News
News on the Batman: Caped Crusader. In most cases a link will accompany each headline back to the original article.
News on the DCAU originates from animation and comic book related news sites, personal staff forums or comic book conventions. Fans beware, in some cases, false news does get spread among the Internet.
News
December 24, 2020: Insider Daniel Richtman claims HBO Max is in talks about making a Batman: The Animated Series sequel series of some sort. WGTC Article
January 16, 2021: Kevin Smith claims he heard from "very reliable people" that HBO Max is looking at making a Batman: The Animated Series sequel series. Kevin Smith YouTube
February 10, 2021: Allegedly, Bruce Timm and Kevin Conroy are attached to the rumored sequel series to Batman: The Animated Series but Mark Hamill and Joker may not be involved. Small Screen Article
May 19, 2021: Batman: Caped Crusader is a new animated series coming to HBO Max and Cartoon Network. It utilizes "state-of-the-art" animation, is not a sequel to Batman: The Animated Series, and will "reinvent" Batman and his rogue's gallery with sophisticated storytelling, nuanced characters, and intense action sequences. It will dig deep into Batman's film noir roots and dive deep into the psychology of the characters. Bruce Timm will co-executive produce alongside Matt Reeves and J.J. Abrams. First look at Batman and logo. WF Article
August 31, 2021: At DC FanDome, there will a very early look at the series. DC Blog
September 1, 2021: There will be a new programming block for Cartoon Network named ACME Night that features several HBO Max titles, including Caped Crusader. Comic Book Article
October 16, 2021: Video of J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, Bruce Timm, and James Tucker from Fandome. Tucker is a Co-Executive Producer. Will be like the original premise of Batman: The Animated Series but with less restrictions on adult content, adult themes, and violence. It's just Batman, there's no other heroes around, and he's alone. Will also use the notion of Bruce Wayne being the mask and Batman being Batman. Batman starts out low-tech but adds more gadgets and refines the Batmobile with prototypes. Will be about discovery. Season one is a psychological story about a man that needs to be redeemed. Before Batman and the police earn each other's trust. Don't know if Commissioner Gordon will or won't be Batman's ally. Nothing is assumed from what we expect as standard on a Batman series. Will take some villains and reconfigure yet keep them iconic. Timm used Strange Days short to pitch series. Show won't be in black and white but Tucker is keen on doing an episode in it. German expressionism and film noir will be leaned on more. Will be a 1940s timeless Gotham City and character designs but more modern with inclusivity and representation. WF YouTube
October 16, 2021: Will premiere in 2023. AnimeSuperHero Post
January 7, 2022: Ed Brubaker is the head writer, runs the writer's room with Bruce Timm, is Timm's right hand man, and is an executive producer. The first season will be 10 episodes total. Brubaker notes the vision for the show has a slightly more pulpy take on the character and a new way of looking at Gotham, set in the past but viewed through a modern lens. The writers room has been ongoing for the last few months. Early development art of Batman revealed. THR Article
January 8, 2022: Ed Brubaker has been working on the series for several months, the virtual writing room has already wrapped, and they are nearing production. Brubaker reveals he had no intention of going back to working on superheroes but he was such a big fan of Batman: The Animated Series, he decided it sounded like too much fun to pass up on. The team met via Zoom for a couple months. The show is a complete reimagining of Batman, not a sequel to Batman: The Animated Series, takes place in a kind of timeless 1940s with no computers or cell phones, and is more adult at times but still something children can watch. Halley Gross is a writer and consulting producer, Sean Lee is a writers assistant, Jase Ricci is a Co-Executive Producer and writer, Julie Osborn is the line producer, Adamma Ebo is a writer and consulting producer, James Tucker is also a main designer, and Adanne Ebo is a writer and consulting prodicer. Ed Brubaker Newsletter
March 3, 2022: Warner Bros. Animation is hiring for a character designer, prop/vehicle designer, background designer, color designer, background painter, and storyboard revisionist. WBA instagram
March 3, 2022: James Tucker reveals they have been focusing on scripts and development since October and now would be time they start looking at applicants' portfolios. James Tucker Tweet (private)
March 8, 2022: Ed Brubaker notes only a few episodes were freelance written and implies one of them was done by Greg Rucka. Ed Brubaker Newsletter
March 9, 2022: Marc Bernardin wrote an episode. Last week he submitted a draft and next week he will get notes back. After doing a podcast episode with Ed Brubaker, he got a text from Brubaker asking if he would like to write one. Bernardin was given a story they felt he was right for. Kevin Smith YouTube, 9:14-15:32
May 13, 2022: James Tucker teases the show "will be familiar yet very different" and notes they're still in the trenches getting the show all together. CBM Article
