Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

The joke's on you.

RELEASED 12 Dec 20001h 17m★ 7.3 TMDB

The Joker is back with a vengeance, and Neo-Gotham's Dark Knight, Terry McGinnis, needs answers as he stands alone to face the old Gotham's most infamous Clown Prince of Crime.

Why it matters in DC

The Joker's apparent return forces Terry to confront a danger rooted in Bruce Wayne's earlier Gotham. It connects the future Batman's responsibilities to the previous generation's unresolved history, making the relationship between the two eras central to the mystery.

Watch these first

7 titles to watch before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker — 96h 59m in total.

Batman: The Animated SeriesRecommended31h 10m★ 8.6
Features Batman earlier in DC Animated Universe, providing character context before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Batman: Mask of the PhantasmRecommended1h 16m★ 7.5
Features Batman and The Joker earlier in DC Animated Universe, providing character context before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Superman: The Animated SeriesRecommended18h 54m★ 7.7
Shows an earlier chapter of DC Animated Universe and the state of that world before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
The New Batman AdventuresRecommended8h 24m★ 8.1
Features Batman earlier in DC Animated Universe, providing character context before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZeroRecommended1h 7m★ 6.9
Features Batman and Robin & Nightwing and Batgirl earlier in DC Animated Universe, providing character context before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Batman BeyondRecommended17h 56m★ 8.2
Features Batman earlier in DC Animated Universe, providing character context before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Static ShockRecommended18h 12m★ 8.0
Shows an earlier chapter of DC Animated Universe and the state of that world before Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.

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How these titles are selected

Story prerequisites are curated. Likely prerequisites are inferred from sequel numbering or explicit synopsis references. Recommendations are earlier stories in the same continuity; background picks are separate adaptations. Series lists cover whole shows, not an episode-by-episode watch order.

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Where it fits in the DC universe

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is title 13 of 13 in our DC Animated Universe viewing sequence. Return of the Joker belongs within Batman Beyond's future Gotham and draws on the earlier animated Batman generation. Familiarity with both Terry's role and Bruce's past adds context to its mystery. It does not continue the Jokers from the live-action films, whose histories are independent of this animated sequence.

Explore this viewing sequence