Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman return to the small screen in Justice League Action. (Cartoon Network/YouTube video)
Over a decade after the beloved Justice League Unlimited ended, the Justice League is back in action in animated form. Justice League Action finally debuts on Friday, December 16 at 6 p.m. ET on Cartoon Network. Read on for a preview of the special premiere episode and to find out when subsequent episodes air.
Justice League Action has a much lighter tone from the previous Bruce Timm animated series, like Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series and the original Justice League show.
However, there are some familiar voices. Kevin Conroy is back to voice Batman. Crispin Freeman, who voiced Roy Harper in Young Justice, will voice Martian Manhunter. Sean Astin, Patton Oswalt, Carl Reiner, Andy Richter, Brent Spiner and even James Woods have all been recruited to voice famous DC Comics characters. Mark Hamill was also brought back to voice the Joker and other characters.
Action also differs from the old DC Comics shows in format. Each half-hour episode includes two 11-minute stories, rather than one 22-minute story. For the hour-long premiere though, we got one action-packed story.
The series is also being handled by two animation veterans. Jake Castorena worked on the DC Animated Movies Batman: Assault on Arkham, Batman vs. Robin and Justice League: Gods and Monsters. Co-director Shaunt Nigoghossian’s resume includes Danny Phantom, Justice League and Be Cool, Scooby Doo.
After the first episode aired, the show moves to Saturday mornings, starting on December 24.
PREMIERE DATE: December 16, 2016
TIME: 6 p.m. ET
CHANNEL: Cartoon Network (To find out which channel Cartoon Network is for you, click here to go to TV Guide’s listings and change “Provider” to your cable/satellite provider.)
EPISODE DESCRIPTION: From DCComics.com: In “Shazam Slam,” the villainous Black Adam battles Batman on the Rock of Eternity and unleashes a horde of Djinn determined to turn the Earth back to its pre-human, volcanic state. Affected by the otherworldly powers of these primordial monsters, Batman becomes possessed and is turned into a giant flying Batmonster laying waste to the Hall of Justice, with only Superman capable of taking the fight to the Dark Knight. One by one, the Justice League – with the help of Shazam (voiced by Sean Astin) and The Wizard (voiced by Carl Reiner) – must hunt down and defeat each Djinn in order to yet again save the world from destruction.
CAST:
Kevin Conroy as Batman
Jason J. Lewis as Superman
Rachel Kimsey as Wonder Woman
John DiMaggio as Logo
Mark Hamill as The Joker
Sean Astin as Shazam
Carl Reiner as The Wizard
Jake T. Austin as Blue Beetle
Diedrich Bader as Booster Gold
Damian O’Hare as John Constantine
Patton Oswalt as Space Cabbie
Andy Richter as Chronos
Brent Spiner as The Riddler
James Woods as Lex Luthor
