Batman: The Animated Series' spiritual successor gets August release date on Prime Video, and it looks gorgeous

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Batman: Caped Crusader, a spiritual successor to beloved 1990s animated classicBatman: The Animated Series(B:TAS), will swoop onto TVs globally in August.

The Dark Knight’s latest animated adventure, which will air exclusively onPrime Video, is set to stealth its way ontoAmazon’s main streaming service on Friday, August 1. All 10 episodes will arrive on launch day, as confirmed by anAmazon MGM Studios press release.

AlongsideBatman: Caped Crusader’s release date announcement, Prime Video also revealed a batch of first-look images – via the X/Twitter thread below – that show which iconicBatmancharacters will appear in the series:

Gotham City nights are on the way. Batman: Caped Crusader, a new series from Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, and Matt Reeves, arrives August 1. pic.twitter.com/YWVNNmjeTCMay 9, 2024

Billed as a reimagining of the legendary vigilante’s mythology,Batman: Caped Crusaderhas some serious talent attached to it.

Bruce Timm, who co-created the hugely popularBatman: The Animated Seriesalongside Eric Radomski, is the sole showrunner on this pseudo-sequel. Renowned director J.J. Abrams (Star Trek,Lost) is also on board as co-creator and executive producer. Matt Reeves, who helmed 2022’sThe Batmanand is currently overseeingThe Batmancinematic universe – which sits independent on James Gunn’s rebooted DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) – joins Abrams as co-creator and another executive producer. Esteemed comic book writer Ed Brubaker, who also penned episodes ofWestworld, is head writer on the project.

As for what the show is about, here’s a story synopsis, courtesy of Amazon: “Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant, and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human – the Batman. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.”

Why Batman: Caped Crusader won’t debut on Max

For those with, at the very least, a passing interest in one of DC’s most famous superheroes, the idea of seeing a Batman project on a platform that isn’t owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) might come as a surprise.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

So, why won’tBatman: Caped Crusadermake its debut onMax, aka HBO Max’s successor, in the US? It was originally due to launch on the super streamerfollowing its initial HBO Max reveal in May 2021. Both streaming platforms are owned by WBD, the parent company of DC Studios and DC Comics – and, by proxy, the entertainment behemoth that owns the rights to Batman. So far, then, so good.

However, in March 2023, it was confirmed thatBatman: Caped Crusaderwouldn’t be moving forward on Max following its apparent cancellation. WBD didn’t publicly comment on the show’s apparent shuttering but, with the studio hemorrhaging money at the time of the announcement, many observers took it as a sign that WBD was cancelling projects as a cost-cutting measure. Just look at the other anticipated productions it’s shelved over the past year, including itsBatgirlfilm andAcme vs Coyote, as proof of that.

Thankfully,Caped Crusaderwas snapped up by Amazon, alongside some other Batman projects, such asMerry Little Batman, which arrived in November 2023, for Prime Video last April. Viewers who thought they’d never seeBatman: Caped Crusader, then, were delighted that it didn’t suffer the same fate as its contemporaries. After this latest reveal, we don’t have much longer to wait for it to punch its way onto one of the world’sbest streaming services, either.

You might also like

As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

4 spy shows on Prime Video with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes

Prime Video’s smart new X-Ray feature is finally a good reason to add AI to streaming

Another reason to avoid edge-lit 4K TVs: they may fail faster than others, according to this report