May 31, 2022: Interview with Ed Brubaker. It has been around six months already. A month of writer room meetings 2 to 3 hours in mornings and afternoon then a couple days a week once outline and script work started. Talking about giving notes or giving it a quick polish then handing a script to Timm. Timm printed out the script PDF and wrote notes in red and doodled rough boards. The crew is currently working on the scripts for the last couple of episodes this season. The first voice recording will begin very soon and will be virtual. Bruce Timm and James Tucker have been casting the voices for the last couple of months. Brubaker reached out to Timm for freelancing opportunities and was surprised when he suggested the role of head writer on Caped Crusader but Brubaker still had to interview and Timm needed to jump through some hoops to land him the gig. It will be a PG show for a family audience but it will be slightly more adult than what was done before and very much a new take on Batman in the late 40's/early 50's era. They will be getting animation samples from studios vying for the job soon and that side of production will be full steam ahead in a couple of months. Timm, Tucker and "some other writer'' came up with the pitch for the show 2 to 3 years ago and they loosely followed that idea with Brubaker, ultimately building a ''new thing'' with them. It will remind fans a lot of Batman: The Animated Series but will also shock fans in the ways it is different. Greg Rucka is the writer of episode 2, which will be the first Renee Montoya episode. Brubaker wrote written episode 4, which is Gordon-centric and has ''Gotham Central'' moments focusing more on Jim Gordon and the police than Batman himself but the show is not overall inspired by that run of comics. Scripts are roughly 30 to 34 pages. Word Balloon, 66:25 mark
July 20, 2022: Ed Brubaker reveals he's nearly done with the bulk of his work on season one. Ed Brubaker Newsletter
August 5, 2022: Alleged episode titles are: In Treacherous Waters, Moving Target, The Night of the Hunters, And Be A Villain, Kiss of the Catwoman, Two-Face: Part 1, Two-Face: Part 2, Night Ride, The Stress of Her Regard, and Nocturne. DCAUR Tweet
August 9, 2022: Series is hiring for a color designer with 2+ years of experience. WBA Careers instagram
August 9, 2022: Series is hiring for a background painter with 2+ years of experience. WBA Careers instagram
August 22, 2022: Will no longer be produced for HBO Max and is being shopped around to other outlets. TV Line Article
August 22, 2022: Diedrich Bader is in the cast. Diedrich Bader Tweet
August 26, 2022: Series reportedly has gotten "intense interest" from Apple, Hulu and Netflix among other streaming services. THR Heat Vision Newsletter
September 6, 2022: Emily Hu started her first day as storyboard artist. Emily Hu Tweet
September 6, 2022: Mauricio Abril is a background painter on the series. Mauricio Abril Tweet
September 16, 2022: Apple, Amazon and Netflix are the top contenders for the series. THR Heat Vision Newsletter
November 29, 2022: Ed Brubaker reveals he has seen animation tests, animatics for roughly half the season, all voice recording is done, the series is PG but more adult but not "adult", they broke the whole season in a writer's room, Brubaker brought in his friend Halley Gross, they all had fun pitching ideas to Bruce Timm, getting shot done, and arguing for their ideas, everyone wrote two episodes and some freelance, is Timm's vision of a new take on Batman, and Batman is rebooted as a 40's pulp character. Comic Book Herald Interviews #101, 56:40-1:20:00 mark
November 30, 2022: Channing Dungey reveals Warner Bros. Discovery is in the process of closing a deal with Amazon featuring DC branded content in animation. Deadline Article
March 9, 2023: Reportedly landed a 2 season order at Amazon Prime. Formal deals have not closed yet. THR Article
March 29, 2023: Jace Ricci wrote the first episode. Toonado Article
April 26, 2023: Two season order confirmed. Amazon Studios Article
April 30, 2023: Shot of Batman shown by Amazon at an event. user RobTheBat Tweet
May 9, 2023: Michael Rosenbaum reveals he auditioned for Batman and he got a callback and while they liked his Batman, they didn't like his take on Bruce Wayne. Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum May 8, 2023
June 15, 2023: At Annecy Festival, scenes and character designs shown were of Bruce Wayne, Batman, Clayface, Commissioner Jim Gordon, and Barbara Gordon was shown at Annecy Festival. The Gordons are African-American.. user Midou Tweet
June 15, 2023: Commissioner Gordon looks kind of like Jeffrey Wright and Barbara has a red tint in her hair. user Midou Tweet
June 15, 2023: The footage was shown was 2D animation. user Midou Tweet
June 16, 2023: Batman's suit is black and gray. user Midou Tweet
June 16, 2023: At Annecy Festival, Peter Giraldi calls the show everything that Bruce Timm wnated to do in Batman: The Animated Series but couldn't, it skews older, and is more of his complete vision. Very early footage was shown but was unlit and had an orchestra score. Variety Article
September 1, 2023: Mike Milo is a director. DCAUR Tweet
November 8, 2023: There was a test screening for episode one. Reddit post
December 5, 2023: Ed Brubaker has been done for about a year and a half ago, did some post production writing, is seeing early cuts of episodes, couldn't go back for season 2 due to the strike and other projects, they were told it wouldn't be cancelled on Max, then one day they were told David Zaslav cancelled it but told them to keep working on it while they shopped it around, were initially told they could do PG-13 but that has changed to a degree, the show is definitely a different take and is "kinda noir". Comic Book Club Tweet
January 14, 2024: Executive producer Daniel Pipski teases "just wait til later this year". Daniel Pipski Tweet
January 30, 2024: Reportedly, the late Kevin Conroy recorded for the series before his passing. IGN Article
