''Batwheels'' is an American animated

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

children's television series that premiered on September 17, 2022, on

HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...

. It made its linear premiere on October 17, 2022, on

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

's preschool block

Cartoonito Cartoonito is a brand name used by Warner Bros. Discovery for a collection of television networks and Block programming, programming blocks aimed at preschool children. The name combines the "cartoon" with the Spanish language, Spanish suffix " ...

. A second season premiered on January 12, 2024, on Max. In October 2024, the series was renewed for a third season. Season 3 will premiere sometime in 2025, on Max.

Plot

The Bat-Family's vehicles are brought to life by the Batcomputer to form the "Batwheels", a team led by the

Batmobile The Batmobile is the fictional land vehicle driven by the superhero Batman, used both to patrol Gotham City looking for crime and to engage in car chases or vehicular combat with the city's criminal underworld. The Batmobile is one of a suite o ...

or "Bam", to fight crime in

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

Characters

The Batwheels

* The

/ Bam (voiced by

Jacob Bertrand Jacob Scott Thomas Bertrand (born March 6, 2000) is an American actor. From 2018 to 2025, Bertrand played the series regular role of Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz in the YouTube Premium and Netflix series ''Cobra Kai''. He is also known for the voice of ...

), the insecure leader of the Batwheels * Redbird / Red (voiced by Jordan Reed in season one and Titus Blake in season two), Robin's car and the youngest of the Batwheels * Batgirl Cycle / Bibi (voiced by Madigan Kacmar), Batgirl's small but impulsive motorcycle * Bat Truck / Buff (voiced by Noah Bentley), a good-hearted monster truck who serves as the Batwheels' muscle * The Batwing / Wing (voiced by

Lilimar Lilimar Hernandez (born June 2, 2000), also known mononymously as Lilimar, is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Sophie in the 2015–2016 Nickelodeon television series '' Bella and the Bulldogs'', as Sage in the 2018–2019 Nic ...

), Batman's sophisticated and confident supersonic jet * The

Batcomputer The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...

/ BC (voiced by Kimberly D. Brooks), the team's trainer, supervisor, dispatcher, and mother figure * M.O.E. (voiced by

Mick Wingert Mick Wingert (born July 4, 1974) is an American voice actor and voice-over coach. He has played the voice of Master Po and Zeng in '' Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness'', taking over the roles from actors Jack Black and Dan Fogler, respecti ...

), short for Mobile Operation Expert, M.O.E. is Batman's kind-hearted yet sarcastic robot mechanic

The Bat-Family

* Bruce Wayne / Batman (voiced by

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...

), a vigilante operating in Gotham City and father figure to the Batwheels Hawke previously turned down the role for

Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939 – June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designe ...

's ''

Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' is a 1995 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. It is the third installment of the ''Batman'' film series, acting as a standalone sequel to ''Batman Returns''. Directe ...

''. * Duke Thomas / Robin (voiced by A.J. Hudson), a mystery-loving member of the Bat-Family who wants to prove himself in the eyes of Batman * Cassandra Cain / Batgirl (voiced by

Leah Lewis Leah Lewis (born December 9, 1996) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Georgia "George" Fan in The CW series adaptation of ''Nancy Drew'' (2019–2023) and Ellie Chu in the Netflix comedy-drama film '' The Half of It'' ( ...

), a daredevil tech-savvy member of the Bat-Family, who serves as a "big sister" figure in the group * Oliver Queen / Green Arrow (voiced by

MacLeod Andrews MacLeod Andrews is an American actor and audiobook narrator. He has won 15 Earphone Awards and 2 Audie Awards, as well as acting awards. Personal life Andrews was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from Middlebury College. He ...

), a vigilante archer from Star City and a friend of Batman's * Dick Grayson / Nightwing (voiced by

Zachary Gordon Zachary Adam Gordon (born February 15, 1998) is an American actor. He is known for his lead role as Greg Heffley in the ''Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' film series (2010–2012), which earned him nominations for a Kids' Choice Award and seven Young A ...

), a superhero who used to fight crime with Batman but currently fights crime in different cities

The Legion of Zoom

* Badcomputer (voiced by

SungWon Cho SungWon Cho ( ; ; born December 9, 1990), also known as ProZD, is an American YouTuber and actor. On his YouTube channel, Cho produces short comedy skits, unboxing videos, and reviews of board games and snack foods. He is also known for his man ...

