‘Batman: The Animated Series’ EP Paul Dini Wanted Steven Spielberg’s ‘Freakazoid!’ To Cross Over With The Equally Wacky Harley Quinn, But It Was Not To Be
The zany kids’ show from the mind of Steven Spielberg, called Freakazoid!, had a history like few other cartoons. First envisioned as a teen adventure with homages to Spider-Man, Bruce Timm was in conversations to chip in. He would bow out before long as the tone shifted and Warner Bros. television executives came calling with an offer to adapt Superman.
Freakazoid! nevertheless made it to air with the direction that’s to Spielberg’s liking, and it had a nice little run for itself in the mid-’90s. A few WB stablemates, including The Brain and Wakko of the Animaniacs, came along for the ride. However, for a show about a sardonic superhero, you would think more characters from DC would pop up.
That almost happened with a character from Gotham City who perfectly fit the show’s tone. Batman: The Animated Series co-producer Paul Dini mulled approaching Freakazaid! makers at Amblin Entertainment about the possibility of using Harley Quinn. Sadly, crossing streams between studios, as he put it (via Comicbook), was verboten.
“Back then, crossing the streams between the Warner Bros/DC and Warner/Amblin universes was pretty much out. Also, Harley wasn’t that well-known back then. Hence, my ‘Harley & The Brain’ pitch was also a no-go,” Dini explained. He also mused on X about what could have been in response to some well-done fan art.
Harley Quinn went on to become the most recognizable female character to originate in the early DC Animated Universe, thanks to an assist from Margot Robbie. Meanwhile, Freakazoid is largely forgotten despite occasional appearances that could have helped the zany crusader crawl back from obscurity.
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In fact, his most recent cameo was in a crossover with the Teen Titans in the Teen Titans Go! episode “Huggbees.” A continuation of some sort from there in that animation style shouldn’t be hard, and would be something.
HBO Max might be looking to expand its catalog under the kids tab, but until a representative says so, your kids (if you have any) and your nostalgic self can rewatch Freakazoid! on the Internet Archive, as well as a few other places (although some of these options require a fee).
