‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Animated Series Headed to Amazon
Batman fans were elated when, back in the spring of 2021, HBO Max announced it was making a sort of spiritual sequel to Batman: The Animated Series dubbed Batman: Caped Crusader, from longtime Batman animator Bruce Timm, along with executive producers J.J. Abrams and The Batman director Matt Reeves. But then a year later, HBO Max decided not to premiere the series, leaving it in limbo.
Now it seems the show has found a new home, with Amazon reportedly picking it up for two full seasons. The online retailer’s Prime Video service has had big success with its superhero series The Boys, which has spawned multiple spinoffs, as well as the animated version of the Image comic book Invincible.
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The initial press release for Batman: Caped Crusader in 2021 described it as “an all-new animated series and reimagining of the Batman mythology” and quoted Timm, Abrams, and Reeves saying collectively “we are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City. 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.” It’s not clear if or how the show has changed in the two years of development since it was first ordered at HBO Max.
HBO Max has canceled numerous planned series and films in recent months as its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, has looked to cut costs wherever possible. Most famously, WBD shelved and took a write-off on a live-action Batgirl film rather than release it to HBO Max as planned. This news will surely get fans wondering whether Amazon or some other streaming service could be a home for the canceled movie. But given the way Warner Bros. executives have continued to talk about Batgirl that still seems very unlikely.