After Batman: The Animated Series, the DC Animated Universe, or DCAU, also gained immense popularity through Superman: The Animated Series. The latter series was also critically acclaimed and gave us one of the best iterations of Clark Kent ever. However, the same cannot be said for Superman’s voice actor Tim Daly.
Despite being highly popular, Tim Daly did not reprise his Clark Kent role in DCAU’s Justice League series. Tim Daly could never rise to the level of Kevin Conroy, who made a massive name for voicing Batman across several DC projects. The Sopranos actor stated in an interview that he would like to reprise his role again and urged his fans to ask for the show’s renewal.
Tim Daly wants DCAU’s Superman: The Animated Series to return
Kevin Conroy has given us one of the best versions of Batman, if not the best. The late legend first voiced the character in DCAU’s Batman: The Animated Series. He made an immense contribution to DCAU’s popularity. However, Tim Daly could never reach that level as he was replaced by George Newbern in the Justice League series.
In a 2021 interview with ComicBookMovie.com, Tim Daly was asked how it felt to be the definitive version of Superman for many fans. The DCAU legend admitted that he was sad to never get another chance in the universe. He expressed his desire to voice the character again and urged his fans to pressure Warner Bros. for the show’s revival.
“The only thing I’m sad about is that I’d like to have another crack at it. I really would like to do Superman again. I just have to be in the right place at the right time and, hopefully, whoever the fans are who read your article will put some pressure on Warner Bros. and say, ‘Hey, we want Tim Daly back to do some of this stuff.’ I’ll come back in a heartbeat.”
Unlike Kevin Conroy’s Batman show, Superman was not even renewed for further follow-up shows. Despite not getting any other DCAU projects, Tim Daly returned to voice the character in some movies under DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
Why Tim Daly was replaced from his voice role of Superman
Speaking to Comic Book Central, Tim Daly revealed that he has a story that might be an important reason for him being replaced. Although he is not sure about it, the incident sounds hilariously controversial and may be a bad thing for an actor working on a Superman cartoon.
The DCAU projects featured some mature elements that were not seen in regular animated projects. Some parts of it even have a massive fanbase among adult Superman fans. However, the studio was not pleased when Tim Daly made a not-very-family-friendly joke during an interview with journalist Al Roker about his experience of voicing Superman.
“He came down to the recording studio and they listened to me record, and he was interviewing me afterward and he said, you know, ‘What is the experience like?’ I said, well, a lot of it is just these fighting sequences where I make these grunting, straining, groaning noises. And I said, come to think of it, it’s a little disconcerting to think the children of America have a pretty good idea what I sound like in bed.”
Daly admitted that the studio was highly displeased and sent him a letter following the interview. Despite believing that there was some truth in his statement, he apologized a lot to the studio clarifying that it was a joke.
Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series can be streamed on Max.