), an A.I. computer software inside a scoreboard and temporarily in a television who wants to replace the Bat Computer as the most powerful computer on Earth * Crash (voiced by

Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...

), Badcomputer's crash-dummy like robot minion * Prank (voiced by Griffin Burns), Joker's funny and pranking van * Jestah (voiced by Alexandra Novelle), Harley Quinn's fun-loving ATV * Ducky (voiced by Ariyan Kassam), Penguin's mischief-causing duck on a boat with wheels vehicle * Quizz (voiced by

Josey Montana McCoy Josey Montana McCoy is an American voice actor. He is best known as the English voice of Kaeya Alberich in ''Genshin Impact'', Quizz in ''Batwheels'' on Cartoon Network and portraying Steve Rogers in '' Rogers: The Musical''. Biography McCoy ...

), Riddler's quiz-loving helicopter * Snowy (voiced by

Xolo Maridueña Ramario Xolo Ramirez (born June 9, 2001), known professionally as Xolo Maridueña (), is an American actor. His roles include Victor Graham in the NBC drama '' Parenthood'' (2012–2015), Miguel Diaz in the Netflix action series ''Cobra Kai'' (2 ...

), Mr. Freeze's bad but gentle snow crawler who is also Buff's friend

The Rogues' Gallery

The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, the character first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' on ...

(voiced by Mick Wingert), Batman's

archenemy In literature, an archenemy, (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) or nemesis is the main enemy of the protagonist — or sometimes, one of the other main characters — appearing as the most prominent and most-known enemy of the hero. Etymolog ...

and the self-proclaimed "Clown Prince of Crime" * Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn (voiced by Chandni Parekh), Joker's partner-in-crime and girlfriend * Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin (voiced by

Jess Harnell Jess Harnell (born December 23, 1963) is an American voice actor. His roles include Wakko Warner in ''Animaniacs'', Captain Hero in '' Drawn Together'', Jerry in the first two seasons of '' Totally Spies!'', Ironhide in the first three ''Tr ...

), an elegant penguin-like criminal * Edward Nigma / The Riddler (voiced by SungWon Cho), a riddle-obsessed criminal * Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze (voiced by Regi Davis), an ice-themed supervillain with a mechanical suit * Selina Kyle / Catwoman (voiced by

Gina Rodriguez Gina Alexis Rodriguez (born July 30, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series ''Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Globe Award f ...

), a cat-themed burglar * Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy (voiced by Kailey Snider), a plant-themed villain * Jack Nimball / The Toyman (voiced by

James Arnold Taylor James Arnold Taylor (born July 22, 1969), also known by his initials JAT, is an American voice and television actor. He is known for voicing Ratchet in the ''Ratchet & Clank'' franchise, the main character Tidus in '' Final Fantasy X'', Shuyin ...

), a toy-themed villain who is also an

enemy An enemy or a foe is an individual or a group that is considered as forcefully adverse or threatening. The concept of an enemy has been observed to be "basic for both individuals and communities". The term "enemy" serves the social function of d ...

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

* Edgar Heed / Egghead (voiced by

Maurice LaMarche Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor. Across a career spanning more than four decades he has voiced Chief Quimby on Inspector Gadget, Egon Spengler on ''The Real Ghostbusters'', The Brain on ''Animaniacs'' and its spi ...

), an egg-themed villain *

Clayface Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them are List of Batman family enemies ...

(voiced by

Chad Kroeger Chad Robert Kroeger (, Turton; born November 15, 1974) is a Canadian musician who is best known for being the lead singer, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and founding member of the rock band Nickelback. In addition to his work with Nic ...

), a blob of clay with a wheel on his right shoulder and a square steel tube on his left shoulder, he wears a white-pink cap, police tape on his body. Clayface is stick on a rusty wheel sport with a blue square-shaped light. * Condiment King (voiced by Mick Wingert) * Music Meister (voiced by

Andy Sturmer Marvin Andrew Sturmer (born March 11, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and composer who co-founded the rock band Jellyfish in 1989. He was the group's lead vocalist, drummer, and primary songwriter. Following their break-up in 1 ...

) * King Tut (voiced by

Wayne Knight Wayne Elliot Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American actor. In television, he played recurring roles such as Newman on the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'' (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville on the NBC sitcom ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1996� ...

