The DC Comics character Batman / Bruce Wayne was re-imagined as “a forensic pathologist, working in the bowels of Gotham Hospital” for the podcast Batman Unburied last month, and now HBO Max Latin America has announced that they’ve ordered an original animated feature film that will give Batman an Aztec re-imagining. The movie is called Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios (or Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires). A collaboration between Warner Bros. Animation, DC, Anima, and Chatrone, Batman Azteca is being directed by Juan Meza-León (Harley Quinn).
The film has the following synopsis:
In the time of the Aztec Empire, Yohualli Coatl — a young Aztec boy — experiences tragedy when his father and village leader, Toltecatzin, is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors. Yohualli escapes to Tenochtitlan to warn King Moctezuma and his high priest, Yoka, of imminent danger. Using the temple of Tzinacan, the bat god, as a lair, Yohualli trains with his mentor and assistant, Acatzin, developing equipment and weaponry to confront the Spaniard invasion, protect Moctezuma’s temple, and avenge his father’s death.
Horacio Garcia Rojas (Narcos: Mexico) provides the voice of of Yohualli Coatl. José C. García de Letona, Aaron D. Berger, Carina Schulze, and Fernando De Fuentes are producing Batman Azteca, which will be made entirely in Mexico and “feature local talent and showcase the region’s abundant art.” Sam Register and Tomás Yankelevich serve as executive producers.
Deadline notes that Alejandro Díaz Barriga, a consultant specializing in Mesoamerican studies and ethnic history of Mexico and the Andean region, is working with the Batman Azteca creative team “to ensure that the indigenous representation portrayed in the film is appropriate and relevant.”
How does Batman Azteca sound to you? Are you interested in seeing a Batman who’s seeking vengeance in the time of the Aztec Empire? Share your thoughts on this project by leaving a comment below.