Gotham’s most punishing Batman saga has finally clawed its way onto your screen. Batman: Knightfall Part 1 is now available to watch online, dropping on Digital August 25, 2026 as the opening chapter of a new animated trilogy from DC and Warner Bros. Animation.
For the uninitiated, Knightfall is one of the most consequential arcs in Batman’s comic history — the storyline that famously broke the Bat. Adapting it into animation is no small ambition, and this first installment sets the stage for a three-part descent into Gotham’s darkest hour.
The voice cast carries serious weight. Anson Mount lends his voice to the lead, joined by Michael Mando and Pablo Schreiber, with Jeff Wamester in the director’s chair. Wamester is no stranger to DC’s animated universe, and here he’s tasked with translating the sprawling comic epic into something taut and cinematic.
Speaking of taut — the runtime clocks in at a lean 78 minutes. That’s a brisk, focused slice of storytelling that wastes little time getting to the heart of the conflict, which is exactly what you want from a trilogy opener that needs to hook you and leave you hungry for the next chapter.
If you prefer your Batman on a shiny disc rather than a stream, physical media fans have a date to circle. The film arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 8, 2026. For collectors, the 4K release is the obvious pick — animation of this pedigree tends to reward the extra resolution and HDR headroom, with inky Gotham blacks and moody color grading that really benefit from a proper display.
What makes this a notable moment for DC animation is the trilogy structure itself. Rather than compressing a dense, multi-year comic saga into a single feature, splitting Knightfall across three films gives the material room to breathe. Part 1 establishes the pieces; the follow-ups will presumably deliver the payoff that made the source material so iconic.
So whether you’re firing up a digital purchase tonight or waiting for the disc to spin up on September 8, Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall is the start of a story built to leave a mark. Just don’t expect the Dark Knight to walk away unscathed.
