Posted in: Max, streaming, TV | Tagged: Batman, dc studios, dcu, gotham, gotham knights, james gunn

No, Disney Isn't Keeping Batman Off TV; "Strange Rumor": James Gunn

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn addressed the "strange rumor" that Disney is the one keeping Batman off of our television screens.

Okay, right out of the gate? This is one of those rumors that we've heard for so long that our brains just assumed that there was some level of truth to it – but according to DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn, it's not the case. One thing that Batman fans have noticed over the years is that there hasn't been a whole lot of The Dark Knight on television since Adam West hung up his tights for good. Sure, we've got Bruce Wayne and references to Batman in the past in shows like Gotham, Batwoman, Gotham Knights, and others – but never The Dark Knight himself in full-on television action. Whatever the reason might be, Gunn took to Threads today to debunk the "strange rumor" that Disney owns the rights to having Batman on television – and that's why he's been MIA.

Here's a look at the question posed to Gunn regarding the small-screen rights issues regarding The Dark Knight:

Batman: Ed Brubaker on "Caped Crusader" & BTAS Being Different

During an episode of the Comic Book Club that went out before the end of the year, ED Brubaker offered some insights into what viewers can expect from his and fellow executive producers Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves & Sam Register's Batman: Caped Crusader. Some quick highlights included Greg Rucka (Gotham Central) penning the first season's second episode (spotlighting the introduction of Gotham City PD's Renée Montoya) and Halley Gross (The Last of Us, Westworld) also writing an episode. As for the episodes themselves, Brubaker revealed that he's seen the first episode cuts – and made it clear that the upcoming animated series is "definitely a different take" on what's come before it – including Batman: The Animated Series.

"I'll warn you guys, it's definitely a lot different than [Batman: The Animated Series]. It's very much a reconception of starting over. It's not PG-13, but it's definitely, it's a lot different," Brubaker shared, giving viewers an important heads-up ahead of time that helps avoid any unfair comparisons. "It's sort of like the show Bruce Timm always wanted to make but that they wouldn't let him make. There's a lot more, you know, people actually getting punched on camera, and… I don't want to spoil it for you guys, but it's… everyone will kill me if I say it, but it's kind of 'noir.' It's definitely a different take that I hope people will love, but I think people will also be shocked by some things." Here's a look at the entire episode – with Brubaker diving into a lot of television talk beginning at around 45:30 mark:

"'Batman: The Animated Series' helped pioneer in the evolution of superhero storytelling and defined the Dark Knight for a generation," said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon & MGM Studios, in a statement when the two additional Batman universe series were announced back in April. "'Batman: Caped Crusader' will no doubt continue that tradition and, alongside 'Merry Little Batman' and 'Bat-Family,' we're thrilled to collaborate with Warner Bros. Animation to offer a variety of takes of the Batman mythos to our global Prime Video customers." The animated series is based on characters from DC and is produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Bad Robot Productions, and 6th & Idaho.

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