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If you want to see how far you can stretch the Batman mythos into other cultures, Aztec Batman: Clash of the Empires is an example of how far it can go. In this latest DC animated film, there are no comics that are being directly adapted. However, it feels like an Elseworlds tale in the same way that Batman: Ninja and its sequel Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League did. A big part of the fun is trying to see how the mythos of Batman and his rogues will be interpreted in another culture. 

In Batman: Ninja, the Batman mythos was applied to a tale of feudalistic Japan, samurai, and giant transforming Kaiju robots. It was animated at Kamikaze Douga and resulted in a thrilling mixture of cultures and styles. Similarly, In Aztec Batman, the animation was a collaboration between Warner Bros. Animation and regional studio Ánima, headquartered in Mexico City. The story, written by DC Animated veteran Ernie Altbacker, is set in Mesoamerica and is deeply rooted in history.

Altbacker didn’t originally start with any specific rogues in mind. He wanted to tell a regionally specific story that was true to the history first and then find matches to Batman lore. For example, with the main antagonist, Altbacker was trying to build the story from a historical standpoint first. The Batman layer could not be applied until the historical element was nailed down. But first, he needed to know who the bad guy was going to be: the Spanish Conquistadors.

COO of Ánima José Carlos, was the first to say, ‘Okay General Cortez is the bad guy, right?,’ revealed producer Aaron Berger. “Yes, but he doesn’t believe he’s the bad guy. He thinks he’s coming and bringing the word of God. He’s coming, and yes, he’s running from the governor of Cuba. There are things that preceded his landing in Mexico.” 

“In his mind though he’s the good guy so he comes with an open with an open embrace saying we’re going share culture and technology and all of this stuff and he means it in the moment, but then when he finds resistance his drive is, ‘Well I can’t face resistance, I’m the hand of God.’ That’s why he’s “two-faced” because he promises cultural exchange, but really, it’s conquest. So then it became a natural kind of overlay.” 

Once Albecker finished the first treatment, he made the connection right away that it made total sense to match Cortez with Two-Face (Jay Hernandez). It was a similar path for Joker (Raymond Cruz) and other rogues that made appearances.

“It was an evolving process; it wasn’t like when we started, all of these things fit. We actually spent the time to evaluate the historical figures and the DC figures and how do we true to both.” 

As for Joka, his character begins the film as the spiritual advisor to King Moctezuma, but travels down some dark roads. This interpretation of Joker might be one of the more fascinating takes on the character yet. 

“In a sense, both Batman (Horacio Garcia Rojas) and Joker are going through the same path but in opposite directions,” reflects Carlos. “One loses his faith and loses himself while the other regains his faith and by that same account, gains trust in himself.”

Aztec Batman: Clash of the Empires will be available on HBO Max and digital September 19 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 23 from Warner Bros.

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