Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires
An Aztec reimagining of Batman set during the Spanish conquest.
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (Spanish: Batman Azteca: Choque de Imperios) is a 2025 adult animated historical superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. The film is a joint production of Ánima, Chatrone, and Warner Bros. Animation, written and directed by Juan Meza-León. It debuted in Mexican theaters through Cinépolis Distribución on September 18, 2025, and was released in North America by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment the following day.
The story follows Yohualli Coatl, an Aztec boy whose father is killed by Spanish conquistadors. As an adult, Coatl serves as a priest in the court of King Moctezuma II. Alongside fellow clerics at the temple of Tzinacan, he opposes the Spanish invaders and protects his people by adopting the masked identity of "Batman."
The cast includes Horacio García Rojas as Yohualli Coatl / Batman, with Jay Hernandez voicing the English dub. Jorge R. Gutiérrez portrays Toltecatzin, a variant of Thomas Wayne and Coatl’s murdered father. José Carlos Illanes plays Pedro de Alvarado, a variant of Azrael and Cortés’s right-hand man. Teresa Ruiz stars as Jaguar Woman, a jaguar-themed variant of Catwoman. Omar Chaparro plays Yoka / Joker, a former priest driven mad, with Raymond Cruz voicing the English dub. Álvaro Morte portrays Hernán Cortés / Two-Face, a conquistador scarred on one side of his face. Maya Zapata appears as Forest Ivy, a variant of Poison Ivy and a vengeful nature demi-goddess. Roberto Sosa plays Acatzin, a variant of Alfred Pennyworth and a temple caretaker who aids Batman.
Production began on June 13, 2022, announced at the Guadalajara International Film Festival by HBO Max Latin America. It marks the first collaboration between Ánima and Warner Bros. Animation, directed by Meza-León and produced by Ánima’s José C. García de Letona and Fernando De Fuentes. The film is entirely produced in Mexico. Sam Register and Tomás Yankelevich served as executive producers, with Alejandro Diaz Barriga as cultural consultant. Some reviewers noted the collaboration may be one of many, as HBO Max Latin America aimed to release 50–70 Latin America-branch originals by 2023. Horacio García Rojas was cast as the lead in June 2022, and Aaron D. Berger and Carina Schulze joined the production team by September 2022.
The filmmakers conducted extensive research on Aztec culture, including building structures and color symbolis
- Release date (Mexico)
- September 18, 2025
- Release date (North America)
- September 19, 2025
- Director and writer
- Juan Meza-León
- Production companies
- Ánima, Chatrone, Warner Bros. Animation
- Distributors
- Cinépolis Distribución (Mexico), Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (North America)
- Genre
- Adult animated historical superhero film
- Composer
- Ego Plum
Lore & Background
The film follows Yohualli Coatl, an Aztec boy whose father is murdered by Spanish conquistadors. As an adult, Coatl becomes a priest in the court of King Moctezuma II and works with fellow clerics in the temple of Tzinacan to defy the Spanish invaders, using the masked persona of the 'Batman'. The cast includes Horacio García Rojas as Yohualli Coatl / Batman, with Jay Hernandez voicing the role in the English dub. Other characters include Toltecatzin (a variant of Thomas Wayne), Pedro de Alvarado (a variant of Azrael), Jaguar Woman (a jaguar-themed variant of Catwoman), Yoka / Joker, Hernán Cortés / Two-Face, Forest Ivy (a variant of Poison Ivy), and Acatzin (a variant of Alfred Pennyworth).
Production began on June 13, 2022, announced at the Guadalajara International Film Festival by HBO Max Latin America. The filmmakers did extensive research on Aztec culture, including building structures and the meaning of colors, and hired Dr. Alejandro Barriga as a cultural consultant. Director Juan Meza-León compared the film to an 'Elseworlds' comic book, aiming to incorporate 'the spirit of vengeance and trying to turn tragedy into motivation for good'. The score by Ego Plum incorporates elements of Danny Elfman's theme from Batman (1989) with Elfman's approval.
Reader's Guide
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires represents a notable cross-cultural collaboration between Warner Bros. Animation and Latin American studios Ánima and Chatrone, being completely produced in Mexico. Its significance lies in its attempt to fuse the Batman mythos with Aztec history and mythology, reimagining iconic characters such as Two-Face as Hernán Cortés and Poison Ivy as an Aztec demi-goddess. The film sparked debate in the Spanish-speaking world regarding the possible perpetuation of the anti-Spanish 'Black Legend', with discussions about how it might raise awareness of the legacy of the Spanish conquest. The film grossed $648,067 in Mexico and $15,177 in Colombia for a worldwide total of $663,244. Director Juan Meza-León expressed interest in developing a continuation that explores 'more of that detective side of Batman'.
Did You Know?
- The film was announced on June 13, 2022 at the Guadalajara International Film Festival by HBO Max Latin America.
- Director Juan Meza-León compared the film to an 'Elseworlds' comic book.
- The score incorporates elements of Danny Elfman's theme from Batman (1989) with Elfman's approval.
- The film's version of Batman is inspired by the Aztec bat god Tzinacan.
More in American superhero films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record