During San Diego Comic-Con, HBO Max finally showcased its upcoming DC Studios animated Batman movie, Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires.
The film, also known as Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios, offers a new take on the Caped Crusader’s storied mythos. According to HBO Max Latin America‘s press release, its story will center on “a young Aztec boy named Yohualli Coatl, whose father, village leader Toltecatzin, is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors. Coatl flees to Tenochtitlan to warn King Moctezuma and his high priest, Yoka, of looming danger. Using the temple of Tzinacan, the bat god, as a lair, Yohualli trains with his mentor and assistant, Acatzin, developing equipment and weaponry to confront the Spaniard invasion, protect Moctezuma’s temple, and avenge his father’s death.”
Aztec Batman was first announced in 2022 in celebration of the DC hero’s 83rd anniversary. The animated film is being created in collaboration with Warner Bros. Animation, Particular Crowd, Mexico’s Anima, and Book of Life producer Chatrone. While the animated project has a lot of hands involved, it’s being helmed by a familiar hand in Juan Meza-León, storyboard artist of the Harley Quinn Animated Series fame. Meza-León will co-write and direct the film.
A new legend rises. AZTEC BATMAN: CLASH OF THE EMPIRES is coming to Digital 9/19. pic.twitter.com/YXn8VTzIng
— Warner Bros. Entertainment (@WBHomeEnt) July 25, 2025
Aztec Batman will serve as the second international reimagining of the Dark Knight, presented through a different cultural lens. The other of which is 2018’s animated film, Batman Ninja. While Batman Ninja and its 2025 sequel, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, set the Caped Crusader in a modern-day setting, isekai adventures notwithstanding, Aztec Batman presents its version of the DC hero steeped in the period piece, where colonialism is intertwined with his vigilanteism while maintaining Batman’s essence.
In an interview with Anime News Network, Meza-León elaborated on how their version of Batman, despite coming from a wealthy family, will face challenges from the class system that would have influenced a young boy in Aztec culture.
“He goes through tragedy at the hands of the conquistadors. So that’s where you get the loss of the parents and also the loss of his village. That motivates him and pushes him into a journey that, unbeknownst to him, is being led by the deities that guide him into becoming the bat warrior,” Meza-León told Anime News Network. “We try to be as faithful as we can to the essence of the characters, whether it’s Batman, Joker, or Two-Face. They’re completely new characters with different origins, but you can still see the spirit of their comic counterparts.”
Aside from the obvious cultural and historical influences, Aztec Batman producer García de Letona told Anime News Network that the movie was inspired by Batman: The Animated Series, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and a bunch of comic books. DC fans will no doubt have to keep their eyes peeled to spot easter eggs from.
Aztec Batman is slated to release digitally on September 19.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
