This summer, Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s seminal Batman: The Killing Joke will finally be adapted as an animated movie. As an added bonus for longtime Batman fans, three of the most iconic performers from Batman: The Animated Series will reprise their roles for the film: Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Mark Hamill as the Joker, and Tara Strong as Barbara Gordon.

In the original telling of The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon didn’t appear in costume as Batgirl. But that’s going to change in The Killing Joke animated movie. A newly leaked video from the Justice League vs. Teen Titans special features offered an extended glimpse at Batman: The Killing Joke and Barbara’s expanded role in the narrative.

“We thought ‘how can we make [The Killing Joke] a full length feature? How can we expand this story without just padding it?’ So, the idea that we came up with was to create…a prequel to the story,” said veteran animation producer Bruce Timm. “The audience gets to spend more time with Barbara Gordon as a person before the events of The Killing Joke. We get to like her more. We get to understand who she is as a character.”

“It was smart to come up with the prologue idea, which I think was really important to show Batgirl in action in this story just to get a sense of who she was,” added DC Entertainment’s ‎Creative Director of Animation, Mike Carlin.” She wasn’t just somebody’s daughter, she was somebody who mattered to Gotham City, and Batman in particular.”

You can watch the video below, but be warned that it features a lot of spoilers from The Killing Joke, especially if you’ve never read the comic!

Are you excited to see a larger role for Batgirl in Batman: The Killing Joke? Share the punchline with us in the comment section below!

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Image Credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment