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Be it unrealistic animated adventures like Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-2011) or grittier detective origin stories like Gotham (2014-2019), there's something for every type of Batman fan in the world of television. However, what if there was a Batman show without Batman? One where Batman can no longer protect Gotham City from its dozens of supervillains? That's the question that The CW, the channel responsible for the successful Arrowverse, hopes to answer with Gotham Knights (2023). Not to be confused with the 2022 videogame of the same name which has a similar but unrelated premise, Gotham Knights takes place in a world where Bruce Wayne is mysteriously murdered while on one of his crime-stopping missions, leaving his adopted son Turner (Oscar Morgan) to pick up the pieces while also being accused of his father's murder. Now, Turner must form a new crime-fighting team to fill the bat-shaped void apparent within Gotham.
Arguably the most famous superhero of all time, Batman is best known for his prolific roles in various DC Comics and a multitude of feature film adaptations. In addition to graphic novels and movies, The Dark Knight is no stranger to the world of television, having had various shows to his name. In fact, Batman's live-action origins can be tracked all the way back to the 1960s, when Adam West's version of the titular character inhabited a goofy and cartoony tone that would slowly fade away with progressively darker stories. Speaking of cartoony, animation has also proven to be a viable medium for the Batman, with Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) being the undisputed king of many fantastic animated adaptations. Matt Reeves's Batverse is also set to enter a television format with spin-offs centering on Colin Farrell's Penguin and the iconic Arkham Asylum.
We'll finally find out if the new series can live beyond Batman when the show finally premieres later this Spring, but until then, here is everything we know so far about Gotham Knights.
When and Where Is Gotham Knights Releasing?
Gotham Knights will be making its cable television debut on The CW, which makes sense given that both The CW and DC Comics are properties of Warner Brothers Studios. Warner Bros also owns HBO and in turn HBO Max, and that will likely be the streaming home for Gotham Knights once Season 1 concludes. Turner Hayes and his crew of unlikely Gotham City defenders will descend on the crime-ridden streets when Gotham Knights' premiere episode arrives on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. That's when the pilot episode will air and the following installments in the twelve-episode season will air every following Tuesday night.
Watch the Trailers for Gotham Knights
The debut look at Gotham Knights is quite a lengthy one, clocking in at over three minutes and thirty seconds. The first thing we see is protagonist Turner Hayes throwing a party in Wayne Manor, clearly not having much regard for his father Bruce Wayne, or his home. While it's unusual that Bruce's iconic butler Alfred isn't present to shut this party down, turns out he doesn't need to when both the police and district attorney Harvey Dent (Misha Collins) knock on Turner's door, telling him that Bruce has been killed whilst wearing his cowl. Turner is also brought in by Dent as a suspect, along with three other delinquent children, one of them being the alleged daughter of the infamous Joker. After the group is saved by Robin (Navia Ziraili Robinson), a classmate of Turner's, the group of five forms an unlikely alliance to track down Bruce Wayne's killer and protect Gotham from its deadly criminals.
The second trailer largely reinforces what was shown in the previous one though in a much shorter timeframe. The only real piece of new information we get here is a quick look at a masked swordsman, who will no doubt be a dangerous obstacle in the Gotham Knights' quest to find out who really killed Batman.
Who Is Making Gotham Knights?
Natalie Abrams, Chad Fiveash, and James Patrick Stoteraux, all of whom have previously worked on The CW's Batwoman (2019-2022), will be among the series' creators. The directors for this season consist of Jeffery G. Hunt (Legacies), Danny Cannon (Pennyworth), Elizabeth Henstridge (Superman & Lois), Lauren Petzke (Walker), Eric Dean Seaton (Titans), and America Young (Blindspot). Also attached to the crew are cinematographer James Hawkinson (The Man in the High Castle) and editor Mark C. Baldwin (Nikita).
What Is the Plot of Gotham Knights?
The official plot synopsis of Gotham Knights reads as follows:
Bruce Wayne is murdered and his adopted son forges an alliance with the children of Batman's enemies. As the city becomes more dangerous, these mismatched fugitives will become its next generation of saviors, known as the Gotham Knights.
Batman's rogue's gallery will no doubt be a major factor in the show. The character of Duela (Olivia Rose Keegan) claims to be the daughter of the Clown Prince of Crime himself, The Joker. That being said, without giving away potential spoilers, anyone familiar with Duela's comics counterpart knows she has a history of embellishing her parentage. Carrie Kelley is best known as the third Robin of the alternate Earth-31 who will help guide the new heroes in their blossoming vigilante journey. Twin delinquents Harper Row (Fallon Smyth) and Cullen Row (Tyler DiChiara) are a bit more of a mystery, and it's unknown if they'll be the children of low-time criminal Marcus Row like in the comics or the offspring of a more well-known villain. Finally, while Harvey Dent is being billed as an antagonist in the series, we also know thanks to a social media post from actor Misha Collins that Dent will eventually turn into his evil alter-ego, Two-Face.
Who's In the Gotham Knights Cast?
Playing the lead role of Turner Hayes is Oscar Morgan, who is set to also star in Apple TV+'s anticipated miniseries Masters of the Air (2023). Rounding out the rest of his team of Gotham Knights are Navia Ziraili Robinson (Raven's Home) as Robin, Olivia Rose Keegan (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) as Duela, Fallon Smythe (Lost in the West) as Harper Row, and Tyler DiChiara (Relish) as Cullen Row. Also part of the cast are Deja Dee (Queen Sugar), Anna Lore (Doom Patrol), Rahart Adams (Nowhere Boys), and Harrison Stone (The Liberator). Finally, Misha Collins (Supernatural) is playing Harvey Dent AKA Two-Face, who is expected to be one of the show's main antagonists.
Will Gotham Knights Get a Second Season?
That depends entirely on how well Season 1 of the show performs, as a follow-up season has not yet been green-lit.