6 years after its release, a beloved Batman anime movie is getting a surprise sequel

Six years after its release, beloved anime movie Batman Ninja is getting a surprise sequel.

Per Crunchyroll, Koichi Yamadera will reprise his role as Batman in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, with Junpei Mizusaki returning to direct. Shinji Takagi will co-direct, with a screenplay by Kazuki Nakashima and character design from Takashi Okazaki.

Batman Ninja was released digitally in the United States and theatrically in Japan, with each release containing two different scripts and making for two "very different versions" of the same film. The flagship film, which has an 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "takes a journey across the ages as Gorilla Grodd's time displacement machine transports many of Batman's worst enemies to feudal Japan - along with the Dark Knight and a few of his allies."

The American voice cast included Tara Strong (Raven from Teen Titans, Dill Pickles from Rugrats, Bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls), Boy Meets World actor Will Friedle, Spongebob himself Tom Kenny,  and Avatar: The Last Airbender's Matthew Yang King. So far, Yamadera is the only confirmed voice actor to return for the sequel.

Batman Nina vs. Yakuza League does not yet have a release date, though more info about the new film is set to be revealed during the Warner Bros. Japan presents Suicide Squad ISEKAI and Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League panel at Anime Expo 2024 in July.

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