Batman: Caped Crusader and Looney Tunes canceled and in need of new network

New cartoon Batman: Caped Crusader – from Bruce Timms, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves – is looking for a new home thanks to trouble at HBO Max, alongside a new Looney Tunes musical.

Bad news if you are a Bat-fan, as hot on the heels of Batgirl’s cancelation, another project is potentially in trouble.

Since Warner Bros. Discovery took charge of the studio’s IPs, there has been carnage behind-the-scenes, and now it looks like two Batman shows needs to find new networks.

A pair of Looney tunes projects are also being dropped, as well as a cartoon focussed on Steve Urkel.

What is Batman: Caped Crusader?

Batman: Caped Crusader is a cartoon set to be made in the spirit of Batman: The Animated Series, a hugely successful and widely acclaimed show that aired on Fox Kids in the mid-1990s.

Created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Mitch Brian, Batman: The Animated Series looked amazing, was darker and more gritty than the usual superhero cartoon, and featured stellar voice-work from the likes of Kevin Conroy (Batman), and Mark Hamill (Joker).

Timm’s is overseeing Batman: Caped Crusader, alongside J.J. Abrams, and The Batman director Matt Reeves.

When the project was announced in May 2021, the three producers released a statement saying: “We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City. The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world.”

What will happen to Batman and Looney Tunes now?

According to Variety, HBO Max has canceled six animated shows: Batman: Caped Crusader, Merry Little Batman, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, Did I Do That to The Holidays: A Steve Urkel Story, and The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie.

All is now lost however, as the report also states that production will continue on all six shows, with the plan now to shop them to other platforms and networks.

The article also states that the move is part of a larger trend to “divest from kids and family content.”