J.J. Abrams, The Batman director Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm will spearhead Batman: Caped Crusader, a “reimagining” of the Batman mythos in a new animated series, Warner Bros. announced Wednesday.
Abrams is famous for his work on Alias, Lost, Star Trek, and Star Wars, while Reeves is in the thick of helming the Robert Pattinson-led Batman reboot that’s coming in 2022. But it’s Bruce Timm’s involvement that may get the most fans to sit up and listen. Timm was one of the co-creators of Batman: The Animated Series, the highly influential animated television show that was many a kid’s first brush with DC Comics superheroes.
It also spawned a whole interconnected universe of DC Comics shows, from The Superman Adventures to Batman Beyond and Justice League Unlimited — but Caped Crusader does not appear to be contiguous with the so-called DC Animated Universe.
“The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters,” said Abrams, Reeves, and Timm in a joint statement. “We cannot wait to share this new world.”
“This powerful creative partnership,” Warner Bros. said in a news release, “will once again reinvent Batman and his iconic rogue’s gallery with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters and intense action sequences all set in a visually striking world.”
Warner Bros. released one image teasing the series’ visual style, featuring a Batman with devilishly pointed ears, harking back to the character’s original 1939 design. The fingerprints of Timm’s now-iconic style are all over the poster as well, in Batman’s body proportions, his pose, and even the title font.
The new television series will be produced through Cartoon Network and HBO Max, though Warner Bros. did not outline a release schedule or indicate whether it would be exclusive to the HBO Max streaming service.