January 31, 2024: Bruce Timm debunks report the late Kevin Conroy recorded for the series before his passing. Conroy was set to do a voice for the series but passed away before any recording was done. Bruce Timm post, Animesuperhero Forum
May 1, 2024: Rachel Kimberly Hastings posts photo of crew sweatshirt. Evergreena Tweet
May 9, 2024: The series premiers on August 1 on Prime Video. The number one priority of Caped Crusader was to make sure it wasn't just a repeat of Batman: The Animated Series. It is '40s-set period piece. Harley Quinn will be Asian American and won't be a parter of Joker. Dr. Quinzel will be more whimsical and fun while Harley will be more serious and scary. Harley uses psychiatry as a weapon. As Dr. Quinzel, she stil is a normal Gotham City psychiatrist and is assigned to treat Bruce Wayne. Wayne is not obsessed with is parents' muder but it changeed him in a way where he's still not adjusted to being a human being. He's trying to pretend to be something that he's not. The idea was to keep Batman so removed that no one knows who he is and no on knows what he's about to remove any idea that he's a hero to Gotham or the viewers. Catwoman is based on her original '40s purple look. Barbara Stanwyck's performance as the title character in The Lady Eve was an inspiration for this Catwoman. Selina Kyle is playful and charming but underestimated at the peril of others. Catwoman's episode has moments that are really serious and dark with the juxtaposition of Catwoman's appearance. Clayface draws on the character's original comic book appearance and is inspired by classic horror movies. Stills included of Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Harley Quinn, Bruce Wayne, Catwoman, and Clayface. EW Article
May 9, 2024: All 10 episodes will be available on August 1. The official description: "Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the Batman. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications." Batman is a "A cold, remorseless avenger of evil, seemingly more machine than man. Forged in the fire of tragedy, every fiber of his being is dedicated to the eradication of crime" while Bruce Wayne, "To the public at large, Bruce Wayne is a shallow dilettante, apparently wasting his parents’ vast fortune on frivolous pursuits and hedonistic pleasures. In fact, he's an elaborate facade, carefully constructed to divert attention from his activities as Batman." Selina Kyle/Catwoman: "Selena Kyle is a blithe and pampered heiress whose family lost their fortune after her father was imprisoned for embezzlement. Despite having the silver spoon yanked from her mouth, Selina refuses to quit living in the lap of luxury and becomes Catwoman as a "fun" way to maintain her lavish lifestyle." Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn: "Despite a personable and bubbly demeanor, Dr. Harleen Quinzel is a brilliant psychiatrist who treats some of Gotham's elite. However, as Harley Quinn, she is a different person, entirely. A creepy, quiet, calculating menace who secretly dispenses her twisted justice to the truly despicable among her elite clientele." Commissioner Jim Gordon is a "Former beat cop close to retirement, Gordon was hired to play along with the corrupt system and run out the clock till he can draw a pension. But they've sorely underestimated Jim Gordon. His unassailable character brings him into conflict with dirty cops and crooked politicians, alike. Not to mention, he has to reckon with a deranged vigilante beating up Gotham's criminals." Clayface is "Thanks to his "unique" facial features, screen actor Basil Karlo has been forever typecast as a B-movie heavy. Frustrated by the limitations his appearance put on both his career and personal life (he fell hopelessly in love with his co-star), Karlo turned to an experimental serum that promised to change his face. However, not only does this serum ultimately disfigure his face, but it ruptures the last of his sanity — creating the tragic, vengeance seeking villain, Clayface." THR Article
May 9, 2024: Frederik Wiedmann is the scoring the series. Film Music Reporter Article
June 5, 2024: J.M. DeMatteis finished writing an episode of season two. J.M. DeMatteis facebook
June 12, 2024: At Annecy, a clip from the start of episode one was shown along with the opening title sequence. Midou Tweet
June 12, 2024: The director of episode one is Christina Sotta. Nexus Point News Tweet
June 13, 2024: Halley Gross wrote the Harley Quinn episode. DCAUR Tweet
June 13, 2024: Clip shown at Annecy is a "cold open where Clarence was getting questioned about Rupert Thorne by Eddie, then The Penguin entered the room" then the clip cut to title sequence before things got violent. Nexus Point News Article
June 20, 2024: Hamish Linklater reads off names in the voice cast. Penguin, Firebug, Natalia Knight, and Gentleman Ghost confirmed to appear. Prime Video Tweet
June 20, 2024: Jamie Chung voices Harley Quinn, Hamish Linklater voices Batman/Bruce Wayne, Christina Ricchi voices Catwoman, Diedrich Bader voices Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Timm wanted to do an emotionally messed-up version of Batman, who's extremely aloof and almost inhuman. Linklater was cast because of his take on Bruce. Bruce is a persona Batman has cultivated to throw people off his scent, Deep down he's not like Bruce, he's devoted to warring on crime 24/7. The show is not R-rated or especially violent or sexual like the Harley Quinn series. They are aiming for the same age group that watches Harry Potter or Marvel movies. There are murders to solve and the hero is damaged and self-destructive. Batman and Catwoman are more chemical than romantic in terms of their relationship. Batman is so closed off emotionally he makes Mr. Spock look like the life of the party. Catwoman