KA-POW! Adam West and Burt Ward Promise 'Batman' Animated Movie on the Way

Gwynne Watkins
Updated

Adam West and Burt Ward (Everett Collection)

Holy nostalgia, Batman! Adam West and Burt Ward, who played Batman and Robin in the 1960s Batman television series and 1966 film, will reprise their iconic roles in an upcoming animated feature film. The actors announced the project on Saturday at the horror convention Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina. (See the video below.) While details about the movie haven’t been officially released, Ward told fans that the 90-minute movie would be released next year, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of their ABC series (which premiered in January 1966).

Of course, 2016 will also bring Batman to the big screen in Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader. Perhaps in reaction to Snyder’s dark, serious vision of the DC Comics superhero universe, the light-hearted ’60s Batman has been seeing a resurgence lately. The complete television series (which ran for three seasons between 1966 and 1968) was released on Blu-ray in November, and a Batman ’66 comic book series, set in the world of the show, has been in publication since 2013.

Though the original Batman series was undeniably campy, punctuating its live-action scenes with animated fight words (“POW!!”) and imperiling its heroes in all sorts of ridiculous contraptions, its rotating cast of villains attracted some serious talent. Burgess Meredith and Cesar Romero left a lasting impression on popular culture with their portrayals of Penguin and Joker, respectively. Other recurring baddies were played by Eartha Kitt, Frank Gorshin, Milton Berle, Anne Baxter, Rudy Vallee, and Glynis Johns, and at one time or another, George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach all took on the role of Mr. Freeze. Even if it lacks the seriousness of subsequent Batman adaptations, the show is an effective homage to the comic book it was based on, and Adam West’s straight-faced Batman is one for the ages. If the new animated film is half as fun as the 1966 spin-off feature Batman: The Movie (watch highlights below), fans are in for a treat. (h/t Consequence of Sound)