DC Animated Universe
Created by	DC Comics Warner Bros. Animation
Original work	Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995)
Owner	Warner Bros. Entertainment
Years	1992–2006, 2017-2019
Based on	Characters byDC Comics
Print publications
Comics	List of comics
Films and television
Film(s)	List of films
Short film(s)	List of short films
Television series	List of television series
Games
Video game(s)	List of video games

TheDC Animated Universe (DCAU, also referred to as theTimmverse orDiniverse by fans) is ashared universe based onDC Comics and produced byWarner Bros. Animation. It began withBatman: The Animated Series in 1992 and ended withJustice League vs. the Fatal Five in 2019. The associated media franchise includes theatrical and direct-to-video feature films, shorts, comic books, video games, and other multimedia adaptations.

The DC Animated Universe has been praised for its storytelling, voice acting, animation, and maturity, with several of its shows listed among the greatest animated television series of all time.^[1][2] It has also influenced the mainstream DC Comics in various ways, such as introducing new characters, revamped backstories, and character designs.^[3]

While there are many animated projects based upon DC Comics characters, the DC Animated Universe consists of TV series and films that spin off fromBatman: The Animated Series. While the series is largely standalone, two characters outside of the normalBatman canon,Zatanna andJonah Hex, would guest star. However, the first series to indicate a shared continuity with other well-known characters wasSuperman: The Animated Series, in which thetitle character encounters heroes such as Batman, theWally West version ofFlash, theGreen LanternKyle Rayner,Aquaman, andDoctor Fate. The follow-up sequel toBatman: The Animated Series, titledThe New Batman Adventures would feature an art style revamp similar toSuperman: The Animated Series, and these two shows would feature crossovers. Both of those shows would be followed byBatman Beyond, which featured an elderly, retired Bruce Wayne passing on the mantle to Terry McGinnis, the Batman of the future.

AfterBatman Beyond's third season, theJustice League show followed, which starred Batman, Superman,Wonder Woman,The Flash (Wally West),Green Lantern (John Stewart)Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz), andHawkgirl. After two seasons, the series was rebranded asJustice League Unlimited, a successor series which expanded the League roster and was the final series set in the DC Animated Universe. In between these shows was alsoStatic Shock, which told the story ofVirgil Hawkins and showcased a different aspect of the DC Animated Universe. It was the first time an African American superhero was the titular character of his own animated show, and the show explored many diverse stories and characters throughout its run. Another show that aired wasThe Zeta Project, which was a spin-off series based on the character Zeta from theBatman Beyond episode of the same name, a humanoid robot who is on the run fromNSA agents. While minimal, the show had a few continuity tie-ins with the larger DC Animated Universe as well.

The DC Animated Universe consists of the following animated television series:

The DCAU continuity also includes the following feature films:

The DCAU also includes tie-in materials such as comic books, video games, and direct-to video films with a similar animation style; however, their continuity is disputable. While they are sometimes marketed as being part of the DCAU, some of these works have contradictory elements or are written by a different team.

For instance, many of the DCAU tie-in comics were written by a different team than the animated crew, such as theTy Templeton pennedThe Batman Adventures comic series. However, some of the comics, such as theBatman: The Adventures Continue comics were written by the animated series writers,Paul Dini andAlan Burnett. Per the opinion ofBruce Timm, who has commented about the continuity of the DCAU comics previously, said "we didn't have any direct input on the comics...DC never solicited our opinions on what they were doing, nor would we have had time to give them notes if they had--I learned very early on not to get my nose bent out of joint if they did something in the comics we would never have done--my own personal way of dealing with it was to consider only the animated episodes themselves as true canon-which means that evenMad Love wasn't purely canonical until we adapted it for the animated series."^[13]

In terms of feature films, the 2006 feature filmSuperman: Brainiac Attacks has been stated by writer Duane Capizzi that it was not intended to be part of the DCAU, despite using the same animation style and many of the voice actors fromSuperman: The Animated Series.^[14]

An animated series based on theTeen Titans comic books was planned for the DC Animated Universe during the mid-1990s, but was ultimately scrapped, however the team was confirmed to exist in the universe in theStatic Shock (which was also not initially intended to be part of the DCAU until the second season) episode "Hard as Nails" withRobin confirmed to be a member by Batman.^[15] InsteadaTeen Titans series not related to the DC animated universe was released. Also, after the success ofBatman: The Animated Series in the early 1990s, Fox approached producerBruce Timm to create a spin-off series focusing onCatwoman, but the project never materialized.^[15]

In 1998, writerJohn P. McCann had been tasked with coming up with aLobo animated series in the DC Animated Universe, withBrad Garrett set to reprise his role as the character, but the show had been cancelled right before production. A few elements of the show would find its way in the 2000Lobo webseries, an online Flash animated series starring Lobo, the galactic bounty hunter, however whether the webseries is part of the official DCAU is unclear. A wax statue with the same character design as Lobo in this series appeared in an episode ofGotham Girls which somewhat support that the webseries is part of the official DCAU, although this is still disputed. Unlike the other shows set in the DCAU, it has graphic violence, sexual content, strong profanity, and a lack of tie-ins with the greater DCAU.