throws him off and he becomes obsessed with catching her. She's flighty and a throwback to film noir era femme fatales with a bit of screwball comedy characters played by Carole Lombard. Harleen Quinzel is in a romantic relationship with Gotham City detective Renee Montoya. Montoya is a by-the-book honest cop and has no idea Quinzel is Harley Quinn. Montoya's integrity is the one thing that gives Harley Quinn pause about her actions but she doesn't see law enforcement as effective tools for feeling with wrongdoers. All the things the rich clientele of Gotham dump on Quinzel basically drove her crazy because of doctor-client privilege. Dent is a corrupt district attorney who uses his position to help rich criminals evade justice, gets his face disfigured, then starts to feel empathy for other people for the first time in his life but is still a bad guy lashing out for what he believes is a noble cause. The rest of the cast includes Minnie Driver, Eric Morgan Stuart, Michelle C. Bonilla, Krystal Joy Brown, John DiMaggio, Mckenna Grace, Jason Watkins, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Donohue, David Krumholtz, Haley Joel Osment, and Toby Stephens. Stills of Harley and Batman and Alfred and Batman included. Vanity Fair Article
June 25, 2024: New poster released. Prime Video Tweet
June 25, 2024: A trailer releases tomorrow. Teaser posted today. Batman Tweet
June 26, 2024: 2:08 trailer released. Prime Video YouTube
June 26, 2024: Press release statement released. Amazon MGM Studios Press
June 26, 2024: Comments from Bruce Timm, James Tucker, and Hamish Linklater. Timm originally had an idea about Batman where he was much more inspired by pulp heroes like Doc Savage, The Shadow, and The Avenger. The common thread was they were all very remote, not nice guys, weren't people you'd like to hang out with, not cuddly and craking jokes. Making him remote on Caped Crusader placed a little more emphasis on the supporting cast so the shows does feel more like an ensemble piece. All secondary characters step up in importance in the story. Timm was approached to revive Batman: The Animated Series and pick up where The New Batman Adventures left off in 1999 but Timm wasn't interested. It was only when Tucker and Timm discussed the possibility of doing something new with the franchise did the latter warm up to the idea of helming another Batman cartoon. Making a show without the limitations there were in the 1990s like selling toys was also very exciting. They took influences from Universal horror movies and swashbuckler movies like the Errol Flynn movies. Batman's design was specifically inspired by his first couple appearances in the comics. Linklater was working on an indie movie in Minneapolis when he got the audition. He sat in a car in the freezing cold without the heat on so he could record audio cleanly. The Bruce Wayne facade will come off like he watched a million Cary Grant movies to study how to be a dashing, upper class playboy. While individual episodes will still tell relatively standalone stories, there will be certain narrative throughlines anchoring the ten-episode first season. There's certain plot threads that they called the "soap opera plots" that weave in and out of the first season. Dent's storyline is a big part of it. Barbara Gordon, her relationship with her dad and how she comes to end up being a reluctant ally of Batman, that weaves its way in trough the stories as well. Each episode is standalone but there is also kind of a season-long arc. The current plans are for there to not by any other costumed superheroes in the world at all. Production has already started on season two and Linklater is recording his lines. IGN Article
June 26, 2024: The Batmobile is a bit more like a real world roadster with the front end of a '37 Cord mashed with the back end of a '63 Corvette. For characters like Harley Quinn, they wanted to see if they could put a fresh spin on her that would be unique to the show while still retaining noticeable traces of her original DNA. There will be easter eggs for long-time fans in the complete microfiche scene in the fifth episode. Bruce Timm post, AnimeSuperhero Forum
July 2, 2024: The show is more like Week Two than it is Year One. Batman weaponises Alfred. He is going to enable him to fight crime. The full article releases on July 4 Empire Article
July 2, 2024: Jason Watkins voices Alfred, Eric Morgan Stuart voices Commissioner Gordon, Krystal Joy Brown voices Barbara Gordon, Michelle C. Bonilla voices Renee Montoya, and Bumper Robinson voices Lucius Fox. Character descriptions for Alfred, Barbara, Commissioner Gordon, and Renee included. IGN Article
July 9, 2024: In this month's Empire magazine, Bruce Timm commented Bruce's origin entails he's lying in bed reliving his parents' murder earlier that night and it's so upsetting and horrifying that he copes by deciding then and there to declare war on crime. From that point, even though he's eight years old, he's already Batman. Screen Rant Article
July 10, 2024: The San Diego Comic Con screening and panel will be on July 27 in Room 6BCF at 2:45 pm Pacific. Matt Reeves, Hamish Linklater, Jamie Chung, and Minnie Driver will do a Q&A, discuss their characters, and tease storylines from season one. Bleeding Cool Article
July 12, 2024: 29 second clip of Batman in his car. Batman Tweet
July 15, 2024: A new image of Batman in a graveyard was posted on Prime Video's landing page for the series. DCAUR Tweet
July 15, 2024: Emily Hu started work on story boards. Emily Hu Tweet
July 17, 2024: Jeremy Adams reveals he helped develop the show for a year with Bruce Timm and then was let go after it was greenlit. Jeremy Adams Tweet
