It seems like The Penguin won’t be the only DC show that will spoil Batman fans in 2024, as Batman: Caped Crusader looks incredible. Max’s upcoming show The Penguin builds off of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, with Colin Farrell’s gangster Oswald Cobblepott filling the power vacuum left behind by Carmine Falcone in The Batman‘s ending. The Penguin might not feature Robert Pattinson’s Batman, but it will likely set up the plot of Reeves’ The Batman — Part II and transform the Penguin into a much bigger threat to Gotham City.

A little over a month before The Penguin premieres on Max in September 2024, Batman: Caped Crusader presents a brand-new take on Gotham in animated form. Produced by Matt Reeves, Bruce Timm, and J.J. Abrams, Batman: Caped Crusader follows Hamish Linklater’s Batman as he faces a variety of classic villains in a 1940s Gotham City. Batman: Caped Crusader is set to premiere on August 1st, 2024, on Amazon Prime Video, and the first trailer reveals some exciting footage.

Batman: The Caped Crusader’s Trailer Is Incredibly Good

Batman: The Caped Crusader Promises To Be On Par With Batman: The Animated Series

Batman: Caped Crusader‘s first trailer shows a noir-inspired Gotham filled with outlaws wielding Tommy guns, corrupt politicians, and terrorist attacks, not to mention a multitude of villains about to take over Gotham. In Batman: Caped Crusader, Batman’s timeless story is creatively reinvented with references to the Dark Knight’s early comic book appearances. For instance, Batman wears a suit with short gloves and a cowl with long ears (similar to his costume in 1939’s Detective Comics #27) and Catwoman is wearing her original, 1940 Batman #1 costume, with loose hair and a cape.

Yet, Batman: Caped Crusader is also shaking up its 1940s inspirations with a few fresh twists. For example, Batman: Caped Crusader‘s Harley Quinn is drastically different; she’s wearing a darker harlequin costume and a creepy mask, and she seemingly has no connections to the Joker, who’s absent in the trailer. Batman: Caped Crusader seems to strike a balance between comic-accurate extravaganza and the mystery-thriller tone of 1940s-era noir films and serials — a superb tonal balance previously seen in Bruce Timm and Paul Dini’s Batman: The Animated Series.

DC Fans Are Being Spoiled In 2024

2024 Has Been A Varied Year In Terms Of DC Projects

The Penguin and Batman: Caped Crusader offer refreshing takes on Batman’s corner of the DC universe and prove that despite the immense amount of Batman adaptations across all media, it’s still possible to treat fans with innovative projects centered around the Dark Knight and Gotham City. What’s more, The Penguin and Batman: Caped Crusader are joined by Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folié a Deux in 2024. Coming from Joker‘s record-breaking $1.074-billion run in 2019, Joker: Folié a Deux gears up to match and surpass its predecessor and reaffirm the Joker’s status as a top-tier DC property.

DC’s widely varied 2024 projects outside the comic book medium were trailblazed by My Adventures with Superman season 2, which continues to grow its fanbase with new takes on Superman characters, like Supergirl and the ever-evolving Brainiac, as well as thrilling plot twists that set up many future storylines. My Adventures with Superman and Batman: Caped Crusader will also be joined by the animated show Creature Commandos — the DCU’s first project, which will introduce key DCU characters such as Rick Flag Sr., who will return in live-action shortly afterward.

Will The Penguin Or Batman: Caped Crusader Be 2024’s Best DC Show?

Both The Penguin And Batman: Caped Crusader Have The Potential To Be Standout DC Shows

Leaving the DCEU’s interconnectivity behind, each 2024 DC project enjoys the advantages of being set in its own distinct timeline. This means that viewers can choose the DC projects they like without missing out on important information about an overarching story. It also provides the artists behind the projects with creative freedom to take their ideas in whatever direction they wish without affecting other titles. Therefore, both The Penguin and Batman: Caped Crusader have the same potential to take the top spot in popularity in 2024.

The Penguin will be a breath of fresh air for live-action Batman fans, as it will explore a live-action Gotham City from the eyes of a character different to Batman. Unlike Joker, The Penguin follows a Gotham villain who knows that the Dark Knight exists out there, and Oswald Cobblepot will build his empire accordingly. Meanwhile, Batman: Caped Crusader will be a treat for animation enthusiasts who have liked recent shows like X-Men ’97, as Batman: Caped Crusader is set to make the most out of its animated format and approach the source material seriously and respectfully as well.

• 

  The Penguin

  TV-MA

  Crime

  Drama

  Cast

  Colin Farrell
  , Cristin Milioti
  , Clancy Brown
  , Michael Zegen
  , Rhenzy Feliz
  , Alex Anagnostidis
  , Craig Walker

  Seasons

  1

  Franchise(s)

  Batman
  , DC Elseworlds

  See at HBO Max

• 

  Batman: Caped Crusader (2024)

  Not Rated

  Animation

  Sci-Fi

  Fantasy

  Superhero

  Cast

  Hamish Linklater
  , Christina Ricci
  , Jamie Chung
  , Diedrich Bader
  , Mckenna Grace
  , Toby Stephens
  , Reid Scott

  Seasons

  1

  Franchise(s)

  Batman