Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series, which kickstarted the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) is regarded as the best adaptation of the Caped Crusader by many. Besides the plot, one of the primary reasons for its popularity was the iconic voice castings. The late Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as Batman and Joker have left an indelible mark on the viewers’ minds.
While Conroy is often hailed as the best Batman ever, Mark Hamill’s performance is considered even more praiseworthy than the critically acclaimed live-action works. However, the Star Wars star was not the first choice to play a DCAU role. It was only for voice director Andrea Romano, that Hamill could give us the legendary Joker performance.
How did Mark Hamill get the role of DCAU’s Joker?
Although several notable actors tried their best to portray the Clown Prince of Crime’s insane nature on-screen, only a few of them were successful. Some of the most memorable on-screen Joker performances have been given by the late Heath Ledger, and Joaquin Phoenix, both winning Oscars for their roles.
Still, many fans believe that Mark Hamill did the best job with his voice. It can’t be denied that Mark Hamill possessed an insane aura in his voice which made his Joker’s laugh memorable among the fans.
During an interview with Starburst Magazine, Batman: The Animated Series‘ voice and casting director Andrea Romano claimed that she had a big part to play in the casting of the Luke Skywalker actor.
Andrea Romano earlier revealed to ComicBookMovie.com that they had originally cast another actor as Joker before a new producer came in and asked to recast Joker. The makers faced a massive issue as they had already made six or seven episodes so the new actor needed to match the lip-sync with the old footage. That’s when Hamill’s agent called to say that he wanted to be in the show.
Initially, Mark Hamill worked as a guest star and impressed everyone with his Star Wars stories However, he wanted to be a regular in the show and requested Romano for the same- “I really want to be a part of this series.”
Soon after that, when the recast auditions for Joker began, Hamill did an incredible job and the rest is history. Romano stated to Starburst that she played a major role in it.
“And still to this day he does The Joker for us on many projects – and he’s crazy good, absolutely wonderful! I’m not trying to pat myself on the back, but I do believe I’m responsible for at least partially jumpstarting his voiceover career. His and many other people who now have considerable voiceover careers.”
Andrea Romano added that she feels proud to have played an active role in kickstarting the careers of many voice actors. About Mark Hamill’s version of Joker, she stated to ComicBookMovie.com that he has a terrifying voice that comes to mind when somebody thinks about the esteemed Batman nemesis.
How did Michael Keaton’s Batman casting play a vital role in Mark Hamill’s Joker audition?
After playing Joker in Kevin Conroy’s Batman: The Animated Series, Mark Hamill returned for the role in several TV shows, animated films, and in the highly revered Arkham games.
Mark Hamill shared during an interview with Wired (via Variety) that Michael Keaton‘s casting as Batman in Tim Burton’s film gave him the confidence to go for Joker.
Pop culture enthusiasts know how superhero fans could not accept it when Michael Keaton was announced to be the new Batman, similar to what happened with Robert Pattinson. They could not understand how a comedic actor could pull off Batman before he did it and impressed everyone in the 1989 film. Referring to that, Hamill stated:
“I just read for it. I had a confidence that really helped me because there was this big outcry that Michael Keaton was gonna play Batman. ‘Oh, he’s Mr. Mom, he’s a comedy actor.’ I mean, they hadn’t even seen him [in the role] and they didn’t realize how great he would become. But, there was great controversy.”
Even after getting the confidence, the Kingsman: The Secret Service actor was sure that the makers would not take him in the role- “I drove out of the parking lot thinking, ‘That’s the best Joker they’ll ever hear, and it’s too bad they can’t cast me.’”
However, he was sure of his rejection that he was not worried and pulled off an incredible audition and we got one of the best Jokers of all time.
Batman: The Animated Series can be streamed on Max.