)

The Gotham Guardians

* Kitty (voiced by Kinza Khan), Catwoman's playful cat car * Goldie (voiced by Chandni Parekh), Green Arrow's arrowplane who is Batwing's flying friend * Nightbike (voiced by Nick Fisher), Nightwing's motorcycle * Grundy (voiced by

Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore ( , , born June 13, 1967) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk, Volstagg, and Beast in various Marvel media and ...

), a dump truck-styled monster truck

Minor

* A.D.A.M (voiced by

Adam West William West Anderson (September 19, 1928 – June 9, 2017), known professionally as Adam West, was an American actor. He portrayed Batman in the 1960s ABC series of the same name and its 1966 theatrical feature film, reprising the role in ...

with archived dialogue), Batman's early Batmobile. * John Stewart / Green Lantern (voiced by

Todd Williams Todd Michael Williams (born February 13, 1971) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He attended East Syracuse-Minoa High School graduating in 1989. He then attended Onondaga Community College before signing a professional ...

), one of Batman's

Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...

team-mates. * Ray Palmer / The Atom (voiced by

Dee Bradley Baker Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of his work has consisted of vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as '' Adventure Time'', ''American Dad!'', '' Avatar: The Las ...

), one of Batman's

team-mates.

Episodes

Season 1 (2022–23)

All episodes were directed by Antoine Charreyron.

Season 2 (2024)

Shorts

Production

Development

In October 2020, it was announced that an animated preschool series centered around the

was in development at

Warner Bros. Animation Warner Bros. Animation Inc. (abbreviated as WBA) is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Group, a division of Warner Bros., which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery and serves as the animation divis ...

, set to premiere on

's then-upcoming preschool block

and

. According to Tom Ascheim, president of the now-defunct

Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics Warner Bros. Television Studios, operating under the name Warner Bros. Television (abbreviated as WBTV; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division), is an American television production and distribution studio and the flagship studio o ...

, the series was greenlit due to its concept being fit for the studio's focus on preschool projects. Michael G. Stern serves as developer and co-executive producer, with Simon J. Smith as supervising producer, and Steven Fink and Caroline Karmel producing. Stern was brought into the project early in development, as WB explored ideas for preschool-oriented DC shows, while Smith was brought after Stern wrote the first scripts for the series. In October 2021, during that year's DC FanDome convention event, ''

Cobra Kai ''Cobra Kai'' is an American Martial arts film, martial arts comedy drama television series created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It serves as a sequel to the first three ''The K ...

'' star,

, the voice behind Bam the Batmobile, announced a sneak peek of the show. In December 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, with Stern and Smith being promoted to executive producers. In October 2024, the series was renewed for a third season.

Casting

During the aforementioned 2021 DC FanDome convention event, ''Cobra Kai'' star Jacob Bertrand announced himself to be the voice behind Bam the Batmobile; while announcing a sneak peek of the show, he announced

as the voice of

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

, three decades after the actor turned down the role in

's ''

''. whilst A.J. Hudson announced himself to voice the Duke Thomas incarnation of

Robin Robin most commonly refers to several species of passerine birds. Robin may also refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), inclu ...

Writing

While writing the series, Stern wanted to avoid "kiddifying" the characters, as he felt children should be introduced to the characters through faithful portrayals and was also requested to respect the characters. For Batman, he wrote the character to stay faithful to most interpretations, with only his violence being toned down. He also wrote the villains with "a lane" that stayed faithful to their classical portrayals while still fitting the target audience, such as portraying

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...

as a fun-loving prankster. When creating the Batwheels, the writers wanted them to be perceived as "lovable" and "fun" characters for the audience, in order to avoid the children only watching the show for Batman. In order to accomplish this, they tested the personalities for each character with a test group, who received the characters positively. The writers also wanted to avoid portraying the Legion of Zoom as mere copies of their owners, to which they gave each vehicle their own characteristics, such as portraying Prank, the Joker's van, as "a surfer dude".

Music

The series' score was composed by Alex Geringas, while the theme song was performed and produced by

, who previously composed the themes for the series '' The Batman'' and '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold''. Sturmer also co-wrote the theme alongside Stern.

Awards and nominations

The show was nominated for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children for the episode "To the Batmobile!" at the

51st Annie Awards The 51st Annual Annie Awards honoring excellence in the field of animation of 2023 was held on February 17, 2024, at the University of California, Los Angeles's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California, in 37 categories. The nominees were announc ...

Notes

References

External links