Freshly unearthed files from a discarded hard drive have revealed early development footage of Monolith Productions' canceled Batman game, tied to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. The materials, dating from April 2009 to January 2010, include tests of the Tumbler Batmobile and audio systems. This project, known as Project Apollo, was scrapped after failing to secure Nolan's approval.
In early 2009, shortly before the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum and a year after Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight film, Monolith Productions began developing an open-world Batman action game connected to Nolan's cinematic universe. Titled Project Apollo, the third-person title was in production for about 18 months before its cancellation, as detailed in a 2019 report by Liam Robertson.
The game's Gotham City would allow traversal via gliding, grappling hooks, or the Tumbler Batmobile, with randomly generated thugs that could return stronger in encounters—a precursor to Monolith's Nemesis System later featured in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) and Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017).
Previous leaks in 2024 showcased later builds with combat and traversal mechanics. Now, on January 12, 2026, retro game archivist MrTalida recovered files from an old hard drive and uploaded them to the Internet Archive. These include video clips from April 2009 to January 2010, focusing on early gameplay, in-engine tests, sound, and music integration.
Among the highlights is footage of the Tumbler navigating a train yard, evading police, and destroying explosive barrels—typical of 2010-era AAA vehicle sections. Progress is evident in clips from October 2009, November 2009, and January 2010, marking advancements over the 10-month period.
The project was canceled because Warner Bros. Games required Nolan's involvement, given its basis in his Batman universe, but he showed no interest. Monolith then pivoted to Lord of the Rings titles. More recently, the studio's Wonder Woman project, which would have used the Nemesis System, was shuttered when Monolith closed in February 2025.
These leaks offer a glimpse into what might have been a non-Arkham Batman experience, blending Nolan's aesthetic with innovative gameplay ideas that influenced later successes.
