Batman: Caped Crusader animated series finds a new home at Amazon

Last Updated on March 17, 2023

Nearly two years ago, HBO Max and Cartoon Network ordered a new Batman animated series from Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, and Matt Reeves. Fans were excited about a new Batman series, especially with the involvement of Bruce Timm, but the series unfortunately didn’t survive the axe of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who scrapped it along with many others. Thankfully, Amazon has come to the rescue and given Batman: Caped Crusader a two-season order.

When Batman: Caped Crusader was cancelled as a cost-cutting move, Warner Bros. Animation started shopping the show to other streaming services. The series is billed as a “reimagining of the Batman mythology” that will utilize “state-of-the-art animation techniques and technologies available, this powerful creative partnership 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.“

“We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City,” J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves said in a joint statement when the project was first announced. “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.” Comic writer Ed Brubaker is running the writers’ room for the new Batman animated series and told THR that he jumped at the chance to work with Bruce Timm.

Here’s something few people know, but the original Batman: The Animated Series was one of the things that made me want to write superhero comics in general, and Batman in particular. If not for what Bruce Timm and all the talented writers and artists did with that show, things like my revamp of Catwoman with Darwyn Cooke (who worked on BTAS) and Gotham Central with Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, would never have happened. So when Bruce Timm offered me the chance to come work on this new reimagining of Batman with him, James Tucker, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, I jumped at it.

“Batman: The Animated Series was a masterpiece that shaped the perception of the character for an entire generation of fans,” Warner Bros. Animation president Sam Register said. “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.” As sad as it was to see the plug pulled on Batman: Caped Crusader, it’s great to know that it will be resurrected at Amazon. I can’t wait to see what Abrams, Reeves, Timm, and Brubaker have in store for us.