Before the release ofBatman Beyond: Return of the Joker, a third animated feature based onBatman: The Animated Series was planned, entitledBatman: Arkham. The film was supposed to be a follow-up forBatman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, andBoyd Kirkland was attached to write and direct; but the project was soon scrapped. A secondBatman Beyond movie was planned for release but was finally scrapped due to the dark tones and controversies ofReturn of the Joker in 2001.^[16] Around 2003, during the production ofBatman: Mystery of the Batwoman,Warner Bros. approached Kirkland to write aCatwomandirect-to-video feature film as a tie-in with the2004 live-action film. Although the script was written, the project was soon scrapped after the poor reception of the live-action film.^[17]

Also, a direct-to-video feature-length animated film entitledJustice League: Worlds Collide was planned to connectJustice League with its follow-upJustice League Unlimited, but the production was finally cancelled in 2004, and the script was later rewritten for the animated filmJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths, removing all connections to the DCAU.^[18][19]

In the early 2020s,Warner Bros. Animation approached Bruce Timm with the idea of producing arevival ofBatman: The Animated Series set after the events ofThe New Batman Adventures, but Timm refused to develop a Batman show that was a continuation toThe Animated Series, only being interested in a revival ofJustice League that Warner wasn't interested in, with Timm opting to develop instead a new Batman series, that beingBatman: Caped Crusader.^[20][21]

Many of the DCAU productions have also hadcomic books created based on the characters of the various series, though their continuity is disputable. The comics are:

TheBatman Beyond comic series is a loose adaptation of theBatman Beyond franchise, intended to fit the character and storylines from the series into the mainstream DC continuity. The miniseries began in June 2010, under the titleFuture Evil. In August 2010, the series was announced to continue following the completion of the first arc as an ongoing series.^[29] That series concluded alongside the entire line of ongoing monthlyDC Comics superhero books during the 2011 revamp and relaunch, titledThe New 52.

Superman Beyond, a one-shot comic set in the same universe asBatman Beyond, was released in 2011.

Batman Beyond Unlimited, a title chronicling the adventures of the future Justice League introduced in the DCAU, was released in February 2012.^[30] This series published monthly triple-sized issues, containing three stories of Terry McGinnis, Clark "Cal" Kent, and the future Justice League Unlimited, respectively.^[31]

Batman Beyond Universe succeededUnlimited in August 2013, condensing to double-monthly issues upon the elderly Superman's rejoining the future Justice League.^[32]

Terry McGinnis was the central figure inThe New 52: Futures End weekly series.^[33]

In 2015–2016, DC Comics andIDW Publishing released a jointly produced, six-issue miniseries comic titledBatman/TMNT, where theNew 52 Batman encounters theIDW incarnation of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The success of this miniseries inspired a similar crossover story, with Batman's DCAU incarnation meeting theAmazing Adventures comic version of the2012 CGI series' Turtles. TitledBatman/TMNT Adventures, the concept was first announced in late July 2016^[34] and scheduled for a six-issue release starting November 9, 2016.^[35]

A comic book continuation of seven-issues ofJustice League Unlimited, calledJustice League Infinity, was released monthly between July 2021 and January 2022; the series is set after the show's finale and explores the consequences ofDarkseid's disappearance and the League clashing with their alternate universe counterparts.

Several DCAU tie-in video games were released to correspond with the various animated television series and films. Some of these games have original plots, while others follow previous stories; their status in DCAU continuity is unknown. The games are:

Six of these games feature voice acting from the casts of the original shows. These are:The Adventures of Batman and Robin (SEGA CD/Mega CD version),Superman,Batman Vengeance,Superman: Shadow of Apokolips,Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, andView-Master Batman Animated VR. The SEGA CD/Mega CD game,The Adventures of Batman and Robin, also features animation from one of the studios that worked onBatman: The Animated Series.

A 90-minute documentary film was released on October 16, 2018, as part of theBatman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition^[38] andBatman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray/Digital box set,^[39][40] and was later made available on the official Warner Bros. Entertainment YouTube channel.^[40][41][42]

Though the DCAU is an offshoot of the mainstream DC comics universe, it has also affected the DC universe in return. The following characters were originally created for their respective series in the DCAU, but were eventually adapted into the mainstream comics continuity:

• Nora Fries(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Harley Quinn(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Renee Montoya(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Lock-Up(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Sewer King(Batman: The Animated Series)
• The Condiment King(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Summer Gleeson(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Kyodai Ken(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Red Claw(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Veronica Vreeland(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Baby-Doll(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Emile Dorian(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Roland Daggett(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Mercy Graves(Superman: The Animated Series)
• Livewire(Superman: The Animated Series)
• Roxy Rocket(The New Batman Adventures)
• Terry McGinnis/Batman(Batman Beyond)
• Gray Ghost(Batman: The Animated Series)
• Phantasm(Batman: Mask of the Phantasm)
• Blight(Batman Beyond)

In addition, the backstory ofMr. Freeze was adapted from his portrayal inBatman: The Animated Series, and the visuals or characterization ofGreen Lantern,Supergirl,Toyman,Two-Face,Parasite,Metallo,Clayface, and many others have been applied to their comic counterparts. On a different note, issue #22 of DC Comics'Superman/Batman series, which explores alternate realities, hadBizarro transported to an alternate version ofGotham City that was patrolled by aBatman using theBatman Beyond version of the costume. A version of the future ofBatman Beyond made an appearance inCountdown to Final Crisis #21, as part of the new Multiverse in the wake of theInfinite Crisis and52 series, and aBatman Beyond series had been planned. In January 2015, DC publishedThe Multiversity Guidebook which revealed a universe inspired by the DCAU is Earth-12 in theDC Multiverse, and currently in theBatman Beyond era, while the Justice Lords Earth from thoseBeyond comics has also been added to the continuity as Earth-50.^[52]

In the three part movie seriesJustice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, the end of part three saw the end of Earth-12 which represented a universe animated in the same style of the DC Animated Universe. In this scene, Batman was fighting Joker on the roof of a building in Gotham City in his originalBTAS costume. It was unclear whether or not the events of that scene took place after the events ofJustice League Unlimited and the events in the era ofBatman Beyond.

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• DC Animated Movie Universe (2013–24)
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