Prime’s New Batman Show Includes 10 DC Villains Never Used By Movies

Batman has his fair share of movies. The powers that be can’t fathom the idea of leaving their biggest hero on the sidelines for too long, especially in the middle of the golden age of comic book media. Each live-action iteration of the Dark Knight has its redeeming qualities, including George Clooney’s, which offers a halfway-decent take on Bruce Wayne’s suave side. But where the movies tend to struggle is in the villain department. Batman demands so much of the spotlight that it can be tough for the films to flesh out their bad guys, so filmmakers gravitate toward known quantities that don’t require extra attention.

Villains like The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, and Bane already have multiple appearances in the movies. That’s not to say every version is bad, as Heath Ledger’s Clown Prince of Crime and Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton are two of the standout performances in the genre. However, going back to the same well repeatedly can open the door to problems. At least one Batman project is aware of that issue, as it’s bringing 10 villains the movies have yet to use into the fold.

Prime Video’s Batman TV Show Is Traveling Into Uncharted Territory

While most of the Dark Knight’s best work hangs up its cape and cowl on Warner Bros.’ streaming service, HBO Max, including Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, another platform is taking a swing at reimaging the hero and his world. Prime Video’s Bat-Fam is a sequel to the 2023 animated film Merry Little Batman, which sees the titular hero and his son, Damian Wayne, go up against the usual suspects, such as The Joker, Mr. Freeze, and The Penguin. Bat-Fam decides to take things in a new direction, though, by replacing the usual members of the Bat-Family with characters that rarely get a chance to flex their muscles outside of the comic books.

The name that sticks out the most among the titular group is Man-Bat, who sets up shop in Wayne Manor and just wants to play games. Unfortunately, duty calls from time to time because Gotham has an infestation, one that only the Bat-Fam can handle. The unfamiliar names on the group’s to-do list include Livewire, Killer Moth, Copperhead, Giganta, King Tut, Solomon Grundy, The Mad Hatter, Killer Frost, and Toyman. Before the credits roll on the first season of Bat-Fam, each of them gets a moment to shine, but that doesn’t mean they all have what it takes to make it to the big leagues.

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Bat-Fam May Give a Few Villains the Boost That They Need

Bat-Fam goes out of its way to make Man-Bat a character worth keeping tabs on. He’s funny, helpful in a pinch, and, most importantly, completely different from his comic book counterpart. The mad scientist bit is done again and again in every medium, and while Man-Bat doesn’t have all his bats in a row, he doesn’t visit cliche territory. Having him be more of a friend than foe to the Dark Knight could make for an interesting story on the big screen. While that idea is probably a bit too rich for Matt Reeves’ blood, as he wants to keep things as grounded as possible, James Gunn’s DC Universe is in a different place, embracing all the weird and wacky material of DC Comics.

Once Man-Bat secures his spot, next up in line should be The Mad Hatter and Toyman. Both are humans who incorporate gimmicks into their schemes that often give the Caped Crusader trouble. Like The Riddler and The Joker, they’re not physical threats, but they can create them using their big minds. A villain has to know how to be flexible, or they run the risk of being one-note. Toyman and The Mad Hatter aren’t in danger of that, so long as the filmmakers follow the blueprint that Bat-Fam is providing. Prime Video clearly recognizes that the world is overexposed to the same Batman villains, and it’s high time the movies come to the same conclusion.

Bat-Fam Season 1 is streaming on Prime Video.

Which of Bat-Fam‘s villains do you think should make the leap to the movies? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!