With the Caped Crusader’s next big-screen adventure almost two years away, Bat-fans can console themselves by enjoying one of the Dark Knight’s greatest big-screen adventures. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is coming to Max in the new year. The 1993 animated film will hit the streamer on January 1, 2025.
With Batman: The Animated Series a hit on TV, Warner Bros. offered its creative team a chance to make a feature-length Batman movie. While it was originally intended to be direct-to-video, it soon shifted to get a theatrical release, forcing it to be completed in a whirlwind eight-month production period. The film bears the hallmarks of the acclaimed animated series, including the minimalist character designs of Bruce Timm and the operatic score of Shirley Walker. It also features the voice talents from the TV series, including Kevin Conroy (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Mark Hamill (The Joker), Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (Alfred Pennyworth), Bob Hastings (Commissioner Gordon), and Robert Costanzo (Harvey Bullock).
What Is ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ About?
Mask of the Phantasm follows two parallel narratives: the first focuses on Bruce Wayne’s early days as Batman, and his doomed romance with Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delaney). The second takes place in the present day, where a spectral vigilante, the Phantasm (Stacy Keach), is cutting a deadly swath through Gotham’s gangland. The two timelines collide when Batman learns the shocking truth of the Phantasm’s identity. The Phantasm’s secret brings a third player into the struggle between the vigilantes: Batman’s deadliest foe, the Joker, who wants both of them dead. Meanwhile, the Gotham Police believe the Phantasm and Batman are one and the same, and are itching to finally take him down, with corrupt city councilman Arthur Reeves (Hart Bochner) leading the charge. It all comes to a head in an explosive confrontation that leaves nobody unscathed. Written by BTAS regulars Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves, the movie is structured like a film noir, and touches on many mature themes.
While Mask of the Phantasm has become a classic in the Batman canon, it was a box office disappointment. However, it did become a hit on home media, and two subsequent features based on Batman: The Animated Series went direct-to-video: Batman: Sub-Zero, featuring Mr. Freeze, and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, which pits Batman against a mysterious new vigilante.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm will stream on Max starting January 1, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
