Befitting his status as one of the world's most popular superheroes, Batman has long been a fixture of the big screen, dating back to two serials in the 1940s. Batman's first feature film was also arguably his wackiest, that being Batman (1966), a theatrical extension of the campy yet beloved TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. In 1989, Tim Burton took the reins, creating a much darker take on the Caped Crusader, one that continued in 1992 with Batman Returns. Joel Schumacher then camped things up once again in 1995 with Batman Forever, and later in 1997 with the ultra-silly Batman & Robin.

Despite Batman's long film history, it wasn't until now A-list director Christopher Nolan took over the franchise with Batman Begins in 2005 that perhaps the definitive theatrical take on Bruce Wayne's vigilante alter ego emerged. This reached a crescendo with The Dark Knight, a critical and commercial smash that many still hold up as the greatest superhero film of all-time. Starring Christian Bale as Bruce/Batman and the late Heath Ledger in an Oscar-winning performance as The Joker, Nolan's The Dark Knight rose above genre labels, earning praise from just about everyone.

Now, noted YouTube fan trailer creator Stryder HD has taken it upon himself to create an animated take on The Dark Knight's well-remembered trailer. The full video can be seen above, and features clips from a large variety of animated Batman movies, including Batman: Gotham Knight. Batman: Under the Red Hood, Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 & 2, Batman: Bad Blood, Batman: Assault on Arkham, Son of Batman and Batman vs Robin. Backing the clips is the famous Dark Knight trailer music, as well as several voice clips from Nolan's blockbuster.

One thing that the above fan trailer does not port over from Nolan's Dark Knight is any audio of Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker, a move likely to puzzle many, as people often point to Ledger as being the best part of the film. Maybe that decision was for the best though, as hearing the voices of Bale, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman come out of animated avatars that look nothing like them is a bit jarring in and of itself.

All in all, though, the fan trailer does make one wonder just how interesting an actual animated adaptation of Nolan's The Dark Knight might end up being, especially if go-to Batman and Joker voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill could be persuaded into assuming their iconic roles once again.

Source: Stryder HD