Max is losing the Adam West Batman movie in December, and it's a bit of a confusing situation
This isn't the news we wanted for Christmas
One of the most famous Batman movies of all time is leaving Max next month, and fans of the Caped Crusader won't be happy about it.
As usual, the full list of December 2023 arrivals and departures of Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service was unveiled with a press release, and subscribers were shocked to see Batman (1966) and Beware the Batman (2013) on the list. The inventory, however, was updated yesterday to correct some mistakes, among which was the 2013 animated series. (It's sticking around, thankfully.) Still, it's quite obvious that any and all Warner properties can be on the chopping block when you least expect them.
The departure of the 1966 Batman movie starring Adam West and Burt Ward is particularly shocking, given that Gotham's legendary vigilante and his world are among the most recognizable and valuable Warner-owned IPs. Nonetheless, we've learned in recent times that Warner Bros. Discovery is willing to sacrifice (temporarily or permanently) anything in order to cut costs and earn some quick cash. CEO David Zaslav has even claimed that putting select DC movies on rival platforms "enhances the quality of the DC library." Honestly, this all sounds like bread for today and hunger for tomorrow.
Complicating matters, the 1966 Batman movie isn't actually owned by Max parent company (and DC owner) Warner Bros. Discovery. The movie was made a year before Kinney National purchased National Publications, as DC was called at the time, and three years before Kinney bought Warner Bros., and was actually funded and distributed by 20th Century Fox which still hold the rights to the movie. Yes, that's right: The Walt Disney Company, which purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019, controls the distribution rights to an important piece of Batman history.
Batman: The Movie will be leaving Max on December 31 alongside far too many movies and TV shows, and is a huge piece of Batman history that Warner Bros. Discovery is letting go for purely financial reasons. The fact it's most likely a temporary absence only makes it more ridiculous. Hey, at least it's not disappearing forever like the Batgirl movie.
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