The Batman: Part II has been delayed again, and while the DCU waits for Matt Reeves to finish his Batman story before introducing its own Batman, fans actually have one of the best versions they can turn to right now. There hasn’t been a DC hero who has had more adaptations than Batman, from the movies to the animated shows to live-action adaptations like Gotham. From the Adam West era and the Tim Burton movies to the Joel Schumacher films, the Christopher Nolan masterpieces, the Zack Snyder era, and now Reeves, there have been different versions of the Caped Crusader for everyone.
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However, while fans wait for James Gunn to introduce Batman into the DCU, there is a version on television right now that does everything right. For anyone tired of waiting for Reeves’ next movie or Gunn’s plans, watch Batman: Caped Crusader on Prime Video as its second season premieres this week.
Batman: Caped Crusader Delivers the Perfect Batman
The second season of Batman: Caped Crusader premieres on Prime Video on July 31. The first season, developed by Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm and executive produced by J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, has a high 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Like Batman: The Animated Series, this series has a pulpy, noir feel to it, and it brings back what made that series so popular. It also changes the franchise in smart ways, including a brilliant gender-swapped Penguin.
The second season of Batman: Caped Crusader has a lot of great new things coming to the series, including an addition to the already impressive Batman rogues’ gallery the show has already introduced. The first season has an impressive list of villains, including new interpretations of Catwoman and Clayface. With Two-Face, Rupert Thorne, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Firebug, and so many more, this show has one of the deepest villain lineups there are, and more are coming this season. The Riddler is showing up as part of the war for Gotham City, and a fresh take on Poison Ivy is coming, as she serves as his romantic partner. Finally, Joker is coming with a terrifying redesign.
The first Batman movie in Reeves’ vision sees Batman battle a different version of the Riddler, as he is more of an unhinged embodiment of online toxicity, trying to radicalize a mostly white male following in Gotham City who felt underappreciated into rising up against who they believed to be their persecutors. It clearly plays off today’s social issues in often uncomfortable ways and helped revitalize Batman for a new generation. The next movie is rumored to feature Poison Ivy, Victor Zsasz, and possibly even the Court of Owls, so it’s unclear if it will remain a socially direct film or move more into Batman just fighting villains.
Whatever is going to happen will have to wait. The Batman came out in 2022, and the sequel was supposed to be released in 2025. However, thanks to several setbacks, including the 2023 Hollywood strikes and later scripting issues, it was moved to 2027. It has since been moved again, and now, The Batman: Part II won’t hit theaters until February 18, 2028.
When Will Batman Finally Show Up in the DCU?
While fans can watch Batman: Caped Crusader and get some of the best Batman action imaginable, the wait for James Gunn and his DCU has been stretched out even further. Gunn already said that he wasn’t planning to bring in his Batman until Reeves’ movies were finished, so there wouldn’t be two Batmans out there to confuse moviegoers. With The Batman: Part II not arriving until 2028, that will mark nearly six years between the first and second movies.
It will also mean that the DCU will have to keep pushing along without a Batman. Man of Tomorrow comes out next year with Lex Luthor returning and Brainiac as the new villain. Other than that, the only other DCU movies have been Superman and Supergirl, with Clayface still set to release later this year. It seems ironic that Clayface, a Batman villain, will arrive in his own movie before Batman even makes his DCU debut. The DCU has also produced the streaming series Peacemaker and Creature Commandos, and Lanterns comes out in August.
However, Batman’s debut in The Brave and the Bold with the introduction of Damian Wayne as Robin is in the works but still delayed. In fact, Gunn just revealed that there is still no one cast yet to play Batman in the DCU. The Brave and the Bold won’t even hit theaters until 2029 at the earliest, and there is no telling where the DCU will be by that time. While this is still frustrating for fans, the good news is that Batman: Caped Crusader is a perfect Batman series, and it might be better than anything the DCU will produce when it finally gets the chance.
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Image Courtesy of DC Comics -
Image Courtesy of DC Comics -
Courtesy of 20th Television Animation
