Summary
Even before being released,Batman: Caped Crusaderis making waves for what promises to be a mature take on theDCicon, and it has already broken five rules that the best Batman show to date had to adhere to.Batman: Caped Crusaderis the latestanimated Batman show, set to premiere August 1 on Prime Video. Executive producers for the show include Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, andThe Batmandirector, Matt Reeves. Despite not yet being released,Batman: Caped Crusaderhas already been renewedfor a second season, which is likely to premiere in 2025.
Anticipation for the show that built up after five years of development hell is now at a fever pitch asAbrams' first DC offeringrounds the corner.Batman: Caped Crusaderdepicts Batman in his earliest days embracing vigilante justice in the 1940s. As such, the story is a slightly darker and more complex rendition of the Caped Crusader than other animated DC shows, which is in keeping with Reeves' live-action version.Batman: Caped Crusaderis, however, still kid-friendly - though perhaps not as much as its iconic predecessor.
Every Upcoming Movie & TV Show Confirmed For The DC Universe
A roster of ten upcoming shows and movies will establish the new DC Universe being designed by DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Batman: The Animated Seriesis perhaps the paradigmatic depiction of Batman in animation, with characters from this show starring in theshared DC Animated Universefor which Bruce Timm was also a showrunner. Mark Hamill starred as the iconic Joker, and back in 2018, divulged all nine of the “Censor’s [Batman] no-no’s” onTwitter/X.
The nine things Hamill revealed could never be depicted inBatman: The Animated Seriesincluded:
Hamill shared this witha picture, drawn by Timm himself, that shows Batman, Joker, and an imperiled child breaking every one of these rulesat once. Obviously, throughout its three-year run from 1992 to 1995 (and the 11 years that followed for the DC Animated Universe as a whole), these rules were adhered to byBatman: The Animated Series. The same, however, cannot be said for its thematically more mature spiritual successor, which has wasted no time in capitalizing on the fact that these rules no longer apply.
2024 Is Making Batman Toxic, And I’m Completely Here For It
The build-up to the newest Batman has set the stage for a truly flawed version of the DC hero, who holds some seriously promising potential.
Batman: Caped Crusader Has Already Broken 5 BTAS Rules
Of the nine rules laid out by Hamill in his post,Batman: Caped Crusaderhas broken five in its trailer alone. These include:
For the most part, these are broken inBatman’s myriad no-holds-barred altercationswith Gotham’s criminals, as he, like his live-action counterparts, doesn’t shy away from aiming his punches at their faces. Handguns are also seen being wielded by Two-Face, other criminals, and Barbara Gordon, and Batman can be seen crashing through a plate-glass window at least twice. There is also a line in the trailer that references “dope-pushers,” thereby drawing a line beneath the no-drugs rule.
Batman: Caped Crusader has laid out its stall as a far more mature counterpart to Timm’s legacy.
As it stands,Batman: Caped Crusaderhas laid out its stall as a far more mature addition to Timm’s legacy. Fans are already excited to see fresh takes on myriad Batman villains, many of which make appearances throughout the trailer with decidedly terrifying visages. WhetherBatman: Caped Crusaderwill break the remaining rules remains to be seen, but all should be revealed when the first episodes drop this August.
Batman: Caped Crusader
Cast
Wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne, transformed by tragedy, takes on the mantle of Batman to combat the rampant corruption and crime in Gotham City. His vigilante actions attract both allies within the GCPD and City Hall and deadly adversaries, leading to unforeseen consequences. The series delves into the noir roots of Batman, exploring the psychological depths of Gotham’s inhabitants.