July 17, 2024: First 3 episodes will be screened at Alamo Drafthouse on July 31. Alamo Drafthouse ATX Tweet
July 19, 2024: Series was animated by Studio IAM and Studio Grida. Bruce Timm admits the writers eventually made Batman more human than he would have liked because everyone had a hard time wrapping their head around a Batman that's not friendly, very remote, and doesn't talk much. Timm learned J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves were thinking about executive producing with him. Timm then brought James Tucker onboard. They loved his 'Man of Few Words' Batman pitch. John DiMaggio voices Bullock and Minnie Driver voices Oswalda Cobblepot/Penguin. They started with Bob Kane's original design then stylized it so it would look good on screen but show the influences of the original comics. They also kept the camera away from Batman in contrast to Batman: The Animated Series to echo his remoteness. This detached style was inspired by Alex Toth. The animation is mainly drawn by hand but vehicles are done with CG models and digital tools were employed for special effects and lighting techniques. Tucker did the character design then deeper into production he shifted to his producer duties. Catwoman is a spoiled heiress and a bit more of a screwball comedy character but makes sense within the show's 1940s framework. Concept art included of Catwoman. Animation Magazine Article
July 19, 2024: New poster released. Prime Video Tweet
July 22, 2024: 48 second promo for Firebug, Gentleman Ghost, and Natalia Knight posted. Tom Kenny voices Firebug. Toby Stephen voices Gentleman Ghost. Mckenna Grace voices Natalia Knight. Prime Video Tweet
July 22, 2024: Gary Anthony Williams voices Detective Flass and has seen a sneak peek sent to the cast. Flass is corrupt and on the payroll of the mobsters. He is a dick and is out to get Batman. Bullock is his partner and is the muscle in the duo. The city and citizens shape Batman. Williams talks about the writing, reading the scripts, seeing animation during ADR, complimenting the other actors, and the recording process. He hints the show will get into how corrupt the police is and how dirty the villains get. Cedric Yarbrough voices Rupert Thorne. Traversing the Stars YouTube
July 22, 2024: A new look will be featured in the IGN Live Show during San Diego Comic Con. IGN Article
July 22, 2024: Brenna Coleman designed some appearing/disappearing effects for Gentleman Ghost. Brenna Coleman Tweet
July 25, 2024: 44 second promo for Clayface and Onomatopoeia. Dan Donohue voices Clayface. Reid Scott voices Onomatopoeia. Prime Video Tweet
July 26, 2024: 1:36 clip "Finding the Culprit" released. Prime YouTube
July 26, 2024: Interview with cast and crew. Bruce Timm admits he wanted Batman to be weird and creepy even as Bruce Wayne. He also hints this won't be the start of an interconnected universe. New York Times Article
July 27, 2024: Still of Penguin fighting Batman. Minnie Driver also got to sing a jazz song "(Won't You Come Home) Bill Bailey" as Penguin. EW Article
July 27, 2024: Comments from Hamish Linklater, Minnie Driver, and Jamie Chung. They admit being terrified at first but Bruce Timm set a comftorable vibe. Peguin has two idiot sons voiced by Paul Scheer. Penguin does a lot of terrible things. IGN Article
July 27, 2024: Comments from Hamish Linklater, Minnie Driver, and Jamie Chung about Batman. THR Tweet
July 27, 2024: Comments from Hamish Linklater about what drew him to Batman. He was the one DC comic he bought. THR Tweet
July 27, 2024: Comments from Minnie Driver about her role. THR Tweet
July 27, 2024: Comments from Jamie Chung about watching Batman: The Animated Series after Korean school and how this show's Harley is her own person and not associated with Joker. THR Tweet
July 27, 2024: Comments from Hamish Linklater, Minnie Driver, and Jamie Chung about working with Bruce Timm. THR Tweet
July 29, 2024: 48 second promo for Catwoman and Harley Quinn. Prime Video Tweet
July 29, 2024: Bruce Timm reveals that early on in development an executive enthusiastically asked, "Hey, what if Batman and Barbara became romantically involved?", unaware of the uncomfortable history of that particular topic. Timm replied they weren't going to do that and explained why Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forums
July 29, 2024: 20 minute recording of San Diego Comic Con 2024 panel posted. OsoAnimation YouTube
July 30, 2024: Opening title sequence posted. Batman Tweet
July 31, 2024: Episode 1 is titled "In Treacherous Waters". Episode 2 is "...And Be A Villain". Episode 3 is "Kiss of the Catwoman". Episode 4 is "The Night of The Hunters". "Episode 5 is "The Stress of Her Regard". Episode 6 is "Night Ride." Episode 7 is "Moving Target". Episode 8 is "Nocturne". Episode 9 is "The Killer Inside Me". Episode 10 is "Savage Night". Batman Tweet
July 31, 2024: 1:10 clip from episode 3 posted. Discussing Film Tweet
July 31, 2024: 1:01 clip from episode 4 posted. Rotten Tomatoes YouTube
July 31, 2024: The episode titles are Jim Thompson-inspired. AnimeSuperhero Forum reply
July 31, 2024: Jackie Hoffman voices Selina's live-in maid, Greta. AnimeSuperhero Forum reply
July 31, 2024: Interview with Bruce Timm and James Tucker. Emmys Article
