1992’s Batman: The Animated Series is considered one of the best adaptations of the character to date, combining beautiful animation, iconic voice work and some awesome stories. Its popularity sparked off the DCAU, eventually encompassing Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. Fans of those shows now have a new reason to get excited, as Warner Bros. has just unveiled Batman: Caped Crusader, which will be produced by Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, and Matt Reeves.
The series was announced during WarnerMedia’s Upfronts presentation, during which they confirmed that it’ll be available on HBO Max and Cartoon Network and will be a reinvention of the hero in its own universe. Caped Crusader is billed as having sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters and intense action, all told using state-of-the-art animation techniques. We also got a stunning poster teasing the visuals, which you can see below.
The aesthetic is appropriately dark and ominous and also very recognizably Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series style. The Batsuit design is reminiscent of the Caped Crusader’s earliest adventures in the late 1930s and early 1940s. That, and the classical art deco Gotham below (and the logo) may even hint that the show is set in a version of the 1930s.
Further clues came in a quick statement from Timm, Abrams and Reeves, who underlined the psychological focus they’re aiming for, saying:
“We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City. The series will be thrilling, cinematic, and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world.”
WarnerMedia executives Tom Ascheim and Sam Register also hyped it up, with the former stating:
“It is always fun to feed the insatiable appetite fans have for all things Batman. Batman: Caped Crusader will entertain first-time and die-hard fans alike and, with such an impressive creative team in place, we know we have another future Batman classic in the making.”
Register added:
“Batman: The Animated Series was a masterpiece that shaped the perception of the character for an entire generation of fans. It is in that spirit that we are bringing together three master storytellers in J.J., Matt, and Bruce – each with their own intuitive understanding and affection for the character – to create a new series that will continue in the same groundbreaking legacy.”
There’s no word yet on when this’ll air, but I’m hopeful it’ll land sometime around the release of The Batman in March 2022. We should hear some news about the voice cast soon as well. Could it be too much to hope that Batman: The Animated Series‘ Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill can be convinced to return one more time?
Published: May 19, 2021 09:21 am