It almost didn’t happen, but we can finally confirm that it will: Batman’s biological son WILL suit up in a little outfit and save the day in Merry Little Batman, an animated holiday special first announced years ago, when Warner Bros was a very different company.
Merry Little Batman was greenlit by an AT&T-owned WB that was spending money like there was no tomorrow, and meant as one of many, many projects targeted at the HBO Max streaming service. It premieres now under the umbrella of an incredibly cost-conscious Warner Bros Discovery, and only survived because an outside party was interested in ponying up the rest of the development cash. It will be an Amazon Prime Video exclusive.
The plot: Bruce Wayne gives his son Damian a Bat Suit for the holidays but won’t explain how to use it until he gets back from fighting crime. Then Batman crashes his Batwing into a large mountain and Gotham’s worst criminals have an excuse to rob the city blind on Christmas Eve. That’s when Damian decides it’s up to him to inherit the mantle and save the day.
Merry Little Batman is rendered in a goofy art style out of a children’s book, so you know not to take it seriously (not that you would). It stars the voices of Luke Wilson, Yonas Kibreab, James Cromwell and David Hornsby. The script was written by Morgan Evans and Jase Ricci and directed by Mike Roth. The soundtrack includes music by Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy fame.
This won’t be the end: Amazon liked this special enough to order more. A full series called “Bat-Family” is now in the works, starring the cookie dough looking versions of Batman, Damian and Alfred seen here. If you’re looking for something a bit less silly, Amazon also rescued Bruce Timm’s “Batman: Caped Crusader,” which still has yet to be scheduled.
