Some time ago, DC announced another slate of animated features, including a few adaptations of beloved comic book stories. Among those announcements was a reveal forBatman: The Long Halloween, a film based on a more contained Batman comic, set during the early days of the Dark Knight’s career. Not only that, but the film is set to be a 2-parter, withBatman: The Long Halloween Part 1only recently announcing its casting list, who will presumably portray their characters in both parts, which includesSupernaturalstar, Jensen Ackles.
WhileThe Long Halloweenis more focused on one specific hero and villain than otherlarge-scale DC stories, there are still quite a few characters that appear, and that means a lot of voices to cast. The original story features Batman as he attempts to track down the elusive killer ‘Holiday,’ who picks a victim once a month on a carefully chosen holiday date.
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This is early in his career, however, Batman also has to deal with the ongoing feuds between the Maroni and Falcone crime families. Along the way, the Caped Crusader attempts to coax information out of Calendar Man, who knows the killer’s identity but only shares cryptic hints and riddles that need to be solved. The Dark Knight also crosses paths with Harvey Dent, the Riddler, and even the Joker, all of them also in the early phases of their relationships with Batman.
This time around, Batman will be played by Ackles, best known for his work as one of the leads ofThe CW’sSupernatural. Ackles will also be joined by Josh Duhamel as Harvey Dent and Billy Burke as James Gordon. Fans of theBatman: Arkham Originsvideo game will also be excited to see that Troy Baker will be taking up the role of Joker yet again. Baker’s impression of the character drew significant inspiration from Mark Hamill’s performance, and that seems likely to continue here.
The other standout casting is the lateNaya Rivera as Selina Kyle. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the formerGleestar finished her work on the project before her unexpected death last year. It seems the decision has been made to use her finished work, rather than recast the role.
There is certainly a lot of pedigree behind the project, combining a rather impressive cast list with a classic Batman story arc. It also puts Ackles up into competition withBen Affleck and Robert Pattinsonto see who is the best of the current actors to portray the Caped Crusader. Whoever ends up taking that particular prize, hopefully, the film makes the most of its talent, and fans enjoy the adaptation.
Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1will release in the summer of 2021.
