Online network Machinima has landed the exclusive rights to a three-part animated Justice League series from Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, titled  Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles, which will launch in the spring of 2015. According to the article in Variety, this new series is said to revolve around “a newly conceived reality in the DC universe where Justice League members Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are much darker versions of the superheroes that people know” (darker than the already dark Zack Snyder versions?).

This new digital series will be based on Justice League: Gods & Monsters, an original animated film executive produced by Bruce Timm and co-produced by Alan Burnett that will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in the latter half of in 2015. Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett both collaborated on the now classic Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the subsequent series that would make up the DC Animated Universe.

The Chronicles episodes will debut weeks before the launch of the feature film. This all makes it sound like the Machinima episodes will be some kind of prequel or prelude to the movie. Bruce Timm left his post as the supervising producer of the straight-to-DVD animated films after the Dark Knight Returns, and this would signal his return back to the DC characters. Could it be related to the DC Animated universe he began with Alan Burnett and Paul Dini with Batman, Superman and Justice League? No way to tell yet, but I know that fans would jump for joy if that were the case.

The original Variety piece noted that this would be the first project from Warner Bros.’ newly formed digital content production unit, headed up by president of  Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Series Sam Register, and that this is another effort for Warner Brothers to get the Justice League brand out there ahead of the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”for 2016, followed by a Justice League movie in 2018. The 2018 date is Variety’s, and not official-with Avengers 3 coming out in 2018 I’d bet Justice League hits theaters first.