One of Batman‘s most iconic storylines might be heading to screens. Recent industry filings suggest Warner Bros. Animation is developing Knightfall as an animated trilogy, though the project’s future remains uncertain in DC’s ongoing development. According to documents on the Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR), which, according to its website, “provides a unique identifier for audiovisual content across the global entertainment industry,” DC animation veteran Jeff Wamester is set to direct Batman: Knightfall: Part 1. Wamester previously helmed the animated Crisis on Infinite Earths.
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The original Knightfall storyline, published in April 1993 in three parts – Knightfall, Knightquest, and Knightsend – is best known for delivering one of Batman’s most devastating and iconic defeats. The narrative follows Bane breaking the Dark Knight’s back, leading to Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael) taking up the mantle of Batman. Valley’s brutal methods and eventual defeat of Bane ultimately force Bruce Wayne to reclaim the cowl with help from Robin and Nightwing.
While the EIDR filing lists a 2024 release date and one-hour runtime, these appear to be placeholder entries. The project’s status remains unclear, particularly given recent changes in DC Studios’ leadership under James Gunn and Peter Safran. The uncertainty stems from DC’s current focus on establishing its new unified universe.
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You never know. Right now, I couldn’t say anything as far as what they want to do beyond these,” Tomorrowverse executive producer Butch Lukic told ComicBookMovie. “Obviously, the James Gunn DC Universe is what’s important right now; as far as anything to jump off of this stuff, I think it’s very secondary so it’s going to be more aligned to whatever the DCU is as James Gunn works it out.”
The timing of this potential project is particularly interesting, given DC Studios’ current slate as well as progress on the projects already announced. Speaking about the upcoming live-action Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Gunn previously made it clear that a solid screenplay is critical to that project moving forward, which has led some fans to question if the project will come to fruition.
“Until we have a screenplay that I’m totally happy with, that movie is not going to get made, no matter what it is,” Gunn said. “It’s going to be based always on that, on the story, because at the end of the day, if we’re happy with the story that we’re telling, that’s what matters most.”
Despite these concerns, Warner Bros. typically releases 2-4 animated features annually, suggesting there’s still an audience for these projects. The Knightfall trilogy could potentially fit into DC’s Elseworlds category, which allows for stories outside the main continuity, similar to The Batman franchise. However, with no announcements at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con – traditionally where future animated projects are revealed – fans should temper expectations. The project could face a similar fate to other Warner Bros. Discovery properties that became tax write-offs during recent corporate restructuring.
