paid tribute to voice actor Michael Ansara, who played Mr. Freeze in the treasured cartoon. The actor was partly responsible for delivering the best portrayal of the cold character and creating the beautifully tragic and cinematic episode, "Heart of Ice."
That episode, along with many others, is full of incredible effects, detailed storytelling, and a jaw-dropping musical score, and it's easy to imagine the episode turned into an epic live-action Batman movie. Between a casino-based episode, a deeply haunting Robin two-parter, and one set in London, there are loads of other installments that should get the same treatment too.
"Joker's Wild"
"Joker's Wild" is one of the most inventive and mature episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. The episode sees Batman mostly rummaging through insurance files and trying to understand why anybody in their right mind would build a Joker-themed casino. As The Batman is a full-on detective story, so is "Joker's Wild," truly portraying the Caped Crusader as the "world's greatest detective."
And ultimately, as one of the biggest appeals of Batman movies is the depiction of Gotham, it'd be fascinating to see the way the film goes about creating a gambling district of the city. And seeing Bruce Wayne hanging around casinos, a la James Bond in Casino Royale, as he goes about his detective work, could make for a visually stunning and engaging crime thriller.
"Heart Of Ice"
"Heart of Ice" is the ultimate story about Mr. Freeze, as it follows his attempt to save his cryogenic wife and get revenge on the corporate suit that cut his funding while his wife was in cryogenic stasis. Batman & Robin was clearly influenced by "Heart of Steel," and while the 1997 movie is underrated, most agree that the approach was all wrong. The episode is one of the most cinematic of the series, and it's all thanks to the direction of Mr. Freeze.
The iconic villain is genuinely menacing, and the deep, almost robotic voice acting of Michael Ansara matches the character perfectly. Even the sound design of Freeze's tech and weaponry is on the same scale as a blockbuster movie. An adaptation of "Heart of Ice" could deliver the realistic and tragic backstory of the character that fans deserve. And that may happen sooner rather than later, as he might appear in The Batman 2, and fans are already debating who should play Mr. Freeze.
"The Lion And The Unicorn"
The best Batman movies are always aesthetically pleasing, and a movie adaptation of "The Lion and the Unicorn" would be more beautiful than any other. Almost the whole episode takes place in a castle full of lava pits, and it almost comes off like a very dark level of Mario Kart.
The episode also features Red Claw, one of the few female villains who never ends up being a love interest of Bruce Wayne, which would be refreshing to see. The character is a villain who has never featured in a movie before too, which is much-needed in a world where every Batman movie is repurposing the same rogues. Not only that, but it delves into Alfred's past as a former agent for the British Secret Service, which would make a fascinating film subplot.
"Robin's Reckoning"
The Batman movies have never once gotten Robin right, which is unfortunate because he is a genuinely great character with so much depth that most audiences don't know about. While there are many actors who could play Robin in a The Batman sequel, it doesn't matter how great of an actor plays the Boy Wonder unless the source material is good enough to match them.
"Robin's Reckoning" is an epic two-parter that sees Robin getting revenge for the murderer of his parents, Tony Zucco. Along with the engrossing story, which is told through flashbacks (a technique that the beloved Batman: The Mask of Phantasm borrowed,) the musical score for the episode is phenomenal. A cartoon has no reason to have music this good, and a Batman movie should straight-up rework the music at the very least.
"A Bullet For Bullock"
Making a movie adaptation of "A Bullet For Bullock" is a huge risk, but it's also one of the very best episodes. Even despite the fact that detective Harvey Bullock is out to get Batman, the Caped Crusader still watches over him and protects him when a mysterious criminal is trying to murder him.
Not only is it a great detective episode, but "A Bullet For Bullock" is heavily influenced by 1940s noir movies too. It's constantly snowing, Bullock is a typical trenchcoat and fedora-wearing detective, and there's a wonderful jazz score too. As noir movies like that aren't made anymore, "A Bullet For Bullock" could be the perfect vessel for it, just as Joker is an 80s thriller disguised as a superhero movie.
"Make 'Em Laugh"
There are loads of great Joker-centric episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, and "Make 'Em Laugh" has some interesting potential. The episode is all about how the Joker wants to win a comedy award, and in doing so, he brainwashes the judges and turns them into supervillains.
The episode is best known for being Condiment's King's first appearance, who has become something of a meme character in recent years. The villain has two guns, one that shoots ketchup and another that shoots mustard, and, surprisingly, it's Suicide Squad movie.
"Harley And Ivy"
Birds of Prey wasn't quite the epic female team-up DCEU movie that was promised, as it was more of a Harley Quinn solo film than anything. Fans didn't love it either, but it could have been so much better if it borrowed from "Harley and Ivy."
The two female villains make a great pairing, as they rob jewelry stores together and extort exclusive men's clubs. Not only that, but it would make a great first movie in a series too, as the pair teamed up together in the even better episode, "Harley's Holiday."
"Almost Got 'Im"
Some fans think the best Batman episodes don't feature supervillains, but "Almost Got 'Im" is one of the best and funniest, and it features a whole roster of villains. The episode sees the Joker, Penguin, Ivy, Two-Face, and Killer Croc playing poker as they recount times when they almost "got" Batman.
The movie could work as an anthology like The Twilight Zone or Sin City where each villain tells an extended version of the events that unfolded in the episode. On top of that, a Batman movie, or any superhero movie for that matter, has never been shot from the perspective of the supervillain, so an "Almost Got 'Im" film could set a fun precedent.
"Trial"
Just like "Almost Got 'Im," "Trial" has an ensemble cast of Batman villains and it's another one of the most unique episodes. The villains take over Arkham Asylum and capture Batman, and the first thing they do with him is put him on trial, and it's his turn to have a lawyer defending him in the court of law.
There has already been a hint of this, as Scarecrow was the judge who ran the Gotham courts when Bane took over Gotham City in The Dark Knight Rises. However, a whole courtroom drama-esque Batman-based movie could make for an incredible standalone story, especially with Joker as the judge.
"The Man Who Killed Batman"
"The Man Who Killed Batman" is a classic Joker episode, only it's unlike any other, as it sees Joker confessing his love of Batman when he thinks the Dark Knight is dead. The Clown Prince of Crime even gives a eulogy for Batman and sheds a tear, and that's a side of the Joker that fans have never seen on screen before.
It's a playful episode, but it also has one of the most horrific murder attempts by the Joker, and it features Batman sadistically infiltrating a crime syndicate by using a none-the-wiser mobster as bait. As Batman movies are getting darker and grittier, The Man Who Killed Batman could be on the lighter side while still maintaining the gangster elements.