Netflix’s deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s movie studio and streaming business is all but assured if European and U.S. regulators meet eye to eye. The streamer has also solidified a deal with anime studio Mappa, under which the two will “work together on new projects with a global perspective,” and the streaming giant will have exclusive rights to a slate of Mappa productions. Although much of WBD’s operations will remain untouched, such as James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe, Netflix may still want to dip its toes into developing Batman-related content outside of the DCU canon, and Absolute Batman is ripe for adaptation.
Created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta, Absolute Batman is the breakout hit of DC’s recently launched Absolute Universe, featuring modern updates on its biggest heroes and villains. In a universe where the heroes are at a disadvantage and the villains have all the resources of their contemporaries, this Bruce Wayne is a young blue-collar engineer with no wealth, experience, or tech to lean on. His villains are the ultra-rich in society who strip citizens of their money and freedom to benefit themselves (and also, in one issue, white nationalists).
The Absolute version of Batman is far more brutal than his past iterations because he has no backup, no resources, and must rely on his wit and brutality more than any other iteration of the character. These villains are larger, nastier, and always better equipped than Batman, and it’s up to him to overcome those odds. This is a Dark Knight who is so radicalized that he makes explosives and blows up skyscrapers. No longer is Batman a billionaire dressed as a bat and beating up small-time thugs. Bruce Wayne is from the gutter, and he’s trying to eliminate the corrupt elites, one building at a time.
Absolute Batman also happens to be a massive hit, making it one of the few Western comic books that can compete with its manga counterparts on The New York Times Best Sellers. And that’s not just because he’s built like a truck and is a total badass. This particular Batman represents our current generation and what a contemporary hero looks like in today’s hyper-political, deeply divided society, which makes the comics ripe for adaptation.
If the recent box office says anything, it’s that anime is the decided medium of the young, as seen with Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Mappa’s coming-of-age story Chainsaw Man Movie – Reze Arc. Absolute Batman’s gritty atmosphere, ultraviolence, and battle against the rich elites mirror the shonen elements (the majority of his original rogues’ gallery growing up alongside him, his childhood-to-adulthood romance with Selina Kyle, and his uphill battle against a corrupt government) and could bridge the gap between anime diehards and casual audiences.
Mappa specifically has a knack for portraying complex protagonists, as seen in Attack on Titan season 4, where Eren Yeager is depicted as a morally flawed terrorist with understandable motives that resemble Absolute Batman’s Bruce Wayne. The studio also has its finger on the pulse of pop culture, creating anime’s first global meme of 2026 with the premiere of Jujutsu Kaisen season 3. Mappa’s Reze Arc is one of the few coming-of-age stories teens have truly connected with since Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Combine that with Absolute Batman, and you have a strong candidate for the next cultural touchstone. It’s one of the most iconic IPs, adapted by a leading animation studio, arriving at a moment when the medium is poised for a new wave of mainstream acclaim.
While some Japanese fans fear mainstream appeal is diluting anime’s artistry, Mappa adapting a character like Batman could offer the best of both worlds: a globally loved hero told with a sharp artistic edge.
