Batman: The Animated Series Sequel Rumored For HBO Max

By Savannah Sanders Updated:
Batman Animated Series, HBO Max

There's been a lot of Batman news in recent months due to Matt Reeves' upcoming film The Batman, Michael Keaton's return, and Zach Snyder's cut of Justice League. And if it wasn't obvious already, Warner Bros. is comfortable having multiple Batmen in the DCEU.

But if certain rumors are true, fans may see the return of yet another Batman in the near future. 

In addition to news about a Gotham PD spinoff series for HBO Max, there are new rumors suggesting HBO Max may also be looking to revive a Batman series to add to their streaming service library and their ever-growing cast of Batmen.

NEWS

In a video from Watchtower Database highlighting a segment from Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin's Fatman Beyond live chat, both Kevin and Marc shared that they've both heard rumors about a Batman: The Animated Series sequel.

During the live video, Marc Bernardin said, "...the rumor is HBO Max is looking at making a Batman: The Animated Series sequel that they want to continue that forward."

Batman: The Animated Series was an Emmy Award-winning series that ran from 1992 to 1995 and was revered for its darker, film noir style with stories that played more towards an adult audience. The series is well-known for having Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame as the voice of the Joker, and for having first introduced the fan-favorite character of Harley Quinn. 

Kevin Smith's reaction to Marc's comments was telling prompting him to reply saying, "...I'm not involved, but I too have heard this and I've heard this from very reliable people."

Even though Marc and Kevin both emphasized this is all rumor at this point, the fact both had heard this news apart from one another is interesting. In addition, Kevin's claim that he heard this news from reliable sources definitely makes the rumor worth paying attention to and yields to its credibility.

WHAT THIS MEANS

As it now stands, Disney+ is the streaming service for all things MCU while HBO Max boasts an impressive library of both DC and DCEU properties with more on the way. Why not continue to add to that library with fresh material that continues a series fans already love? 

It's also no secret that Mark Hamill loved voicing the Joker during the series run. Since he technically made a comeback as Luke Skywalker in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, it's possible he would be interested in making a comeback as the Joker in this sequel series too. 

Finally, the character of Harley Quinn has only increased in popularity in recent years due to her own animated series and both 2016's Suicide Squad and James Gunn's upcoming film The Suicide Squad. Revisiting the series that first launched her character seems like something both the studio and the fans would be interested in. 

- About The Author: Savannah Sanders
Savannah Sanders joined The Direct as a writer in 2020. In addition to writing for The Direct's Star Wars, Marvel, and DC teams, Savannah specializes in the relationship between Disney's blockbuster franchises and the Disney Parks.