Batman will have plenty to do in the near future, if Annecy is any indication. Dueling trailers have him starring in both Season 2 of Bruce Timm’s Batman: Caped Crusader and the first chapter of Batman: Knightfall, a planned trilogy of movies.
Caped Crusader is coming first, at the end of next month. The trailer starts with a familiar-looking bank blowing up and descends further into a Gotham falling apart, resonant with the rat-a-tat of tommy guns and fists flying everywhere. And the ringleader doesn’t appear to be the Joker we were promised at the end of Season One, but…the Riddler. He’s acting rather out of character, more into the direct approach of violent crime than that of striking silently, leaving clues and trails.
We don’t know who his moll is supposed to be…the red and green outfit is definitely Ivy’s color, but that doesn’t mean it IS Ivy. As for Joker, he and Riddler seem to be swapping roles. The Clown Prince appears toward the end, staying in the shadows while taunting Batman with psychological barbs.
Following the release of Caped Crusader will be Batman: Knightfall Trilogy, the first chapter of which debuts sometime later in 2026. Even though they won’t attach a date to this movie, it appears to be done, as it was screened at Annecy just yesterday. It hasn’t been rated by the MPA yet either, but it is expected to get an R along with the other two parts.
You likely know the story: Bane, a new supervillain from South America, has developed a “Venom Formula” to make himself super-strong. He vows to be the one to take down the Bat, and enacts a scheme to do so that involves breaking every inmate out of Gotham in one night. Then, once Bats is worn out from taking all those other guys down, Bane can swoop in and break his back.
Batman: Caped Crusader will premiere all ten of its episodes on Amazon Prime July 31. The first act of Batman: Knightfall will follow later this year.
