Bruce Timm is responsible for Batman: The Animated Series and returns to the Dark Knight's world with next month's Batman: Caped Crusader when the series launches on Prime Video.
Produced by Timm alongside J.J. Abrams and The Batman director Matt Reeves, the series takes place in the 1940s and pulls inspiration from the character's earliest comic book adventures. The setting isn't the only big change, though, as Timm says this story plays out even earlier in Batman's vigilante career than Frank Miller's "Year One."
"Batman is so early in his career that in the first episode, he’s still an urban myth," he tells Empire Online (via Toonado.com). "It’s not 'Year One.' It’s more like 'Week Two.'"
Elaborating on what looks to be a very different approach to Batman, Timm adds, "I wanted to make him kind of weird, and spooky. If you’re stuck in a room with Batman, whether you’re Commissioner Gordon or Barbara Gordon or Renee Montoya, you don’t feel comfortable. You’re kind of like, 'What is this guy? What’s this all about?'"
"He weaponises Alfred," he says of this Bruce Wayne. "He’s not Batman’s surrogate father anymore. He’s a guy that’s going to enable him to fight crime. That’s how focused [Bruce] is. It’s a weird take on him. But it’s something I don’t think we’ve seen before."
It doesn't sound like we're getting a traditional take on Batman in the show and that may be a good thing given how familiar his origin story is at this stage. However, it also runs the risk of upsetting fans who like seeing the character portrayed in a very specific way.
You can also see a new still from Batman: Caped Crusader below.
Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the BATMAN. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.
The series is a reimagining of the Batman mythology through the visionary lens of executive producers J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves and Bruce Timm. Batman: Caped Crusader hails from Warner Bros. Animation, Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and Reeves' 6th & Idaho.
Along with Abrams, Reeves and Timm, the show's executive producers include Ed Brubaker, James Tucker, Daniel Pipski, Rachel Rusch Rich, and Sam Register.
Confirmed Batman: Caped Crusader cast members include Midnight Mass star Hamish Linklater as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch) as Harley Quinn, Christina Ricci (Wednesday) as Catwoman, and Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show) as Harvey Dent.
Other actors lending their voices to the series in currently undisclosed roles include Minnie Driver, Eric Morgan Stuart, Michelle C. Bonilla, Krystal Joy Brown, John DiMaggio, McKenna Grace, Jason Watkins, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Donohue, David Krumholtz, Haley Joel Osment, and Toby Stephens.
Batman: Caped Crusader premieres on Prime Video on August 1.