For any Bat-geeks who thought Christopher Nolan’s trilogy closer The Dark Knight Rises wasn’t enough of a tectonic cultural event, Frank Miller’s gritty comic book The Dark Knight Returns finally makes the leap to the movies next month as an animated feature.
Although Miller’s 1986 miniseries only comprised four issues, its jarring tech-noir fable about fallen heroes, corrupted cultures and mutant takeovers rebooted Batman across media. From Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman blockbuster and Bruce Timm’s influential Batman: The Animated Series all the way to Nolan’s live-action epics, everyone has bowed to Miller’s revisionism.
The new movie, shepherded by Timm and with Robocop actor Peter Weller as the voice of a resurgent Bruce Wayne, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part One touches down Sept. 25 on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s the 15th, and the most ambitious, of the DC Universe animated films.
An excellently cast Weller is joined by Batman: Under the Red Hood‘ s Wade Williams as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, The Social Network’ s David Selby as Commissioner Gordon and This Is Spinal Tap’ s Michael McKean as poor Dr. Bartholomew Wolper.
Warner Bros. Animation has not yet divulged who it has cast as Joker, but we’re partial to John DiMaggio ( Futurama, Adventure Time), whose brutal clown prince of crime reigned over Batman: Under the Red Hood, one of the DC Universe’s finest animated films.
Since Miller didn’t trot out Superman as Ronald Reagan’s stooge until late in the pages of The Dark Knight Returns, the Man of Steel voice-casting information should become available before the second half of the animated two-parter touches down in early 2013.
Who do you think should be cast as the Dark Knight’s only real superheroic competition, as well as his murderous nemesis? And what do you think about Weller donning the cowl? Let us know in the comments section, after you check out Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part One’ s first trailer below and art gallery above. To your pain caves!
