Batman: New DC Animated Movie Gets Kung Fu-Inspired First Look

A new animated Batman movie to release in early 2021 will be based on 1970s kung fu.

By Pierre Chanliau Posted:
Richard Dragon on the left and Batman on the right

After DC released their last animated movie, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War , the animated continuity that DC had established in 2013, beginning with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox , ended. This means that new animated movies after would either be a new animated universe or far more disconnected from one another.

The first movie post- Apokolips War will be Superman: Man of Tomorrow , with a new art style that sets it apart from what came before and will set up a whole new animated universe. However, this new animated project points to Warner Bros. Animation still willing to make movies outside of its animated universe.

NEWS

After Superman: Man of Tomorrow , the next DC animated movie will be a Batman movie titled Batman: Soul of the Dragon taking place in the 1970s and clearly inspired by kung fu movies of that time.

This movie will not be based on any previously written stories from the comics with The Dark Knight (David Giuntoli) starring alongside his former classmates Richard Dragon (Mark Dacascos), Ben Turner (Michael Jai White), and Lady Shiva (Kelly Hu). The movie will also star James Hong as O-Sensei and Josh Keaton as Jeffrey Burr.

Batman: Soul of the Dragon Cast
Batman with Richard Dragon, Ben Turner, and Lady Shiva

Batman: The Animated Series ' Bruce Timm returns to Warner Bros. Animation as executive producer with Sam Liu of Reign of the Supermen and Batman: The Killing Joke directing and producing. The script will be written by Jeremy Adams who penned Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge .

WHAT THIS MEANS

Considering that the art style doesn't match Superman: Man of Tomorrow , this will likely be one of the many self-contained animated movies that Warner Bros. Animation has done over the years, especially since Bruce Timm is acting as executive producer.

That's not mentioning that it takes place in the 1970s, while also being a clear homage to kung fu movies. So, despite Warner Bros. rebooting its animated universe with Man of Tomorrow , the studio is still willing to go outside that box and make self-contained animated movies like Batman: Soul of the Dragon .

- About The Author: Pierre Chanliau
Pierre Chanliau began as a news & feature writer for The Direct at the site's launch in 2020. As a longtime reader of superhero comic books, Pierre's knowledge of Marvel and DC is extensive, informing his reporting and editorial pieces regarding the MCU and DCU.