Batman: Caped Crusader has an incredible Superman deep-cut from 80 years ago – and quietly introduces an unexpected Justice League hero
Aug. 2, 2024No, your eyes did not deceive you
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Batman: Caped Crusaderhas arrived – and hardcore fans ofDC Comicsare in for a treat.
The new animated series, which stars Hamish Linklater as the voice of Bruce Wayne, is largely inspired by the neo-noir Batman stories from the 1940s and 1960s – but features some Easter eggs that span the entire DC Universe. In episode 4, fans were quick to notice a Superman reference that dates all the way back to 1941.
Clark Kent made his first animated appearance in 1941, in a series of short films now known as the Fleischer Superman cartoons. In the fourth episode, one scene features a crowd of reporters – and one in particular looks strikingly similar to Max Fleischer’s rendition of Lois Lane. If you look a bit closer, the photographer standing behind her appears to be none other than Jimmy Olsen.
In Caped Crusader, Batman links up with a photographer from the Gotham Gazette named Eel O’Brian – voiced by Spongebob Squarepants actor himself Tom Kenny. Bruce and Eel work together to dig up some dirt on Selina Kyle aka Catwoman (Cristina Ricci). But if that name sounds familiar…it’s because Patrick ‘Eel’ O’Brian is also the name of a lesser-known Justice League hero named Plastic Man.
All episodes of Batman: Caped Crusader are now streaming on Prime Video. For more, check out thebest shows on Prime Videoand our guide on how to watch theDC movies in order.
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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent’s Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.
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