August 1, 2024: Initially, Bruce Timm wanted the episode titles to be "extra-pulpy," like chapter titles from the old serials but they came out too cheesy. "Kiss of the Catwoman" was subconsciously inspired by the movie "Kiss of the Spider Woman" while "The Stress of Her Regard" was from a novel by Tim Powers which he got from a poem by Clark Ashton Smith. "Night of the Hunters" was a riff on the movie "Night of the Hunter" "The Stress of Her Regard" and "Night of the Hunters" were suggested by Ed Brubaker. "...And Be A Villain" is from a Nero Wolfe novel by Rex Stout who pinched it from Hamlet. Greg Rucka came up with "...And Be A Villain". "Nocturne" simply alludes to Natalia Knight's supervillain name from the comics. Brubaker also came up with the idea to use two Jim Thompson novels for the Two-Face episodes. "In Treacherous Waters" follows the same "preposition-adjective-noun" pattern as "On Leather Wings" from Batman: The Animated Series. AnimeSuperhero Forum reply
August 1, 2024: 28 track digital soundtrack now available for purchase. Film News Reporter Article
August 1, 2024: Dusty Abell posts visual explorations he did for the series. Dusty Abell instagram
August 1, 2024: Aletta Wenas did backgrounds. Wenas worked on the Batcave and one of their designs was used as Episode 8's ending credits image. It began as trying to be faithful to Batman: The Animated Series but as time went on and more people were hired, it was more a remix of noir and minimalism with modernized takes. Aletta Wenas instagram
August 1, 2024: Bill Dunn joined the background paint crew with episode 2. Bill Dunn instagram
August 2, 2024: Interview with Bruce Timm. Timm and James Tucker started talking about doing a show in spring 2020 then silence for a year or two then Timm got a call from Sam Register and Peter Girardi. They informed Timm Matt Reeves and J.J. Abrams were interested in executive producing the Batman show. Timm had a Zoom call with them and pitched his idea to "blend the atmospherics of Universal horror movies and the drama of Warner Bros. gangster movies and the action of Republic serials and mix it all together with a lot of film noir on top." Bullock and Flass threading through season one was a nod to Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels. When they learned the show wasn't going to be on HBO Max, they had almost finished scripts on seaso one. Currently for season two, they are still writing scripts and are starting to record. The Wrap Article
August 3, 2024: Interview with Hamish Linklater, Minnie Driver, and Jamie Chung. Collider Article
August 3, 2024: James Tucker posts Penguin development sketches. James Tucker Tweet
August 3, 2024: Fake Manning's line of "She's...not my type" in "...And Be A Villian" was an allusion to the Old Hollywood practice of having queer leading men disguise their sexual orientation. The cat that Catwoman impulsively steals in "Kiss of the Catwoman" is Miss Kitty, a stray cat who adopted Bruce Timm and his wife six years ago. All the cats in the episode are based on cats owned by the Caped Crusader crew. Anime Superhero Forum Bruce Timm reply
August 3, 2024: If Manning was really homosexual or if it was Basil Karlo being vindictive and smearing Manning's name was left vague. Bruce Timm confirms he was gay. Overall for the series, they included general acceptance of working women, LGBT persons, and people of color in positions of authority in a 1940s setting as well as subtle signs of sexism, racism, and homophobia. Anime Superhero Forum Bruce Timm reply
August 3, 2024: Bruce Timm reveals it was his original intent for Natalia Knight to be an adult. She was going to be one of the biggest donors to the Gotham Orphanage and took advantage of her access to children to prey on them after dark like in Bram Stoker's Lucy Westenra aka Bloofer Lady. The story didn't gel in the writer's room so eventually someone suggested making Knight a child. The idea made Timm think of "Let The Right One In" and Matt Reeves' American remake. The story shifted to the carnival setting and making all of her victims Robins from the comics. Anime Superhero Forum Bruce Timm reply
August 3, 2024: Bruce Timm confirms the actor getting chewed out by the director in "...And Be A Villain" was meant to somewhat resemble Lon Chaney's makeup and costuming the "London After Midnight" and there are faint echoes of story elements from "The Lodger". Basil's address being at Slade Terrace is an oblique nod to Mr. Slade in "The Lodger". Anime Superhero Forum Bruce Timm reply
August 4, 2024: James Tucker posts development sketches of Barbara Gordon, Rupert Thorne, Lucius Fox, and Renee Montoya. Raymond Burr was a big inspiration for Thorne's design, actor James Edwards and Harlem Renaissance icons like sculptor Richmond Barthe influenced Lucius Fox's design, and Bruce Timm and Derek Charm did Clayface's design. James Tucker Tweet
August 4, 2024: For legal reasons when it comes to characters that originate on the Batman '66 series, King Tut's name was never said and his civilian name was changed. "Fletcher Deming" was one of Bruce Timm's in-jokes. Fletcher Flora and Richard Deming were both prolific Mid-Century crime fiction authors, each of whom also ghost-wrote Ellery Queen novels in the 1960s. Timm thought the combined name reasonably sounded like a "rich dude" name. Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 4, 2024: The author of the Gray Ghost novel that Alfred is seen reading, "Max Grantwell" is a sideways anagram of "Maxwell Grant", the house-name under which Walter Gibson, Ted Tinsley and others wrote the original Shadow novels. Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 4, 2024: Bruce Timm confirms the intersection of Wilson and Lowery was a nod to Lewis Wilson and Robert Lowery, the first actors to portray Batman in live action. Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 4, 2024: James Tucker posts development sketches of Barbara and Jim Gordon, Penguin, Catwoman, and Flass. James Tucker Tweet
August 4, 2024: Bruce Timm wanted to name the skating rink that Montoya wanted to take Harleen to "Donnenfeld Center" but couldn't clear it with legal. Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 5, 2024: James Tucker reveals the Batcave was inspired by the versions in the Batman 1966 series and the two movie serials. James Tucker Tweet
