Look, let’s be real for a second. Most DC fans went into the batman death in the family movie expecting a full-blown, feature-length adaptation of the 1988 comic where we finally see Jason Todd get walloped by a crowbar in high-definition.
What we actually got in 2020 was something way weirder.
It’s basically an interactive experiment. It's a "Choose Your Own Adventure" game masquerading as a Blu-ray. If you bought it on digital, you probably felt ripped off because the interactive stuff? It wasn't there. You just got a 20-minute recap of Under the Red Hood.
Honestly, the batman death in the family movie is less of a movie and more of a multiverse simulator. It’s ambitious. It’s messy. And it’s definitely not what the trailers made it out to be for a lot of people.
The Interactive Gimmick: Why Your Choice Actually Matters
Back in the 80s, DC famously let fans call a 1-900 number to vote on whether Jason Todd should live or die. The "die" camp won by a measly 72 votes. Cold-blooded.
The 2020 film tries to recapture that "power of the gods" feeling. You’re sitting there with your remote, and the screen freezes. You’ve got ten seconds.
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- Option 1: Robin Dies.
- Option 2: Robin Cheats Death.
- Option 3: Batman Saves Robin.
If you pick the first one, you’re basically just rewatching the 2010 Under the Red Hood movie, but with Bruce Greenwood narrating over it like a noir detective. It’s fine, but we’ve seen it.
The real meat is in the "What If" scenarios.
If Jason survives but Batman dies? Things get dark. Fast. We’re talking Jason Todd becoming a murderous version of Red Robin or even taking on the "Hush" mantle. There’s even a path where he ends up raising a baby Damian Wayne. It’s wild, fan-fiction level stuff, but it’s official.
The Digital Trap
You have to be careful here. If you stream this on a service like Max or buy it on Apple TV, the interactive elements are stripped out. You get the "linear" version. This is the biggest complaint people have. Without the choices, the batman death in the family movie feels like a clip show of better movies.
If you want the actual experience, you need the physical Blu-ray. The disc is the only way the branching logic actually functions. It’s a weird technical limitation for 2020, let alone 2026, but that’s the reality of how they coded the software on the disc.
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Breaking Down the Alternate Realities
Director Brandon Vietti didn't just want to retell the story. He wanted to break it.
In one of the most bizarre endings, Jason survives the explosion but is horribly scarred. He doesn't become the Red Hood we know. Instead, he becomes a vigilante who captures the Joker, but then things spiral. Depending on your choices, you might see a version of Batman who has finally snapped.
There is even a nod to the "Batman of Zur-En-Arrh"—that purple-and-red suit from the silver age that Grant Morrison brought back. Seeing that animated was a massive "Easter Egg" for the hardcore nerds.
Why the Voice Cast Returns
One thing this movie got 100% right was the casting.
- Bruce Greenwood as Batman (the best voice since Conroy, don't @ me).
- Vincent Martella as Jason Todd.
- John DiMaggio as the Joker.
DiMaggio’s Joker is terrifying because he’s not doing a Hamill impression. He’s more grounded, more thuggish. When he’s laughing while swinging that crowbar, it feels heavy. It feels like it actually hurts.
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Is It Actually Good?
It depends on what you want.
If you want a deep, emotional narrative that rivals The Long Halloween, you’re going to be disappointed. The segments are short. Some "movies" within the paths only last about 10 or 15 minutes before the credits roll. It’s choppy.
But if you like "Elseworlds" stories? It’s a goldmine. It explores the psychological trauma of Jason Todd in ways the original comics never quite did. It asks: "Is Jason’s turn to villainy inevitable, or is it just a result of Batman’s failure?"
The movie suggests it’s a bit of both. No matter what path you take, Jason is a broken kid. Whether he’s wearing the Robin suit, the Red Hood mask, or bandages over his face, he’s fueled by a resentment that Batman can’t fix.
What You Should Do Now
If you're planning to watch the batman death in the family movie, stop searching for it on streaming sites.
- Buy the physical Blu-ray. Seriously. If you don't have the disc, you're only seeing 20% of the content.
- Clear an hour. Don't just watch one path. The fun is in seeing how a single decision at the warehouse changes the entire DC Universe.
- Watch Under the Red Hood first. This 2020 project is a spiritual sequel/remix. If you haven't seen the 2010 original, half the references won't land.
- Look for the "DC Showcase" shorts. The Blu-ray comes with other shorts like Sgt. Rock and The Phantom Stranger. They’re actually some of the best animation DC has ever produced.
The batman death in the family movie is a weird piece of history. It's a tribute to a phone poll from the 80s and a tech experiment that hasn't really been repeated since. It’s flawed, sure. But for a Batman fan, seeing Jason Todd finally get a "happy" ending—or an even more miserable one—is worth the price of admission.