For over 80 years, Batman has loomed large in pop culture, with his stories told across various media, including comics, television, film, and video games. Certain portrayals of the Caped Crusader — from Michael Keaton’s gothic hero in Batman (1989) to Christian Bale’s brooding vigilante in The Dark Knight trilogy, and Robert Pattinson’s introspective detective in The Batman (2022) — have become permanently etched in the public imagination.Equally iconic are the villains who frequently challenge him: the chaotic Joker, the sly Catwoman, and the imposing Bane have left indelible marks on audiences worldwide.Among the most notable portrayals of the Rogues Gallery are Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Batman (1989), Heath Ledger’s Clown Prince of Gotham in The Dark Knight (2008), Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle in Batman Returns (1992), and Tom Hardy’s Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).Credit: DC / Warner Bros.Why Fans Desperately Need a Batman Multiverse AdventureThough we got to see a fair few Batman actors reprise their roles over the years — Keaton starred in two Tim Burton-directed sequels, Bale gave us an entire trilogy under Christopher Nolan, and Ben Affleck appeared throughout Zack Snyder’s films and the wider DC Extended Universe — the actors who play the villains rarely get to make a comeback.But wouldn’t it be great to get a Batman story heavily inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which brought back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s iterations of Peter Parker along with several villains from otherwise-unrelated timelines in one single Multiversal adventure? That’s what fans thought they were getting with The Flash (2023). But while the DCEU film did feature Keaton, Affleck, and even George Clooney, it wasn’t exactly a Caped Crusader-focused outing.Credit: DC / Warner Bros.Related: Meet the New Batman Actor in the Upcoming DC RebootNew Batman Reboot Will Honor Character’s Long HistoryA Batman Multiverse project is unlikely to happen again on the big screen, but next year, “LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight” will take the character’s rich history and universe and transform it into an interactive experience, while bringing many celebrated interpretations — of heroes and villains alike — into one cohesive story that both honors the past and reimagines Gotham City for fans.The world of Batman has never been confined to a single interpretation, however, the upcoming third-person action-adventure video game from developer TT (Traveller’s Tales) and soon-to-be-published by Warner Bros. Games. aims to celebrate that diversity in full.Rather than focusing on one single timeline or continuity, the game allows players to experience the Dark Knight’s world in multiple forms in one big, open-world melting pot. For instance, though unrelated to any particular timeline, some characters in the game are based on the likeness of the actors who have played them in film, such as Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, Danny DeVito’s Penguin, Heath Ledger’s Joker, and Tom Hardy’s Bane.Jeffrey Wright’s version of Commissioner Jim Gordon from The Batman (2022) also joins the roster, highlighting the game’s dedication to honoring even the recent cinematic eras.Credit: DC / Warner Bros.Related: James Gunn’s DCU Falls Apart as Zack Snyder Confirms That Henry Cavill Is Still Superman“Years ago, at TT, we made the first LEGO Batman game,” Development Team Head at TT Games Jonathan Smith says in a behind-the-scenes video that dropped in September. “That was so special for us. But now, with ‘LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight’, we are able to draw upon the whole history of that wonderful character and distil decades of fantastic storytelling to really immerse players in the experience of becoming the Dark Knight.”TT Games Design Director Mark Green adds, “We’ve pulled in all of these references from Batman movies and TV shows.” It’s also confirmed in the video that the game references classic comic book interpretations and elements from past video game portrayals of Batman.DC Studios’ co-CEO James Gunn also appears in the video. “One of the many great things about ‘LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight’ is that it manifests all these different elements of Batman that we’ve loved over the years,” he says, adding that the “game is an absolute celebration of everything Batman.”Credit: DC Studios / Warner Bros. AnimationOnly Two Actors Confirmed So Far, Including the Dark KnightWhile the full cast hasn’t been revealed, it has been confirmed that Matt Berry (The IT Crowd) is voicing Bane, and Shai Matheson (Manhunt) is voicing Bruce Wayne/Batman, replacing Troy Baker and the late and legendary Kevin Conroy from earlier games.Whether or not we’ll ever get a Batman Multiverse movie that brings back actors such as Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christian Bale, and Robert Pattinson, remains to be seen. Within the wider superhero genre, the Multiverse concept continues to trend across film and television, with DC being no exception. But it’s worth noting that bringing previous iterations of characters together, as opposed to the actors who played them, is easier to achieve in tie-in media such as games, comic books, and animation.For now, “Legacy of the Dark Knight” seems like the next best thing. Other characters featured in the game include Batgirl, Robin, Poison Ivy, Ra’s al Ghul, and Talia al Ghul.Credit: DC / Warner Bros.A Brief History of LEGO Batman“Legacy of the Dark Knight” follows 2008’s “LEGO Batman: The Videogame”, “LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes”, “LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham”, and “LEGO DC Super-Villains.” LEGO Batman has also appeared in The LEGO Movie (2014) and The LEGO Batman Movie (2017) — with Will Arnett voicing him in both films — as well as several smaller features and other games, including ones based on the two major theatrical releases.Arnett’s version in the 2017 film is also an amalgamation of several live-action iterations, including the late Adam West.“Legacy of the Dark Knight” will be released on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.Are you excited to play the new Batman game? Let us know in the comments!The post ‘Batman’ Reboot Gets ‘No Way Home’ Treatment, Unites Several Characters From Different Timelines appeared first on Inside the Magic.