August 5, 2024: Finding a name that could be used for the movie studio in "...And Be A Villain" was tough. The first 50 they came up were real names used by studios. They settled on Monochrome Pictures but the legal department found a studio that used the name in the 1920s. Either Ed Brubaker or Jase Ricci came up with Monoscope Pictures. When Lew Valentine chews out his casting director over the phone he mentions they were renting the "mad scientist gizmos" from a "McFadden." McFadden was a nod to Kenneth Strickfaden, whose electrical devices were used in many classic horror films like "Bride of Frankenstein". Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 5, 2024: Bruce Timm confirms Harvey Dent's good side was the scarred one. While talking to his daughter one day, she mentioned an article she read about how disfigured people almost always being depicted in movie and television as freaks and monsters was unfair and cruel to real people with disfigurements. It gave Timm and idea to flip which side was which. The intent was Dent realizes what it's like be be feared and loathed for something beyond his control and learns empathy for others that he never had before. In a weird way, the scarring makes him a better person. The intent was to keep the camera on the "correct side" of Dent in the Two-Face 2 parter and deliberately foreshadowed it in "...And Be A Villain" when Dent tells Montoya she will want to be on his good side and he turns his face towards her. There was a no particular secret in mind with the line for possessed Alfred but the crew might always come up with a bombshell secret for season two. Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 5, 2024: James Tucker wanted Papa Midnite to look a bit like Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi in "Live and Let Die". The microfiche scene in "The Stress of Her Regard" didn't start out as a slew of Batman: The Animated Series references. When a search for 1940s newspaper headlines only yielded World War II front pages, he got an idea to base all the newspaper stories on elements from Batman: The Animated Series, making the job much easier. He used episode synopses from the World's Finest fan site to refresh his memory and avided direct references to any of the main supervillains. An added bonus was using stock art rather than generating new art. Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 5, 2024: Art Lee posts Batmobile designs. Art Lee instagram
August 6, 2024: Interview with supervising sound editor Rob McIntyre about matching sound effects in a 1940s show and using an elephant growl for the Batmobile. IndieWire Article
August 7, 2024: Bruce Timm reveals one of the Ebo twins suggested using Papa Midnite instead of Jason Blood in "Night Ride". Bruce Timm reply, AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 7, 2024: Storyboards and animatics for episode 3, 6, and 9 posted. Sophia Magallanes Morales instagram
August 7, 2024: Aletta Wenas reveals the Batcave design was done early in production. Mauricio Abril colored the set. Aletta Wenas instagram
August 7, 2024: Bill Dunn posts backgrounds for GCPD bullpen in episode 2. Bill Dunn instagram
August 7, 2024: Elliott Byrne posts various background shots including the train station in "Moving Target", docks in the season finale, Ivory Hotel interior in "The Killer Inside Me", jewelry store, Hopper's Jazz Club in "The Stress of Her Regard", Thorne's mansion in "The Killer Inside Me", and an alley. Elliott Byrne instagram
August 8, 2024: Storyboards for episode 3 "Kiss of the Catwoman" posted. Sophia Magallanes Morales instagram
August 8, 2024: David Merritt posts background of mad scientis set from "...And Be A Villain". David Merritt instagram
August 8, 2024: James Tucker confirms Mystery of the Wax Museum and Dr. X were inspirations for Clayface's design. James Tucker Tweet
August 8, 2024: Aletta Wenas posts reverse view of the Batcave environment design's establishing shot, plus designs and layout from the first episode's final shot. Aletta Wenas instagram
August 9, 2024: James Tucker reveals when Bruce Timm talked about how he wanted to flip Two-Face's origin so that when he was disfigured, it created an empathetic side, Tucker suggested that he switch the sides of his scarring to support that when he did that design. James Tucker Tweet
August 9, 2024: Mauricio Abril posts Batcave. It was designed by Aletta Wenas under the art direction from showrunners Bruce Timm and James Tucker. Mauricio Abril instagram
August 9, 2024: Aletta Wenas posts designs for Barbara's office. The dead plant in the corner received a lot of praise during review. Aletta Wenas instagram
August 10, 2024: Derek Charm designed King Tut and the Pagliacci homage to "The Joker Is Wild". James Tucker Tweet
August 12, 2024: Storyboards for episode 6 "Night Ride" posted. Sophia Magallanes Morales instagram
August 12, 2024: Mauricio Abril posts shots of Gotham Courthouse interior painted for the first episode. Abril wanted the daytime shots to really evoke a sense of sunlight and looked to Edward Hopper and Fleischer Superman for inspiration. Mauricio Abril instagram
August 12, 2024: Bill Dunn posts backgrounds for robbed couple's bedroom in episode 3. Bill Dunn instagram
August 15, 2024: Aletta Wenas posts designs for Commissioner Gordon's office done under the direction of Bruce Timm and James Tucker. Aletta Wenas instagram
August 15, 2024: David Merritt posts background of commuter train in "Night Ride". Layout was by Aletta Wenas and direction of Bruce Timm and James Tucker David Merritt instagram
