Credit: DC / Warner Bros.The entire cast for the upcoming Batman reboot has finally been revealed.
Unless you’ve been hiding in the shadows of Gotham City, you’ll know by now that the upcoming new DC Universe (DCU) will include yet another Batman reboot, which is being spearheaded by DC Studios’ co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
DCU’s Upcoming Batman Reboot
Not to be confused with The Batman (2022) — which forms part of DC’s “Elseworlds” (a fancy name for DC projects that have no place in a shared cinematic universe) — the new film will be titled The Brave and the Bold (TBA), based on the DC comics of the same name.
However, fans expecting to see Ben Affleck reprise his role as Gotham City’s Caped Crusader in the new movie will be sorely disappointed, as a new actor is set to take up the mantle.
The version of the DCU film series in which Ben Affleck enjoyed several outings (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Justice League, and The Flash) is now defunct. As such, a new actor will don the iconic cape and cowl in the upcoming Batman reboot.
In live action, they will follow in the footsteps of Adam West (the 1960s television series and movie adaptation), Michael Keaton (Tim Burton’s two films), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight trilogy), Ben Affleck (the previous DCU), and Robert Pattinson (2022’s The Batman).
But while we’re all waiting to see who the new Bruce Wayne/Batman will be in live action, a new actor has just been cast on the animated side of the franchise.
What’s the New Batman Reboot?
While Batman has several live-action movies under his utility belt, he’s just as familiar with animated television shows. In fact, there are well over a dozen that span the decades — and that’s just shows; there are also several feature-length animated movies.
The Adventures Of Batman (1968 — 1969), The New Adventures Of Batman (1977), Batman: The Animated Series (1992 — 1995), The New Batman Adventures (1997 — 1999), and Batman Beyond (1999 — 2001) are just a few examples of his more colorful outings in the TV show format.
But now, a brand-new Batman animated series is lurking in the shadows.
Related: Batman: Every Returning Version of the Dark Knight Explained
Batman: Caped Crusader
Bruce Timm, the creator of the cult classic Batman: The Animated Series, is developing a new Batman reboot titled Batman: Caped Crusader (2024) for Prime Video.
Stylistically and tonally, Timm’s ’90s series is heavily inspired by Tim Burton’s two films, Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). However, Caped Crusader will break new ground for the franchise by taking place in the 1940s, which has allowed the creators to give fans a Batman and Gotham City unburdened by modern-day (and futuristic) technology.
“[Character designer] James [Tucker] and I are both really big fans of movies from that era [the 1940s],” Timm recently told Entertainment Weekly, “so we decided to really lean into that in terms of the clothes, the cars, the architecture, and the level of technology. Early on, we decided there would be no computers and no cell phones. That changed everything.”
In Caped Crusader, per the official description, “wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human — the BATMAN,” whose “one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD [Gotham City Police Department] and City Hall,” adding that “his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.”
Now, in an exclusive interview with some of the show’s newly confirmed cast members, Vanity Fair also reveals who’s playing who, including the Dark Knight himself. In fact, as the actors recorded their lines separately, partly because early production took place during the end of the COVID-19 lockdowns, no one knew who their fellow co-stars were — until now.
Related: ‘Batman’ (1989) “Direct Sequel” Will Recast Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight
Who’s in the New Batman Reboot?
Batman: Caped Crusader Cast and Characters
Diedrich Bader (Napoleon Dynamite) will take on double duties as Gotham’s district-attorney-turned-madman Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Jamie Chung (Big Hero 6) will become the “Clown Princess of Gotham” Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, and Christina Ricci (Wednesday) will be slipping into the catsuit as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.
Vanity Fair has also shared exclusive images of the characters from the upcoming Batman reboot on X (Twitter):
“There’s a new Batman, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn in town—meet the voices of the new retro-noir series ‘Batman: Caped Crusader.’ Take an exclusive look at the series: vntyfr.com/PJM1fvM“
There’s a new Batman, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn in town—meet the voices of the new retro-noir series ‘Batman: Caped Crusader.’
