Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett were among the key creatives behind Batman: The Animated Series. The 90s animated series was a major hit and set the foundation for several other DC projects that eventually took the shape of the fan-favorite DCAU. Since then, the duo has continued working on DC properties, with and without each other.
In 2003, Burnett worked on the animated film Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman without the involvement of Timm. Burnett chose to recast the role of Penguin in the film with a different voice actor from the previous DCAU installments made under him and Timm. Here is how Timm felt about the recasting as he shared his true thoughts on the matter.
Bruce Timm Shared His Thoughts on the Recasting of Penguin in the DCAU
Bruce Timm created Batman: The Animated Series, with Alan Burnett serving as a writer and story editor on the series. The series introduced singer-songwriter Paul Williams as the voice of Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin. Williams reprised his role in the follow-up series The New Batman Adventures, which Timm and Burnett co-created.
However, Williams was replaced by David Ogden Stiers for the 2003 animated film Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. In an interview, Timm, who was not involved with the project opened up about how he felt regarding the recasting of Williams with Stiers taking over the character of Penguin. He said:
“David Ogden Stiers was fine as a replacement, he’s a terrific actor and a swell guy, but it IS a bit weird to not hear Paul’s voice coming out of Pengy’s mouth. Then again, I’ve been guilty of un-necessarily re-casting parts myself, for various reasons, so I stand by Alan Burnett’s right to re-cast as he saw fit.”
Timm’s statement confirms that he personally would not have recast the role of Penguin. However, Timm felt that Stiers was a good replacement, implying that he was impressed with the results Burnett achieved with a different voice actor. Nonetheless, Timm also suggested that he personally preferred Williams as the voice of Penguin in the DCAU.
Alan Burnett Explained Why He Chose to Recast Penguin For Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
During a 2003 interview with a website, Alan Burnett, who provided the story for Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman opened up about the recasting of Penguin for the animated film. Burnett explained why he made the decision to replace Willaims with Stiers in the following words:
“We wanted to experiment a little and bring a little more big boss element to it. David Ogden Stiers is one of the most amazing voice actors I’ve worked with, and I really like what he did on this.”
Burnett’s words confirm that he did not have an issue with Willaims’ previous performance in the role.
Instead, the creative team wanted a slightly different performance given the altered portrayal of Penguin and his overall role in the movie. Willaims last voiced the character in Superman: The Animated Series. However, he returned to voice another DC villain in 2020’s Superman: Red Son, voicing Brainiac.
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime and other VOD platforms.