August 17, 2024: Bruce Timm did the rough design on Fire Bug and Derek Charm did the final turn and clean. James Tucker Tweet
August 17, 2024: Bruce Timm's design for Fire Bug was inspired by Dwight Frye, specifically the severe haircut and makeup, when he portrayed Dr. Pretorious' henchman Karl in "Bride of Frankenstein". Bruce Timm reply AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 17, 2024: In "...And Be A Villain", Yvonne Frances got her name from actress Frances Drake and the character she played in "Mad Love" (1935), Yvonne Orlac. Darryl Manning is somewhat based on David Manners, who played the "handsome-but-largely-ineffectual" hero in Universal's Dracula, The Mummy, and The Black Cat movies. Aside from Dwayne Freed as Dwight Frye, there are similar nods on the doors outside Karlo's like to Universal supporting players Edward Van Sloan and Michael Mark. The imprint on Karlo's face after Montoya punches "Ellman" is a nod to Richard Henry Benson, The Avenger. In "The Stress Of Her Regard", Hasting's cliffside mansion is reminiscent of Boris Karloff's Bauhaus-style castle in The Black Cat. Bruce Timm reply AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 17, 2024: Selina Kyle's design took some inspiration from Paulette Goddard. Bruce Timm reply AnimeSuperhero Forum
August 19, 2024: Bill Dunn posts backgrounds for new GDPD in episode 4. Bill Dunn instagram
August 20, 2024: David Merritt posts background of Gotham Museum pan in episode 3 "Kiss of the Catwoman". Done under direction of Bruce Timm and James Tucker. David Merritt instagram
August 22, 2024: David Merritt posts background of jewelry cases in episode 3 "Kiss of the Catwoman". Done under direction of Bruce Timm and James Tucker. David Merritt instagram
August 23, 2024: Aletta Wenas posts designs for final shot of episode 3 under directions from Bruce Timm and James Tucker. Aletta Wenas instagram
August 24, 2024: Aletta Wenas posts designs for Bruce's childhood bedroom. Background paint was by Bill Dunn. Aletta Wenas instagram
August 28, 2024: Art Lee posts final design for the Iceberg Lounge based on an initial design by Bruce Timm. It was James Tucker's idea to strategically place the anchor port so that it could serve as the ship's eye in relation to the beak-like bow of the ship. Art Lee instagram
August 30, 2024: Michelle C. Bonilla posts photos from a season 2 recording session in August. Michelle C. Bonilla instagram
September 2, 2024: Bill Dunn posts Craddock portrait. The pose was done by Derek Charm with James Tucker drawing Craddock's face, portrait frame by Art Lee, and background layout by Elliott Byrne. Bill Dunn instagram
September 3, 2024: Art Lee posts Batsub design. Art Lee instagram
September 3, 2024: Elliott Byrne posts backgrounds for Craddock mansion and some city shots. Elliott Byrne instagram
September 12, 2024: The key art by Juan Ramos will be sold as prints by Bottleneck Gallery. The standard print is an 11 color screen print, 36 x 24 inches, a hand-numbered edition of 150, and retails for $60. The foil variant is a 11 color screen print on foil paper, 36 x 24 inches, a hand-numbered edition of 85, and retails for $75. The acrylic panel print is archival pigment on 4mm thick acrylic panel, 36 x 24 inches, is hand-numbered COA with BNG hologram of authenticity, a limited edition of 35 and retails for $125. Sales starts on September 13 at 12PM ET on Bottleneck Gallery's website. Bottleneck Gallery blog
September 13, 2024: Matt Reeves reveals season two is in the midst of animatics and all episodes have been written. Reeves admits he is not sure when season two will stream but estimated 2025 as well as estimating in the next few weeks Amazon might make a decision for a third season. Collider Article
September 22, 2024: Interview with Bruce Timm, James Tucker, storyboard artist Carl Peterson, background painter Mauricio Abril, and VFX artist Brianne VanTuyle. Keyframe Magazine Article
October 11, 2024: Diedrich Bader comments on auditioning for Harvey Dent. Hall of Justice Episode 400, 32:59 mark
October 16, 2024: Interview with Mauricio Abril. Wired Article
December 5, 2024: Nominated for Best Animated Series by the Critics Choice Awards. Deadline Article
December 5, 2024: Nominated for Best Animated Series by the Saturn Awards. Deadline Article
April 21, 2025: James Tucker is visiting Studio Grida for the series. James Tucker instagram
May 16, 2025: Astra TV Awards nominates series for Best Animated Series and Best Supporting Voice-Over Performance (for Jamie Chung). We Live Enterntainment Article
June 20, 2025: J.M. DeMatteis wrote an episode for season two. Deadline Article
July 9, 2025: Christina Sotta is the supervising director for season two. Variety Article
September 8, 2025: Greg Rucka confirms he wrote episodes for season two. wordballoon, 2 hours 4 minute mark
September 15, 2025: Season 1 releases on digital on September 16 as part of promotion for Batman Day. DC Blog
October 13, 2025: Interview with James Tucker. The Joker will be a reimagining similar to how Harley Quinn was reimagined in season 1 for fans of the mainstream adaptations but those who have read the comics for a very long time will get this take on the Joker. There is no mandate to match what Matt Reeves is doing but both Caped Crusader and The Batman draw from the detective angle. They are putting the final touches on season 2 episodes and they should premiere some time in 2026 The Direct Article
October 13, 2025: Q&A with James Tucker at New York Comic Con. Season 2 will lean more into noir but still have horror/supernatural stories. Fanboy Factor YouTube
November 4, 2025: Comments from James Tucker. Comics Beat Article
