Warner Bros. Blocked The Perfect Powerpuff Girls/Batman: The Animated Series Crossover

"The Powerpuff Girls" was always one of Cartoon Network's most memorable toons, but it nearly raised the bar with one unrealized crossover. While Batman and the Powerpuffs have always had history (the "Powerpuff Girls" intro is a clear homage to the '60s "Batman" show), there was a time when they almost shared an adversary. According to "Powerpuff Girls" creator Craig McCracken, there were plans for a crossover with "Batman: The Animated Series," but it sadly never happened.

"When we did the original series, I really wanted to do an episode where the Joker came to town and started committing crimes," McCracken once revealed on his Tumblr. "The idea was that The Mayor was so excited to have a celebrity villain in town that he actually tried to thwart The Girls from stopping him because The Joker was finally putting Townsville on the map!" Character designs from "Batman: The Animated Series" would have been used, and the hope was that Mark Hamill would reprise his role as the Clown Prince of Crime.

Unfortunately, the whole thing fell through before it could ever happen. "Warner Brothers said 'no,'" McCracken added, which perhaps is more disappointing than surprising. While "The Powerpuff Girls" was originally a very different show, the superhero comedy would have been the perfect place for a Joker crossover. Instead, the Batman villain was reserved for episodes of "Justice League."

While the "Batman" crossover was a bust, the Caped Crusader himself was still something of a spectre over "The Powerpuff Girls." For instance, a "Powerpuff Girls" promo on a Latin American Cartoon Network station uses the '70s cartoon versions of Batman and Robin, implying the Girls' heroics have put the Dynamic Duo out of work. Additionally, "Powerpuff Girls" episodes like "Stuck Up, Up, and Away," "Slave the Day," and "Equal Fights" all reference Batman by name.

However, some of the best Cartoon Network cartoons found clever ways to link up with "The Powerpuff Girls" over the years, including "Dexter's Laboratory," "Samurai Jack," and "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends." Of course, the Girls eventually did find their way to the DC Universe on "Teen Titans Go!" in the 2016 episode "TTG v PPG." The crossover lived up to the hype — even without an appearance from the Dark Knight himself.

Compare the best "Powerpuff Girls" episodes with the greatest episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series," and you'll see that Warner Bros. was probably right to keep these properties separate. The comedic tone of "The Powerpuff Girls" may have been inspired by the Adam West "Batman" series, but "Batman: The Animated Series" was always a bit more mature. Still, it would have been something to see the Girls try to defeat Mark Hamill's Joker.