Spotify's exclusive 'Batman Unburied' podcast finally debuts May 3rd

Spotify's long-promised Batman podcast is almost here. The streamer has announced that DC Comics and Warner Bros.' Batman Unburied will debut worldwide on May 3rd, with a trailer offering a hint of what to expect. The show will have Barbara Gordon (aka Batgirl) look for help from The Riddler to understand why Bruce Wayne can't remember his Batman role and, hopefully, convince him to fight a serial killer wreaking havoc on Gotham City.

Winston Duke (M'Baku in Black Panther) will play Bruce Wayne in the English-language podcast. Other stars include John Rhys-Davies, Lance Reddick (John Wick), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter), Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) and Ashly Burch (Horizon Forbidden West), among others. Spotify is also promising localized versions and actors for Brazil, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan and Mexico.

The release comes nearly two years after Spotify first unveiled a multi-year deal with DC and Warner Bros. to produce exclusive podcasts, and roughly a year and a half after the companies teased early details of Batman Unburied. It's not clear what prompted the long wait, but the news reflects a catch-up of sorts as Spotify's podcast deals finally become reality. Meghan Markle's first podcast series, for instance, is arriving on Spotify nearly two years after she and Prince Harry reached a deal.

Whatever the reasons behind the wait, Batman Unburied could represent an important moment for Spotify. It could show whether or not the DC/Warner collaboration was worth the effort, of course, but it might also indicate whether Spotify's quest for exclusive podcasts was worth the delays and sometimes serious problems.