Warning: This article contains spoilers for Creature Commandos episode 6.

The DC Universe just provided the first proper look at its iteration of Batman, and in doing so also gave an exciting reveal regarding how strong this version of the hero is. While the DCU Superman movie is set to release in 2025, things are less certain for the Dark Knight, with a concrete release date for the solo Batman movie The Brave And The Bold still currently unannounced. That said, this has arguably only stoked the fires of intrigue more about what the DCU Batman will be like, especially since Batman’s live-action movie history is one of the strongest in all of the superhero genre, setting a high bar.

Mercifully, the DCU has already provided early glances at some of its biggest names even before the debut of the first movie in the DC Universe release timeline, allowing audiences some exciting previews of what’s to come. This now includes providing a proper look at the DCU Batman in action, which is as surprising as it is interesting – especially given what this specific early look at the Caped Crusader says about his fighting abilities years before the current point the DC Universe timeline is at.

Creature Commandos Episode 6’s DCU Batman Debut Gives A First Proper Look At The New Dark Knight

Creature Commandos episode 6 cleverly provides audiences a first proper sneak peek at the DC Universe’s Batman via its exploration of Doctor Phosphorus’ origin story. Though viewers got a glimpse at a dead Batman in Circe’s vision of a potential dystopian future, it’s worth noting that it’s still not clear whether this is an actual vision of the future – and indeed, even if it is, it seems like one that won’t actively come to pass, meaning episode 6 marks the first tangible and definite appearance of a living Dark Knight.

Episode 6 focuses on how Doctor Phosphorus went from a relatively ordinary scientist to a permanently glowing skeleton, detailing his fall from being a well-intentioned family man in with the wrong crowd in order to try and fund his experimental cancer cure, to a crime lord in his own right following him murdering the mob boss who killed his own family and inadvertently turned him into a living pile of bones. After taking over Rupert Thorne’s illicit empire, though, Phosphorus finds himself in the sights of a new enemy: Batman.

As such, the montage showing Doctor Phosphorus’ backstory closes with a shot of the Caped Crusader’s shadowy figure set against a lightning-flecked sky, with the very distinct implication being that the Dark Knight put an end to his schemes shortly after. Though there’s no elaborate fight scene shown in the story – and indeed, the shot of Batman is a relatively short one itself – the things this already says about the Dark Knight bode well, to say the least.

Batman’s Origin Story Appearance Shows How Strong He Is Before He’s Ever Shown In A Full Fight

Doctor Phosphorus is established as something of a powerhouse in Creature Commandos from early on in the series – an idea that’s easy for audiences to believe once they realize they’re dealing with a radioactive skeleton who’s able to channel this deadly energy to immensely destructive results. In fact, Creature Commandos makes sure to underline this especially potently in the episode prior, with episode 5 showing the character making short work of a tank and its occupants, melting through the machine and those inside it with seeming ease.

As such, the fact that Batman is implicitly shown to have beaten Doctor Phosphorus helps to establish how effective in a fight the hero really is, as it looks like a serious feat to escape an encounter with Phosphorus alive, let alone defeat him and presumably place him in prison. While Batman would have beaten a less experienced Phosphorus since the sequence was his origin story, it seems almost inevitable that both will have grown stronger and more experienced in battle since then, suggesting that the actual Dark Knight audiences will soon meet is actually even better in a fight.

The DC Universe’s Batman Tease Shows A Perfect Way To Set Up For His Solo Movie

While The Brave And The Bold appears to be some significant time away from being released, this doesn’t have to mean audiences will be bereft of Batman until its debut. Indeed, Creature Commandos episode 6 does a great job of showing how the lead up to The Brave And The Bold‘s release can be used to build hype for the Dark Knight’s film, since other releases can still feature glimpses of the character and establish the fear and respect that those who are aware of him have for the vigilante.

Featuring any of Batman’s sidekicks could also be an effective way to continue to set up the hero and his movie, with the announcement of the upcoming Dynamic Duo movie suggesting this is an approach that may be considered for the DC Universe.

In one short sequence, Creature Commandos established that Batman has been operating in Gotham for some time, that he’s already a figure the criminals of Gotham fear – based on the screams of terror when he’s finally spotted – and that he is capable of handling some of the strongest figures established in the universe thus far. With this in mind, future DC Universe releases could theoretically continue this trend without sacrificing much of their own runtime to the hero, cementing his legacy while also adding another selling point that encourages Batman fans to watch releases he doesn’t actively star in.

In fact, this could work effectively to justify a longer build-up for The Brave And The Bold, since further teases like the one in Creature Commandos episode 6 can ensure that audiences aren’t interested in the upcoming Batman movie just to learn about what this version of the hero is like, but rather because what they already know about him makes the prospect of a full feature length movie about the character all the more tantalizing. As such, hopefully the DC Universe deciding to provide an early look at the Dark Knight may mean audiences’ next look at Batman is sooner than it might seem.