Matt Reeves Is Bringing the Joker to TV in 2026

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In 2026, the Joker will appear in a new television series. This is partly due to Matt Reeves, the director behind the popular Planet of the Apes films and 2022’s hit movie The Batman. Although a sequel to The Batman is also planned, fans of the Joker should also be excited about this separate project led by Reeves.

Matt Reeves is becoming a prominent figure in DC’s film universe. Besides directing his unique version of Batman, he’s also helping produce two new projects for James Gunn’s DCU: a horror film called Clayface and an animated movie, Dynamic Duo, focusing on Dick Grayson and Jason Todd.

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He’s also an executive producer on the new animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which is meant to capture the spirit of the classic Batman: The Animated Series. Fans of the Joker will especially want to check out this show, because the character will make his full debut in Season 2 as a Joker unlike any we’ve seen before.

Batman: Caped Crusader Confirms a Very Different Joker for Season 2

James Tucker Teases a Golden Age–Inspired Take on the Clown Prince of Crime

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Viewers of Batman: Caped Crusader Season 1 will remember its fresh take on classic Batman stories and characters. Now, co-showrunner James Tucker has confirmed in an interview with The Direct that The Joker will also be reimagined in a similar way, offering a unique and less traditional version of the iconic villain.

During the interview, Tucker hinted that the show will present a fresh interpretation of the Joker, different from popular versions seen in film and animation, like those portrayed by Mark Hamill and Jack Nicholson. However, longtime comic book readers might recognize this Joker as being similar to the character from the early days of Batman – specifically, the comics published from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Tucker highlighted the creative independence of the Caped Crusader series, explaining that Matt Reeves didn’t impose any requirements for it to align with his The Batman films. Reeves was supportive, recognizing the show as a distinct project with its own inspirations and understanding where those influences came from.

Viewers might recall a hint of the Joker in Season 1’s finale, “Savage Night.” The episode ended with hostages laughing as they died, and a shadowy figure, seemingly the Joker, holding a needle and saying, “Perfect.” Because of this, there’s a lot of excitement for the Joker’s official appearance in Season 2, which is expected to be a new and interesting take on the character.

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2026-01-05 21:58