The Goldbergs spans the entirety of the 1980s, playing fast and loose with the actual timeline of the era's events, with episodes about everything from "Weird" Al to Live Aid to Dirty Dancing. However, when it was revealed back in November that Kevin Smith would be directing an episode of the ABC comedy, we didn't know what the theme would be.

The Goldbergs take on the Batman in an episode from the Mallrat Man.

IGN now has the exclusive info that Smith's episode, which begins filming next week - and as it turns out, it's right in the director's sweet spot, especially on the heels of him directing episodes of The Flash and Supergirl. Titled "The Dynamic Duo," the episode will be about the excitement surrounding the 1989 Tim Burton blockbuster Batman, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson.Said Batman fanatic -- and Fatman on Batman podcast co-host -- Smith, "I grew up watching the Adam West Batman and I was in a sold out movie theater for Tim Burton's Batman on opening day, June 23rd, 1989, so I can't wait to recreate those early eras of Bat-amania in the Goldbergs Universe.""Luckily," Smith continued, "the funny folks in front of and behind the cameras who make this hysterical show every week will be doing all the heavy lifting in our time travel experiment."Said The Goldbergs' Executive producer and creator Adam F. Goldberg, "The hardest thing about having Kevin Smith direct an episode of The Goldbergs is playing it cool and not acting like a weirdo geek super fan. I’ve waited in long lines to have him sign my Bluntman comics, I’ve collected his Clerks action figures, I’ve forced my writers to watch clips of his speaking engagements and I shoe-horned in a part for him in my screenplay for Fanboys just so I could meet the guy. I even STAYED in Hall H at Comic-Con when J.J. Abrams escorted thousands of people to a Star Wars concert."Goldberg went on to say, "This bearded hockey jersey wearing dude has been a hero of mine since I was at NYU film school. His movies have been a huge bonding point with my brother Barry and we’ve had entire conversations where we’ll quote Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. There is no better person out there to help bring our Burton’s Batman episode to life. Truly."Other notable directors on previous Goldbergs episodes include Growing Pains' Joanna Kerns, Back to the Future's Lea Thompson, The Wonder Years' Fred Savage, Super Troopers' Jay Chandrasekhar and David Katzenberg.After a few weeks off, The Goldbergs returns tonight -- Wednesday, January 4th -- with its first episode of 2017. In “O Captain! My Captain!" Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) hopes, as a substitute teacher, to inspire students in the same way as Mr. Keating from Dead Poets Society. Smith's Batman episode will air later in the spring.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler