The upcoming animated feature from DC,Batman: Death in the Family, just dropped a trailer that plays with expectations in a surprising way. This animated adaptation of the classic 80sBatmancomics storyBatman: Under the Red Hoodlooks to turn the tale into an interactive film, allowing viewers to affect what happens during critical moments.
In a move reminiscent of theBlack Mirrorepisode “Bandersnatch,” viewers will receive prompts during key story beats where they have a limited amount of time to select, via remote control, how the given scene plays out. This is likely a clever callback to how thecomic storyplayed out originally during its run in the 80s. During that time, the fate of Jason Todd, who had taken the mantle of Batman’s sidekick Robin, was determined by allowing readers to call in and vote on whether or not he would survive in the next issue.
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Back then, the fan vote resulted in thebrutal murderof Jason Todd by The Joker. This eventually led to his resurrection as the vigilante known as Red Hood. But this time, things don’t seem to be quite as simple. Multiple scenarios have been produced for the film, along with several potential endings, so viewers will have different experiences each time they watch it, assuming they make different decisions. Now, new characters can be encountered, new twists can occur, and new stories can be told.
Actors from the previous animatedUnder the Red Hoodadaptation are returning to voice Batman,Jason Todd, and The Joker respectively. Bruce Greenwood, also known as Captain Pike from the recentStar Trekfilms, is coming back as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Jason Todd/Robin will be voiced once again by Vincent Martella ofPhineas and FerbandFinal Fantasy XIII. Meanwhile, long time veteran voice actor John DiMaggio, perhaps best known as Bender fromFuturamaamong his multitude of other roles, will again bring villainous life to The Joker.
Now, the constraints of the medium likely won’t allow this experience to reach the same depth as something like a video game from Telltale Games, who developed two oftheir own interactiveBatmangames. But given the nature of the source material, as well as the callback toUnder the Red Hood’s infamous phone vote,Batman: Death in the Familyis shaping up to be a unique experience.
Batman: Death in the Familywill release on digital and Blu-Ray in Fall 2020.
