You could practically hear the entire collective body of fanboys cry out in excitement it was announced earlier this year that that legendary Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm would be helming a new Batman animated series entitled Batman: Caped Crusader. Details were scarce at the time but today a video piece created exclusively for DC FanDome Executive Producers Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves along with Co-Executive Producer James Tucker shared their inspirations and early insights for this next animated chapter of the Dark Knight.

The involvement of James Tucker as a producer was previously unknown until DC FanDome. Like Timm, Tucker's career working on various DC animated projects goes back decades and he has collaborated with Timm on previous Batman animated shows.

Timm's apparent elevator pitch for Caped Crusader is "it's more Batman: The Animated Series than Batman: The Animated Series." As groundbreaking as the original Batman: TAS was for its time, the series faced certain limitations in terms of content and adult themes. For Batman: Caped Crusader, Timm is approaching this without those restrictions.

Although the producers still didn't divulge too much about Caped Crusader or even reveal any art, they did tease some of what's to come. This new animated series definitely seems to be taking a page from Batman: Year One, with Batman as a solo crime fighter early in his career. Moreover, Tucker said that Batman will be "low tech" initially and his iconic gadgets will be slowly introduced.

The major theme of the first season will focus on Batman's need to be redeemed. Tucker cautioned that "nothing is assumed in this series as far as what we're used to seeing in the world of Batman."

According to Tucker, Timm pitched the concept of Caped Crusader with the "Batman: Strange Days" animated short that he created for the Batman 75th anniversary. However, Tucker emphasized that the animated series won't be in black and white like the short, unless he can convince Timm to do a "special episode."

Timm likewise divulged that the series would lean into the German expressionism and film noir style and will lean into it in regards to clothes, hairstyles, and vehicles. While aesthetically Caped Crusader looks to the past, Timm said the series will still be modern in its representation and inclusvity.

Today at DC FanDome, fans got a first creative glimpse into Batman: Caped Crusader, the upcoming all-new animated series and reimagining of the Batman mythology.

Batman: Caped Crusader is coming soon to HBO Max and Cartoon Network and is produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Bad Robot Productions and 6th & Idaho.

Miss any of our other DC Fandome coverage? Check it out now!