This really is a new era for the DC animated movies. We had a new origin tale for the Man of Steel, a choose your own adventure style Bat Family story and now we’re headed to the 70s. Bruce Timm returns to bring us Batman: Soul Of The Dragon to kick off 2021. Check out the first trailer.
I am already loving the look and feel of this one. It also puts us in a different era than we’re used to seeing the Caped Crusader in. Here is the quick synopsis: “Set in the midst of the swinging 1970s, this Elseworlds adventure finds Bruce Wayne training under a master sensei. It is here that Bruce, along with other elite students, is forged in the fire of the martial arts discipline. The lifelong bonds they form will be put to the test when a deadly menace arises from their past. It will take the combined efforts of Batman, world-renowned martial artists Richard Dragon, Ben Turner and Lady Shiva, and their mentor O-Sensei to battle the monsters of this world and beyond!”
It’s great to see characters like Richard Dragon finally make an appearance. Batman’s last Elseworlds tale was Gotham By Gaslight and that was incredible. Speaking of incredible, take a look at the voice cast. David Giuntoli (Grimm, A Million Little Things) as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Mark Dacascos (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Iron Chef America, Hawaii Five-0) as Richard Dragon, Kelly Hu (Arrow, X2: X-Men United) as Lady Shiva and Michael Jai White (Spawn, reprising his role from Arrow) as Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger. Their mentor O-Sensei is voiced by James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China, Blade Runner). Josh Keaton (Voltron: Legendary Defender; Green Lantern: The Animated Series) is featured as Jeffrey Burr, and additional voices are provided by veteran voiceover actors Grey Griffin, Chris Cox, Erica Luttrell, Robin Atkin Downes, Patrick Seitz, Jamie Chung and Eric Bauza. Sam Liu will produce and direct the script from Jeremy Adams. Joining Liu and Timm are fellow producers Jim Krieg, Sam Register and Michael Uslan.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has also lined up some great special features with some groovy Elseworlds vibes. They include:
Batman – Raw Groove (New Featurette) – From the explosion of gritty cinema and kung fu to the cultural changes spreading across the U.S., we explore the early ’70s and how they inspired Batman: Soul of the Dragon.
Producer Jim Krieg’s Far Out Highlights (New Featurette) – It’s an off-the-hook and out-of-sight supercut of one of Producer Jim Krieg’s funniest in-character appearances.
A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie – An advance look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection, Justice Society: World War II.
Look Back: Superman: Red Son (Featurette) – Kal-El’s rocket fleeing Krypton never reaches Smallville, but instead lands in the Soviet Union, single-handedly shifting the new world order. This is the epic re-imagining of Superman’s origin story.
Look Back: Batman: Gotham By Gaslight (Featurette) – Set against the backdrop of turn of the century Gotham, Batman is involved in a hunt for a criminal who has committed the most heinous acts of murder. This is Batman versus Jack the Ripper!
From the DC Vault: Batman: The Animated Series, “Day of the Samurai”
From the DC Vault: Batman: The Animated Series, “Night of the Ninja”
You’ll be able to own Batman: Soul Of The Dragon first on Digital HD on January 12, 2021. That will be followed by a 4K Combo Pack and Blu-Ray Combo Pack release on January 26th. In case you’re wondering, it will be Rated R.
Keep checking back for updates and our review.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment