Future eps and alternate timeline episodes: why are they always good in animation?

[November Rain]

I was thinking about this the other day when i was looking forward to watching the future ep in THE BATMAN that is coming up later this season.

alot of my favourite episodes in animation and especially in animation concerning superheroes is that alternate/future ep which alot of the longer lasting ones manage to try and get in.

In spidey 90s, there was an alternate timeline ep that was the saga that finished off the series
In the DCAU, there was a whole 3 series and animated movie dedicated to batman beyond.
Also Batman beyond was featured as future episodes of justice league unlimited and also static shock.
in justice league, there was two alternate universes visited, one with the justice guild and another one with the justice lords. crap, i forgot about savage time, although mostly that was a alternat past (but there were glimpses of the future in it).
in justice league unlimited supergirl ends up staying in the future in another future episode
In X-men, bishop and cable show their alternate futures in numerous episodes (a few of them are actually together), while there is also an alternate present shown in that AoA type-esque ep where xavier is killed
superman tas has shown clark being visited by the legion of superheroes
in teen titans, there is a future episode, How long is forever where nightwing is shown.
in the original batman tas, perchance to dream showed batman stuck in an alternate present dreamworld.
Dragonball Z also showcases a future based character trunks who has time travelled.
X-men evolution also showed a future flash right at its ending

so we have batman, superman, batman beyond, teen titans, legion of superheroes (based in the future), x-men, x-men evolution, spider-man,static shock, justice league, justice league unlimited and also dragonball z ALL showcasing at least a future based episode or a complete future theme. and THE BATMAN is soon to also follow.

if i have missed any, please inform

Why do these stories always seem to get good responses from me, am i the only one like this, I also wonder what the appeal of all these shows all having the same premise for an ep is?

if you have any thoughts please post them, thanks

 

[Pink Ranger]

I guess because of the limitless boundaries of animation, you can actually reconfigure and redesign characters better than you can with a live action show (witness Spock's beard), and it's much easier to have multiple copies of the same person in one frame with animation.

It's particularly good for animation shows, because A) More action figures, B) You "introduce new antagonists" while using the same voice actors and C) You get to play around with the whole Elseworlds concept, which has been done to the point of farce in comics but seems to work well for many animated shows (because you have a single team of writers on a project rather than every two-bit talentless wannabe comic "auteur" wanting to "re-invent" a character).