Take an exclusive look at the series: https://t.co/44J712eqdw pic.twitter.com/hZIorijxDr
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) June 20, 2024
The animated series will feature several familiar Gotham City inhabitants, both of the hero and villain variety, such as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Clayface, Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and, of course, Bruce Wayne/Batman himself.
While it’s reasonable to expect many more (after all, several more cast members have been confirmed — keep reading), these are the only characters who’ve been confirmed. Will we also see the likes of Joker, Riddler, and Penguin show up? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Caped Crusader‘s New Bruce Wayne/Batman Actor
Either way, with the likes of Yellowjackets‘ Christina Ricci onboard, it’s a star-studded cast, for sure. But, more importantly, who’s playing Bruce Wayne/Batman? Remember the terrifying priest from Mike Flanagan’s gothic horror miniseries Midnight Mass (2021)?
How can you forget. That’s right — Hamish Linklater is the latest actor to don the cape and cowl in animation.
Though hardly keeping in line with the whole secret-identity thing, Linklater makes his reveal while narrating as Batman in a new teaser for the upcoming series, in which he also confirms all the other actors who’ll be appearing as additional Gotham City heroes and villains (McKenna Grace, Toby Stephens, Gary Anthony Williams, Minnie Driver, and more).
Check it out below, per Prime Video on X:
“The names behind the heroes and villains of Batman: Caped Crusader, premiering August 1”
The names behind the heroes and villains of Batman: Caped Crusader, premiering August 1 pic.twitter.com/pJ5ta1o7nI
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) June 20, 2024
Related: Upcoming ‘Batman’ (1989) Sequel: Every Returning Character Explained
“I never in a million bajillion years imagined that I would actually get the part,” Linklater told Vanity Fair. “Not only had I never been cast to do voiceover work before this, but also — it’s Batman! You don’t go from zero to Mount Olympus. Then I got the call and I screamed so loud. I just ran and grabbed my kids and was just like, ‘Dad’s Batman!'”
In animation, Linklater follows in the legendary footsteps of the late Kevin Conroy, who lent his vocal talents to Batman in numerous animated shows, movies, and video games.
Linklater said of his version of the character, “Bruce Wayne is the mask. He’s the secret identity. He’s the invention. Batman is the actual character, the actual guy.”
He added, “It’s set in the ’40s, [so I just thought of] how Batman would try to play himself off as a playboy socialite. I think I just tried to swing and swing and swing until I made contact with something.”
Where Can I Watch Caped Crusader?
Batman: Caped Crusader has 10 episodes and will be available to stream on Prime Video from August 1.
The series is produced under Warner Bros. Animation, Bad Robot Productions, and 6th & Idaho. JJ Abrams, Bruce Timm, Ed Brubaker, James Tucker, Daniel Pipski, Rachel Rusch Rich, Sam Register, and Matt Reeves (director of The Batman) are all onboard as executive producers.
It stars Hamish Linklater (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Diedrich Bader (Harvey Dent/Two-Face), Jamie Chung (Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn), and Christina Ricci (Selina Kyle/Catwoman).
McKenna Grace, Toby Stephens, Reid Scott, Dan Donohue, Gary Anthony Williams, Minnie Driver, Jason Watkins, John Dimaggio, Krystal Joy Brown, Michelle C Bonilla, Eric Morgan Stuart, and Tom Kenny also star in undisclosed roles.
Other Upcoming Projects Featuring the Dark Knight
This year, Batman the Caped Crusader turns 85 years old. So there are several upcoming projects to look forward to, including the aforementioned big-screen Batman reboot.
The “Batman: Arkham” video game series is getting a new virtual reality (VR) addition titled “Batman: Arkham Shadow” (2024), which will be released later this year. The anime film Batman Ninja (2018) is also getting a sequel titled Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (TBA).
The Batman — Part II (2026), which will see Robert Pattinson return in the titular role, will be released on October 2, 2026, and the spinoff series The Penguin (2024), featuring Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, will begin streaming on Max in September.
The sequel Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) will see Joaquin Phoenix reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, this time opposite Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn. It will be released on October 4.
A novel titled “Batman: Resurrection” (2024), which acts as a “direct sequel” to Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), will be released by Penguin Random House on October 15.
What do you think about this new Bruce Wayne/Batman casting? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!