Batman: Caped Crusader Has A “Really Weird” Dark Knight And A Scarier Harley Quinn

The Dark Knight returns to TV screens later this year, and you’ll want to prepare yourself because things are about to get weird. Batman: Caped Crusader premieres August 1 on Prime Video–it was originally as an HBO Max series in 2021 before it was passed over–and will see Batman fighting crime in a ’40s-set period of Gotham. With Batman: The Animated Series co-creator Bruce Timm serving as executive producer, this series is aiming to be a different take on Batman.

Compared to the 1992-95 animated series, there won’t be computers or other high-tech gear for Batman to rely on, as he’ll be limited by the technology of the period. “We decided to really lean into that in terms of the clothes, the cars, the architecture, and the level of technology,” Timm said to Entertainment Weekly. “Early on, we decided there would be no computers and no cell phones. That changed everything.”

Also different is Batman’s psychology, as Timm described him as being a “really weird human being” who is Batman 24/7. While other Batman media has explored the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne, Caped Crusader will instead portray the character as Batman inside and out. The Bruce Wayne who appears in public is Batman’s real mask, a persona where he pretends to be someone that he isn’t. And when Batman does hit the streets, expect a more mysterious incarnation of the Gotham vigilante that hasn’t been seen on TV before.

“The idea was to keep him so removed that no one knows who he is, and no one knows what he’s about,” character designer James Tucker added. “We try to wipe out the foregone conclusion that he’s a hero, whether it’s for the police, regular citizens of Gotham, or the viewers.”

Batman will square off against some familiar enemies, but they’ll also be inspired by the original Bob Kane and Bill Finger comics. Catwoman is once again dressed to kill with her costume, while Clayface is a nod to classic horror movies with his design. Caped Crusader will also see a radically different version of Harley Quinn, one who isn’t defined by her relationship with the Joker and is now an Asian American person. A Gotham City psychiatrist by day and a jester-themed supervillain at night, Harley Quinn has weaponized her psychiatric skills and is the inverse of the character’s usual portrayal in film and TV.

Her daytime persona is more whimsical and fun according to Timm–who co-created her alongside Paul Dini for Batman: The Animated Series–but at night she’s described as scary and more serious.