Credit: DC / Warner Bros.An unexpected Hollywood star just became Batman.
This year marks the 85th anniversary of the Caped Crusader, who has undergone countless identities since his first appearance in 1939’s “Detective Comics #27.” In film alone, many stars have donned the cape and cowl, including (but not limited to) Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson.
In animation, from television shows like Batman: The Animated Series (1992 — 1995) to video games such as the “Batman: Arkham” titles, the late Kevin Conroy was the most famous voice actor behind the Dark Knight. There’s a plethora of different stars behind the Gotham City crime-fighter, and over the years, many more will emerge from the shadows.
Related: ‘Batman’ (1989) Sequel Casts Martin Short as Riddler and Jeff Goldblum as Scarecrow
But while the Gotham City vigilante has enjoyed many different faces on both the silver screen and the small screen, it’s fair to say that DC Comics is where he’s at his most versatile — after all, comic books offer the freedom to craft exciting new versions of characters that would be hard to pull off in most other mediums. The Multiverse also has its many uses.
Now, yet another Hollywood star has been given the keys to the Batmobile. As part of Batman’s 85th-anniversary celebrations, artist Dan Mora, who’s behind the “Batman/Superman World’s Finest” series (2022 — current), has teased a new version of the World’s Greatest Detective across social media — and it’s a very “brave” and “bold” move!
Related: Live-Action ‘Batman’ Horror Movie Officially in the Works, Lead Star Revealed
That star is none other than Looney Tunes‘ carrot-chomping figurehead Bugs Bunny — another world-famous Warner Bros. character. We know what you’re thinking — Bugs Bunny isn’t actually real. True, but that doesn’t mean he can’t become the Caped Crusader — and his transformation is 100% official. But how, you ask? Why, the DC Multiverse, of course.
Or, in this case, the “Multiversus: Collision Detected.”
Bugs Bunny’s Batman has been officially teased in the form of cover art that also includes Superman and Robin, each of whom are also “played” by other Warner Bros. characters: fellow Looney Tune Taz the Tasmanian Devil and Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, respectively. Check out the incredible cover art below as shared by Dan Mora on X (formerly Twitter):
Multiversus: Collision Detected #4 cover
Multiversus: Collision Detected #4 cover pic.twitter.com/NxVW9646qT
— Dan Mora (@Danmora_c) July 21, 2024
Revealed on June 14, “Multiversus: Collision Detected” is an upcoming six-part comic book series published by DC Comics and based on the game “Multiversus” (2022), which features several different Warner Bros. characters, and not just ones from DC or Warner Bros. — there are familiar faces from other WB properties such as The Matrix and Game of Thrones!
This might all sound very familiar. The 2021 sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy, which is mostly fronted by Looney Tunes characters, also features countless Warner Bros. characters (most of whom make up the crowd of spectators during the basketball games). The film stars NBA legend LeBron James, who also appears in the video game “Multiverses.”
But the slam-dunk titan LeBron often overshadows everyone in his orbit (just ask any one of his LA Lakers teammates), so let’s shift the focus back to Bugs! Here are some fans’ reactions to Dan Mora’s post on X:
One user describes Bugs “Bat” Bunny as being “more cool” than he’s ever been:
Nobody has ever made any looney tunes character more cool than this man right here. Same with Shaggy and everybody else!
Nobody has ever made any looney tunes character more cool than this man right here.
Same with Shaggy and everybody else !— Gus (@Ovatsugp) July 21, 2024
Another “absolutely loves” the new Caped Crusader:
I absolutely love this
I absolutely love this 🎨 pic.twitter.com/vRHdctHFwS
— Michael J™ (@Arthurknight) July 21, 2024
One user points out that Bat-Bugs’ “Batarang” is an actual carrot:
Beautiful! Is the bat dart a carrot?!
Beautiful! Is the bat dart a carrot?！
— Michael YG (@Micheal_YG) July 22, 2024
@iantattoos hilariously points out that Dan Mora has got it “all wrong,” sharing a picture of a 1991 McDonalds Happy Meal toys lineup, in which Bugs is actually Superman and Daffy Duck is Batman:
Wrong! All wrong! How DARE you, sir?!
Wrong! All wrong! How DARE you, sir?! pic.twitter.com/XQq8MOPo9x
— Ian Rust (absolute pinnacle of true masculinity) (@iantattoos) July 22, 2024
Related: Michael Keaton’s New Batsuit Revealed Ahead of Upcoming ‘Batman’ (1989) Sequel
The game itself also appears in the upcoming comic book series, which sees Bruce Wayne/Batman, Clark Kent/Superman, and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman encountering the likes of Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo, Marvin the Martian, and Tom and Jerry.
The synopsis reads:
“Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince, and Clark Kent each wake in a cold sweat, troubled by strange dreams they’ve had about “the rabbit,” “the star child,” and “the witch.” Their investigation into these enigmatic visions brings them to unexpected locales and unusual characters, but none more unusual than the mysterious “rabbit” from their dreams as they find themselves face-to-face with the one and only Bugs Bunny.
What the heck is going on here? And who in the name of the Multiverse are “the star child” and “the witch”?
The hit video game spills from your screen and into the DCU, and it’s bringing a whole lot of friends from some of your favorite universes with it!”
Written by Bryan Q Miller and Jon Sommariva, “Multiversus: Collision Detected” goes on sale from September 18, with each subsequent issue releasing every two weeks thereafter, ending with issue #4, for which the above cover art has been created, on October 30.
New Batman Content
In fact, October is the month in which many things Batman-related are happening, including the movie sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, the novel “Batman: Resurrection” which is a sequel to Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), and the video game “Batman: Arkham Shadow.”
DC Comics’ “Batman/Superman: World’s Finest Issue 30” will be hitting shelves, too. The upcoming issue features a variant cover that pays homage to Michael Keaton’s Batman (again, from Dan Mora), as this year also marks the 35th anniversary of Burton’s 1989 film.
Batman Beyond 2024
Batman’s Gotham City outings will continue long after 2024 is over. The highly anticipated Robert Pattinson-led sequel The Batman Part II is scheduled for theatrical release in 2026, while the DC Universe reboot The Brave and the Bold (TBA) is also in the works.
On the smaller screen, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (TBA), the sequel to 2018’s dark and mind-bending anime movie Batman Ninja, has been given the green light.
What do you think about the iconic Bugs Bunny donning the cape and cowl as Batman? Can you think of any puns that celebrate both characters? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!