Batman Ninja wasn’t the first time that the Dark Knight was portrayed in an anime and it certainly won’t be the last. In recent years, Warner Bros has been investing more into the anime medium than it had previously, with a prime example being their recent Wit Studio partnership. The two studios joined forces to create The Suicide Squad Isekai, and while Bruce Wayne wasn’t present, several big Gotham denizens were given an anime makeover. Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League is the next chapter for the Caped Crusader’s anime adventures and the upcoming animated film has dropped a new trailer highlighting the heroes helping out Batman.
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The first Batman Ninja movie was released in 2018, seeing Warner Bros teaming up with production houses including Kamikaze Douga, YamatoWorks, and Barnum Studio in depicting this new take on the Dark Knight. In the film, Batman and several of his villains are transported to feudal Japan, receiving new looks and powers as a result. Ultimately, Batman is able to get help from the likes of Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Catwoman in taking down the likes of Joker, Harley Quinn, Gorilla Grodd, Two Face, and more. For the next movie of the series, which has yet to reveal a release date, the Dark Knight is taking on new foes that hit a bit too close to home.
Batman Ninja Vs. The Yakuza League’s New Trailer
Batman is once again joined by some of his most trusty sidekicks in the upcoming animated film as Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, and Jason Todd all get their moments to shine in the latest trailer. While the movie has remained mysterious as to how the Yakuza League came to be, these dark iterations of Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Lantern might prove quite difficult to defeat, even for Bruce Wayne and company. From the promotional material we’ve seen so far, a certain Man of Steel has yet to appear which could prove to be good news for Batman.
Batman Ninja’s Sequel Cast & Crew
While Batman Ninja Vs Yakuza League has confirmed its Japanese voice cast, the same can’t be said for a potential English Dub. Considering the original anime film and Suicide Squad Isekai received their own English Dubs, it seems like a safe bet that this animated sequel will get the same. For now, here is a breakdown of the Japanese cast bringing the Caped Crusader and his allies to life:
- Batman: Koichi Yamadera
- Robin: Yuki Kaji
- Red Robin: Kengo Kawanishi
- Nightwing: Daisuke Ono
- Red Hood: Akira Ishida
- Alfred Pennyworth: Hochu Otsuka
- James Gordon: Masaki Terasoma
The crew that will be bringing this anime movie to life currently includes:
- Director: Jumpei Mizusaki/Shinji Takagi
- Screenplay: Kazuki Nakashima
- Character Design: Takashi Okazaki
- Music: Yugo Kanno Animation
- Production: Kamikaze Douga
Warner Bros’ Skin in The Anime Game
The likes of Suicide Squad Isekai and the Batman Ninja sequel might only be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to anime focusing on Warner Bros’ DC characters. In an interview with Variety earlier this year, the President of Warner Bros’ Asia-Pacific division, James Gibbons, stated the following, “We have a Japanese anime studio, which has been producing five or ten anime series per year, over the last few years. We’ve approved expansion to take that to more than ten series per year. We’ve sold them to third parties. That has been one of the metrics. And they are doing very well and, so, because we see the appeal of the category, we are expanding it. Anime is one of the best ways to reach the 18 to 30-year-old audience, which is incredibly elusive. Globally, albeit not in every market, but certainly in the U.S., parts of Europe and Latin America, we’ve got strong anime audiences.”
Want to stay up to date on this new anime take on the Dark Knight? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest on Batman Ninja.
