crusade as Batman. Luke was introduced to the Batman mythos in 2013, becoming the second Batwing after David Zavimbe abandoned the high tech armor and role in Bruce's Bat Family. In 2016, Luke became an instrumental member of the Bat Family after the apparent "death" of Robin Tim Drake, becoming Batman's new tech specialist.
With the announcement of Future State, it has been heavily rumored by fans and creatives alike that Luke Fox will become the next Batman. Apparently, a big element of Future State will be the supposed "death" of Batman and Bruce Wayne (though previews show that Bruce will live on and become the Ridley himself has said that the odds are good that with him writing, the next Batman will be a person of color, so who better than Luke Fox? Fans can judge for themselves by checking out the synopsis and cover art in the solicitation from DC Comics, as reported by Comic Book Resources:
FUTURE STATE: THE NEXT BATMAN #1
"The Next Batman" written by JOHN RIDLEY with art by NICK DERINGTON. Cover by LADRÖNN, card stock variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS, card stock blank variant cover. ON SALE 1/5/21
$7.99 US | 64 PAGES | 1 OF 4 | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVERS $8.99 US
Gotham City has always been dangerous—but now, it’s downright deadly! Following the tragedy of "A-Day," the mayor allowed the private law enforcement group known as the Magistrate to take over policing so-called mask crime—and that has given rise to a new Dark Knight! What is this mysterious crime fighter’s connection to former Batman weaponeer Lucius Fox? The fight for justice has never been this dangerous!
The synopsis for this first issue from John Ridley all but confirms that Luke will be the next Dark Knight, especially with that line about having a connection to Lucius Fox (Luke's father), which is incredibly cool. Even if it's only for a couple of issues in 2021 before DC will head back to the present, seeing a person of color take on the Batman role is no doubt going to be spectacular, giving fans an incredibly unique opportunity to see representation in such an iconic character of pop culture. While fans will have to wait until January for complete confirmation that Luke Fox will be The Next Batman, it seems very likely that this will be the case in DC's Future State.
Source: Comic Book Resources
