Warning: Potential SPOILERS for DC's Batman
The Batman comic series will be getting a new creative team in 2020, but rumors suggest DC is also planning a larger change--ing the mantle of Batman from Bruce Wayne to Luke Fox, the current Batwing.
For those unfamiliar with Fox, his role within the Batman Family received a boost with James Tynion IV's incarnation of once Tynion takes over the Batman series next year.
The reports were first offered by an unknown African American superhero. And while options like Black Lightning and Duke Thomas both make sense, it was Lucius "Luke" Fox a.k.a. the modern Batwing (replacing David Zavimbe) singled out as the prime candidate. A curious choice for several reasons, but still just a rumor... making Tynion's first official comments on his coming Batman tenure a LOT more interesting.
Tynion's appointment was delivered as part of the Batman Day festivities held at Barnes & Noble Union Square September 21st, with DC Publisher Dan DiDio hosting a featuring Tynion, Batman: Last Knight on Earth writer Scott Snyder, and current Detective team Peter J. Tomasi and Brad Walker. With the rumors of both Tynion's hiring and Luke Fox's promotion proven half right, Tynion actually suggested the opposite, emphasizing that his first issue, Batman #86, would be putting Bruce front and center. So it fell to DiDio himself to press Tynion about other familiar characters set to appear. Take a look at how that request played out:
In the past it's always been Jim Gordon on the roof of the GD, or Alfred in the Batcave. There have been bigger things in the pages of both Batman and the Batman Who Laughs miniseries that throw a big wrench into that. The two constants that connect [Bruce] to Gotham are off the table, or changed in some way. People will be stepping into those roles. One of them is Wayne Enterprises and Lucius Fox, who is a character I obviously love. He's a character who will definitely be showing up... Dan, this is a hard question without spoiling things! [To the audience] He's my boss, he's the one I'll get in trouble with!
Even if this is the plan for DC--with BC adding that Bruce Wayne will be presumed dead as Luke fills the role--they're unlikely to confirm or comment. After all, with the Lex Luthor/Batman Who Laughs showdown a complete mystery... the less spoiled the better. But Tynion taking the conversation directly to Lucius Fox as a figure stepping into a larger role in Batman's world, before showing concern about spoiling may be more smoke pointing to Batwing's fire. Only time will tell.
Source: Bleeding Cool
