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Credit: DC / Warner Bros.Yet another version of Batman has made an official return.
These days, when someone says “Batman,” it’s hard to know which direction to look. Not only are there a growing number of movie timelines to take note of (Joker and The Batman, which both have sequels underway, and the upcoming DC Universe reboot, The Brave and the Bold), but the long-running franchise continues to span all mediums of storytelling.
Movies, animated shows, comic books, video games — you name it, Bruce Wayne has been there and beaten countless Gotham City villains, whether Rogues Gallery icon or generic thug, to a pulp. There’s no version of the city he hasn’t visited, whether in live-action or in print, like the upcoming sequel to Tim Burton’s two movies starring Michael Keaton, which will see the return of several characters.
There’s also a brand-new animated television series in the works, with The Batman (2022) director Matt Reeves attached.
Related: Upcoming ‘Batman’ (1989) Sequel: Every Returning Character Explained
The Caped Crusader has a long history, and we’re not talking about his tenure as Gotham’s Dark Knight. The beloved character has been thrilling fans for several decades, starting his mainstream career with Adam West’s campy (but brilliant) portrayal in the ’60s television series and movie adaptation, followed by Burton’s quasi-gothic flicks, Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), reverting to the cheese with Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), and then going even grittier in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy.
But when you thought he couldn’t go any darker, along came Matt Reeves’ The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. The film grossed $772.2M worldwide against its $185–200M budget and was praised by fans and critics. It’s now the grittiest iteration of the superhero on the silver screen, usurping Nolan’s bleak 2008 crime epic The Dark Knight.
Related: Michael Keaton’s Batman History Explained as Official “Burton-Verse” Sequel Looms
Now, the darkest version of the character in the world of gaming is set to return in “Batman: Arkham Shadow” (2024), a follow-up to the incredibly popular “Arkham” video game series (“Arkham City,” “Arkham Knight,” “Arkham Origins,” and so on) and the second game in that series to adopt the virtual reality (VR) format, following “Batman: Arkham VR” (2016).
Watch the full trailer below, per IGN:
Related: Confirmed: Michael Keaton’s Batman Will Finally Return in Direct Sequel to 1989 Film
Though a lot darker, the “Arkham” series is a huge source of inspiration behind The Batman, whose upcoming theatrical sequel is currently in production and reunites director Matt Reeves and star Robert Pattinson. But now that the “Arkham” series is also set to continue, it leaves us wondering whether it will ever get the live-action treatment itself.
“Batman: Arkham Shadow” promises players an open-world experience set in Gotham City, this time through state-of-the-art VR headset, the Meta Quest 3. Per meta.com, the synopsis for the game reads, “Evil stalks the streets. Gotham City is in danger. And you’re the only one who can save it.” The page also includes a reminder for Summer Game Fest 2024:
Tune into Summer Game Fest 2024 on June 7 at 2:00 pm PT for the official reveal of Batman: Arkham Shadow, a new Meta Quest 3 exclusive from Camouflaj and Oculus Studios, in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC.
“Arkham Shadow” will be released later this year.
Are you a fan of the Arkham series? Will you be playing Arkham Shadow? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!