DC Studios shared a look at a new version of Batman named Azrael for the next solo Dark Knight movie. Batman's future has gone through its ups and downs at DC Studios, with multiple live-action movies in various stages of development in the main DC Universe and DC Studios' expanding Elseworlds slate.
DC Studios released the first official trailer for a trilogy of Batman films titled the Batman: Knightfall Trilogy, with the first set to be released later this year. One of the biggest talking points of this trailer was the movie's new version of Batman, as a character named Jean-Paul Valley (also known as Azrael) will take over the mantle.
Seen on multiple occasions in this trailer, the footage opens with Robin asking Batman if they should ask Valley for help after an incident at Arkham Asylum. When Robin makes this happen, Valley tells the young man to "suit up" before the two of them jump into action against Batman's rogues gallery.
Azrael is seen wearing an advanced red-and-yellow suit, complete with a pair of flaming blades protruding from his arms and a long cape flowing from his back.
He also wears a black-and-red mask with shining white eyes under a dark hood, providing an intimidating look when he goes into battle. The trailer shows him giving villains like Bane all they can handle, using his modified genetics and advanced healing and stamina to his advantage.
In the final shot of the trailer, Azrael is seen wearing a blue and yellow suit with high-powered gauntlets, as he faces off against Bane. This will come after he takes over the Batman mantle from Bruce Wayne, although is unclear how long it will take for this trilogy to introduce him. Bane breaking Batman is one of the key turning point moments in this story, which will set Azrael up to take his place as Gotham's protector.
The trailer shows off Azrael's enhanced skills, including a shot that shows him glowing with a blue hue around him. This could be a depiction of his accelerated healing or enhanced senses, which are partly imbued in him through the use of mystical artifacts.
Batman: Knightfall Trilogy will deliver a trio of stories that reimagines the highly regarded Batman: Knightfall storyline from DC Comics, written by Chuck Dixon, Jo Duffy, Alan Grant, Dennis O'Neil, and Doug Moench. This trilogy does not yet have a release date, but the cast includes Anson Mount (Inhumans) as Batman, Michael Mando (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) as Bane, Pablo Schreiber (Halo) as Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael, and David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) as the Riddler.
The full trailer can be seen below:
How Azrael Becomes Batman in Knightfall Comic
In the original Knightfall storyline from DC Comics, Bane puts Bruce Wayne in the worst position of his life, breaking his back and his spirit and forcing him to step away from the Batman mantle and the responsibility of protecting Gotham. Needing time to recover, he appoints Jean-Paul Valley as his successor, bypassing Dick Grayson.
Most of his abilities come from intense subconscious training and conditioning he endured in his youth, but he was unaware that he was being controlled by a 500-year-old religious sect that his ancestors belonged to for a long time. Along with a flaming sword and advanced gauntlets, Azrael's powers include enhanced physiology and superhuman-level martial arts prowess.
This movie will be the first of many to explore different versions of Batman, though it should be the most intense look at what happens outside the Bruce Wayne sphere. That trend will eventually continue in DC Studios' The Brave and the Bold, which will introduce the DCU's new Batman alongside his biological son, Damian Wayne, and other members of the larger Bat-family.
Even though this movie is animated, the trailer sets up one of the scariest Batman stories fans have seen on screen. While Batman breaking was previously seen in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, this will be a much more comic-accurate take on the story, diving deeper into the psychological trauma of the titular hero.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
