The character of Batman has been part of pop culture for decades. With live-action adaptations and animated projects, this comic book superhero has been integral to fans all over the world. In 1992, when Batman: The Animated Series came into existence, it completely changed the landscape of superhero animations.
Bruce Timm, who co-created the show alongside Eric Radomski, worked on a darker tone, especially given the show was created on the heels of Michael Keaton’s Batman. The Tim Burton movies gave us a very different take on the Caped Crusader, and the show latched on to it, giving us a more dramatic rendition. Many actors have been part of Batman: TAS, wowing audiences with their participation in the series. But there were some who did not want to be a part of it.
Ed Harris Refused to Voice Batman
Ed Harris, the actor and filmmaker known for movies like Apollo 13 and Pollock, is one of Hollywood’s legends. Having worked in numerous movies over the years, the 73-year-old is known for his distinctive voice, and range in acting. Bruce Timm, creator of shows like Batman: The Animated Series and many others, wanted the 4-time Oscar-nominated actor to voice the superhero in one of the many Batman projects created by him.
Talking to Think McFly Think, Bruce Timm revealed the actors he had wanted to include in his projects over the years. When asked who he would cast, if he had his choice, Timm said:
“Whenever we do something with Batman, we’re like cant we just have Kevin Conroy do it (laughs). We actually tried to have Ed Harris voice Batman, but he was not at all interested in the slightest.”
Harris was not interested in playing the character, and Timm’s hopes of him voicing the vigilante of Gotham remained unfulfilled.
Bruce Timm’s Next – Batman: Caped Crusader
When Warner Bros and Discovery merged, with David Zaslav at the helm, many projects were canceled or shelved. One of them was Batman: Caped Crusader, which was produced by Bruce Timm alongside JJ. Abrams and Matt Reeves. The show got shelved for a while, before finally seeing some hope, when Amazon bought its rights.
Timm said that Caped Crusader will be the spiritual successor to Batman: The Animated Series. The producers said that the show was “thrilling, cinematic, and evocative of Batman’s noir roots while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters.”
Batman: Caped Crusader will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime later this year.
