Naya Rivera's Posthumous Role in New Batman Movie Revealed

The voice cast for the upcoming animated two-part adaptation of the fan-favorite Batman comic Batman: The Long Halloween has been announced, and it's got some notable talent. Supernatural's Jensen Ackles will be taking on the classic cowl as Bruce Wayne/Batman, marking his second foray into the DC Universe after playing Jason Todd/Red Hood in 2010's Batman: Under the Red Hood.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed the full cast, which includes late Glee star Naya Rivera in her final role as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Josh Duhamel as Harvey Dent, Billy Burke as James Gordon, Titus Welliver as Carmine Falcone, David Dastmalchian as Calendar Man, Troy Baker as Joker, Amy Landecker as Barbara Gordon, Julie Nathanson as Gilda Dent, Jack Quaid as Alberto, Fred Tatasciore as Solomon Grundy, and Alastair Duncan as Alfred, as well as Frances Callier, Greg Chun, Gary Leroi Gray, and Jim Pirri as additional cast.

Part One of the project is expected to drop sometime in the Spring or Summer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rivera completed her voice-over work before her death last July. Rivera died from drowning while out on a boat with her four-year-old son, Josey Dorsey, on Lake Piru. In her final moments, Rivera helped her son back into the boat before disappearing under the water. After her body was found and an autopsy was performed, "foul play" was ruled out and the incident was categorized as a tragic accident.

Batman: The Long Halloween is based on a 13-issue limited series that ran from 1996 to 1997 written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. The series occurs early on in Batman's time-fighting crime in Gotham as he hunts a killer named Holiday who murders his victims on (you guessed it) holidays, one per month. Alongside allies Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon, Batman tries to catch the killer before choosing his next victim. The series is in continuity with the extremely popular Batman: Year One and sees the transition of Batman's usual low-level rogues into actual supervillains. The series was a major influence on the Christopher Nolan trilogy, so it is a must-watch for DC fans.