Ranking Every DCAU Show And Film Worst To Best

Released in 2000, Return of The Joker was, in many ways, the bridge between the past and the present, filling in the blanks between the The New Batman Adventures and Batman Beyond. It justified the existence of the DCAU's newer generation while bringing a closure of sorts to the previous one.

With that in mind, the film itself was very much based on the notion of past meets present, as the eponymous Clown Prince Of Crime resurfaced in Neo Gotham and, in doing so, came face to face with the Batman of the future.

As great as the series was, Return of the Joker was the moment that Batman Beyond really came into its own, as it used the personal history between Bruce Wayne and the Joker to enhance the overall story.

It served as a fitting backdrop for the completion of Terry McGinnis' ascension. The mature tone adopted by the story was also appreciated, as it was able to push certain boundaries that its TV counterpart could not. Sure, some scenes are hard to watch at times, but it was impossible to look away.

If anything, it highlighted that regardless of whether it's the past, present or future, the Joker will always be a significant part of the DCAU - which is why it was so important for Terry to overcome him.