Batman: Knightfall part 1 debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival tonight. To celebrate, Warner Bros. Animation released a trailer for it, and I feel duly teased. Aside from the character design looking cool, it features something I didn’t know I wanted but now that I know… Anson Mount as Batman. Maybe voicing the Dark Knight in an animation project blocks this, but suddenly he makes perfect sense for the in development The Brave and the Bold film. No insight, no gossip here, just saying.
Potentially the most influential Batman storyline of the 90s, Knightfall was too big to be adapted into one movie. Pieces of it did, however, make it into The Dark Knight Rises. Without the context of Batman’s rogues gallery, though, it didn’t quite work. And spoiler: if they’re really following the books, by Part 3 we’re still not going to have the resolution we want. This could be a trilogy of trilogies.
This epic introduced Bane. It turned Batman into something even grimmer and grittier by introducing Jean-Paul Valley aka Azrael. We were supposed to think Azrael’s version of Batman would go too far. Turns out that in the 90s readers LOVED the pulls no punches armored version of Batman. Your mileage may vary. I’m not even sure where Azrael fits in continuity now–and I welcome someone updating me.
The details:
- DC, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released the official trailer for BATMAN: KNIGHTFALL, a three-part movie event bringing to life one of the most iconic and beloved sagas in the rich history of Batman comics.
- Part One of the trilogy, Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall premiered tonight at the 2026 edition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival with an official release planned for later this year.
- Description: When the mysterious behemoth known only as Bane frees Batman’s entire Rogue’s Gallery from Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader is pushed to his mental and physical breaking point.
- Based on characters from DC and the DC Comic Book Event, Batman: Knightfall by Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Dennis O’Neil, Peter David, Jo Duffy, Jim Aparo, Graham Nolan, Norm Breyfogle, and Jim Balent.
- Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall is directed by Jeff Wamester and written by Jeremy Adams. Rick Morales serves as Supervising Producer alongside Producers Jim Krieg and Kimberly S. Moreau. Sam Register and Michael Uslan are Executive Producers.
- Starring Anson Mount as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Michael Mando as Bane, Pablo Schreiber as Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael.
What we don’t have is a solid release date, just “..later this year.” That’s okay, because this summer is busy enough with cons and movies already. But the animation looks good and I’m ready to dive back in to the world of the animated Batman.
