The first poster for Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall is here, and the gorgeous artwork sets the tone for 2026’s most brutal Batman movie. The film is the first of a three-part animated adaptation of the 1993 comic saga in which Bane broke the Bat, with Jeff Wamester directing a script by Jeremy Adams. Anson Mount voices Bruce Wayne, Michael Mando plays Bane, and Pablo Schreiber rounds out the leads as Jean-Paul Valley, the man who inherits the cowl once Bruce falls.
Warner Bros. revealed the poster on X, and it's really beautiful. The motion image shows Green Venom churning through the tubes feeding into Bane’s skull while Batman’s cape whips behind him, turning the image into a living painting as the two enemies collide above a dark Gotham skyline. The motion poster also looks like the movie’s eventual Blu-ray cover, arriving ahead of the film’s Digital release on August 25 and its 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD debut on September 8.
The design also has a noticeable '90s vibe. Batman sports the elongated ears and flowing cape that defined artist Kelley Jones' covers during the original comic run, while a red-eyed Bane hovers over him mid-leap with both fists raised, eager to smash the Dark Knight.
This is the second piece of key art for the movie. Warner Bros. introduced the project in June with artwork that featured the tagline, "Every man has his breaking point." A new Batman logo was also unveiled for the film, and a trailer premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival recently. The timing of this new poster is no accident either, as the movie heads to San Diego Comic-Con this Saturday, July 25, where fans expect fresh footage.
Batman’s Future on the Big Screen Looks Promising
Knightfall is just the beginning of Batman's dominance on the big screen. The next Batman project heading to theaters is Clayface. The film, which arrives on October 23, is a body horror thriller that tells the origin story of one of Batman's most notorious rogues. James Watkins directs Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a struggling actor whose desperate treatment turns his body into living clay. Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan co-star in the DCU’s first film centered on a Batman villain. Although Batman is unlikely to appear in the movie, Clayface is interesting enough to carry the story on his own.
The film released its first trailer in April, and it looked promising. It gave fans their first proper look at Matt Hagen as he gradually transforms into the clay monster he's destined to become. The footage showcased how Clayface uses his abilities and also revealed eight key locations in James Gunn's version of Gotham City.
The next live-action Batman appearance is taking longer than expected. The Batman Part II finally began filming in London this June, and Matt Reeves marked the occasion on July 15 with camera test footage of Robert Pattinson back in costume. That reveal came with a sting, though, as the sequel moved off its October 1, 2027 date and is now set to arrive on February 18, 2028. Photos from the film's Liverpool set also revealed its new logo, which switches from its predecessor's red theme to blue.
This cooler palette matches the movie's winter setting, first teased in Matt Reeves' footage of the Batmobile driving through snow. The Batman Part II is also packed with A-list actors as Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Charles Dance, and Brian Tyree Henry join returning stars Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.
Animation then takes over again with Dynamic Duo on June 30, 2028. The Swaybox Studios production mixes puppetry and CG for a story about young Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, two street kids whose paths split when Dick joins Batman, and Jason aligns with the Red Hood gang. Arthur Mintz directs the film, which Reeves produces alongside James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Last November, Swaybox also released first footage for the animated film. The clip showed a blue station wagon skidding into a rain-soaked garage and plowing through crates and a pillar
Meanwhile, the DCU’s own Bruce Wayne remains a ghost. The Brave and the Bold still lacks a release date or a lead actor, with Christina Hodson only joining as its writer this January. Fans are itching to see who the next Bruce Wayne will be, but it doesn’t seem like casting will happen anytime soon. James Gunn doesn’t want two Batman films competing, so this likely won’t happen until Reeves finishes his movie.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
