Warner Bros. Japan has announced a sequel to its Batman Ninja CG anime film, titled Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League. Junpei Mizusaki, known for his work on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and as the CEO/founder of Kamikaze Douga, will return to direct the film alongside Shinji Takagi, the unit director for Blood: The Last Vampire.
Kamikaze Douga is once again handling the animation. Key returning staff members include scriptwriter Kazuki Nakashima, character designer Takashi Okazaki, and composer Yūgo Kanno. Kōichi Yamadera is also reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Warner Bros. Japan plans to host a panel at Anime Expo on July 4, titled “Warner Bros. Japan presents Suicide Squad ISEKAI and Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League,” where they will reveal more details about the upcoming film.
The original Batman Ninja anime film was released digitally by Warner Bros. in April 2018 and on home video in May 2018, featuring both Japanese audio and an English dub.
It premiered in Japanese theaters in June 2018 and later aired on Toonami in October 2021. Batman Ninja depicted Batman traveling back to Japan’s Warring States period, where he faced off against villains who had become feudal lords, including The Joker.
Masato Hisa launched a manga adaptation of Batman Ninja in Monthly Hero’s magazine in June 2018, ending it in September 2019.
The manga adaptation received a Seiun Award in August 2020. Additionally, the anime film inspired a stage play that ran in November 2021. This exciting continuation promises to bring more action and unique storytelling to the Batman universe.
