A new Batman tale is hitting screens in November with Bat-Fam, and the show's stars and creator shared some exciting details with The Direct at New York Comic-Con, including confirmation of an appearance from a surprising DC villain. Bat-Fam (previously titled Bat-Family) is an animated follow-up series to the 2023 Christmas film Merry Little Batman. Transitioning this story from a film into a series opened up a world of opportunities to introduce new and unexpected DC characters into the dynamic of the Bat-Fam.
Stars Yonas Kibreab (Damian Wayne), London Hughes (Alicia Pennyworth), and Bobby Moynihan (Man-Bat) spoke about their characters' places in the Bat-Fam hierarchy. Moynihan compared his take on Man-Bat as being like a "drunk uncle," while Kibreab said Bruce Wayne's offspring "keeps everybody on their toes." The group also shared their thoughts on Bat-Fam opening alongside James Gunn's growing new DCU and expressed their desires to join in.
Creator and showrunner Mike Roth revealed how the new Prime Video series provided new storytelling opportunities for Batman and his gallery of rogues that hadn't been utilized before. Among the plethora of already-confirmed villains for Bat-Fam, like Clayface and Killer Croc, Roth shared that "Toyman does make an appearance, and it's a really fun take."
Bat-Fam is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and will be released on Amazon Prime Video (where Merry Little Batman also streams) starting November 10, 2025.
Bat-Fam Cast Explains Their Dysfunctional Family Dynamic
"We All Have a Man-Bat in Our Lives..."
- The Direct: How does your character fit into the Bat-Fam dynamic?
Yonas Kibreab: "He is very energetic, and he keeps everybody on their toes. And I think Damian is overall, just a very energetic but also very loving kid. And, yeah, he's almost kind of like me. Like I just go into the booth and be myself and just bring my energy that I usually have."
London Hughes: "Alicia literally forced her way into the Bat family, and I force my way into everything. So I was just being myself. She's like the voice of reason, but also the party girl, also the wild one, the adventurous one, the studious one, but then somehow has heart. And I love the juxtaposition between her and Batman, because he's a jaded dad and he's got these two little annoying kids running around the mansion. So we need someone like Alicia to keep everything in check and keep him in check. So it's a good balance."
Bobby Moynihan: "We all have a Man-Bat in our lives. It's very drunk uncle. It's very the guy in your family that you're not that everyone's like 'uh-oh, here he comes', but like lovable idiot living upstairs in the attic. I feel like everyone's got that right? Crazy person living in their attic, right?"
Dream Bat-Fam DC Character Additions
"Toyman Does Make an Appearance..."
- The Direct: We've got a great cast of characters here from all corners of Batman lore. Is there anyone else that you would like to introduce, hypothetically, in a future season?
Bobby Moynihan: "Has Toyman come up?"
Mike Roth: "We can talk about that. Toyman does make an appearance, and it's a really fun take on Toyman.
You know, if we get more at some point, I'd love to see Tahlia and see what she does. We have ideas for her, but we're not at that point yet."
Yonas Kibreab: "I would like to see the conflict between Batman and Superman, like they're just roasting each other, that would be cool."
London Hughes: "Imagine if like Superman was, like, a drunk, like, just so tired. He's got seven baby mums, and he's like an old dad. They're both dads, super dads."
Yonas Kibreab: "But then they get along because they're dads. Like, they have something in common."
London Hughes: "I want to see Catwoman, but older and like, maybe she's got a bunch of cats and she's single. That cat woman dating [trope]. Like a grandma, Grandma Catwoman, Cat Grandma, but she's back in the game."
How Bat-Fam Is Different From Any Other Batman Story
"We Get To See a Domesticated Bruce [Wayne] for the First Time..."
- The Direct: How do you think this particular story and the animated format opened up new opportunities to tell a Batman story?
Mike Roth: "I mean, we get to see a domesticated Bruce [Wayne] for the first time, right? And we get to see what he's like as a dad. And like I said in the panel, he's used to solving his problems with his fists and his amazing batarangs, all his amazing equipment, but he doesn't have any of those tools now, so he has to figure out how to navigate this family life that honestly, he didn't really have. It was just him and Alfred. So he doesn't have a frame of reference. It's fun to see and it's fun to see him figure this out with all these new misfits in the house."
- The Direct: Are there any particular comic storylines or parts of Batman lore you drew on in this series?
Mike Roth: "That's interesting. You know, we have this kind of unique take on Batman, and I think we just kind of lean into that. We're always tethered to the source, but we're also exploring story lines that are family related, right? And that's the entry point for us and for the audience as well."
Bat-Fam Stars Want To Join James Gunn's DCU
"James [Gunn], if You're Watching, We Want To Be a Part of the Live Action..."
- The Direct: Bat-Fam is being released at the same time that the DCU in general is getting a bit of a reset. How do you think this show complements or contrasts what's going on in the cinematic universe?
London Hughes: "This is the thing. We don't know what Mr. James Gunn is doing, but I'm just saying, James, if you're watching, we want to be a part of the live action. We want to be in it. Let us, because we can do it. We're not just voices. Give us a job. Yeah, we're excited to see what he does with it, but we don't know. It's nice that we exist in the DC universe, to some extent."
Bobby Moynihan: "I think the best part about it is that Man-Bat, I've heard is definitely coming into the live action DC Universe. No, I'm kidding. I wish, someday. I'm starting rumors on the internet myself. No, but it is cool to be a part of that whole new burgeoning universe, like it's doing so well. I just finished watching 'Peacemaker' the other night. Like, what a blast. And just being in that DC Universe at this point is, very, very exciting. But that being said, live-acction Man-Bat, Summer 2027."
