Rocksteady will be returning to its acclaimed Arkhamverse with the Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The title is set to focus on Task Force X's mission to stop Brainiac's invasion of Metropolis. Although Brainiac's plan is yet to be revealed, trailers have revealed that he has brainwashed of the Justice League such as Superman, Flash, and Batman to do his bidding. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is set to reveal Rocksteady's take on several DC characters for the first time, and the interactions and glimpses of them in trailers are giving players clues as to where the title takes place on the Arkhamverse's timeline.
Going off the information Rocksteady has provided so far, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League takes place after Batman: Arkham Knight. The appearance of characters in Kill the Justice League like Penguin shows them as noticeably older than they were in the last Arkhamverse entry. Cobblepot now appears to have long gray hair, indicating there will presumably be a time jump of more than a few years.
Suicide Squad: KTJL's Batman Trailer Offered The Biggest Timeline Clue
The 2022 Game Awards' Suicide Squad: KTJL trailer showed Kevin Conroy would be reprising his role as Batman in the title one final time, posthumously. This trailer sees Task Force X in an Arkham Asylum set and coming face-to-face with a brainwashed Batman, which could lead to a challenging boss fight in which players could be confronted with the tactics they once used in the Batman: Arkham titles. The biggest timeline clue, however, was Harley Quinn calling Batman by his real name, "Bruce", referencing Arkham Knight's twist-filled ending in which his secret identity was revealed.
Batman's Return In Suicide Squad: KTJL Caused Some Confusion
This mention of Batman’s alter ego caused some confusion about how people still know Bruce is still Batman after Arkham Knight. He was last seen activating the "Knightfall" protocol and faking his death at the end of that game to lead Gotham to believe another hero had taken up the mantle instead. Characters such as Harley Quinn still knowing his identity hint that as dramatic as the ending was for the Caped Crusader, his efforts may have been in vain.
What this means for the state of the Arkhamverse's Batman, and how Rocksteady plans to send off Kevin Conroy's iconic take on the character, is yet to be revealed. This dialogue, accompanied by the appearance of some of the Arkhamverse's returning characters, does make it explicit that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League takes place after Arkham Knight. All of this means the title can answer questions that Batman: Arkham fans have had for the past eight years, and wrap up some of that series’ loose ends while still expanding upon Rocksteady's world and introducing players to new characters and locations.