“I will admit to you in shame”: Tim Daly’s Superman: The Animated Series Confession May Make You Lose Faith in the 2nd Greatest DCAU Show Ever Made

Superman: The Animated Series was the second show that aired in the DCAU, but remains one of the best adaptations of the Man of Steel. Bruce Timm can arguably be called the architect of the DCAU. Superman was voiced by Tim Daly of The Sopranos fame, who might not have been as excited for the animated series as fans.

Tim Daly talked to Flickering Myth about his involvement with Superman: The Animated Series, and how he played the role at a time when the DCAU had just kicked off. While actors like Kevin Conroy approached the role with a passion for the characters that they played, it seemed the case was completely different for Tim Daly.

Tim Daly did not realize how important Superman was for an entire generation

Tim Daly admitted to Flickering Myth that he thought that Superman: The Animated Series was just another Saturday morning cartoon. The actor said:

I have admitted in many interviews and I will admit to you in my shame that I didn’t understand it at the time. I thought that I was sort of doing a Saturday morning cartoon show for kids.

He added:

I didn’t realize how important Superman was to generations of people, children, adults, men and women and it wasn’t until later that it occurred to me how important this character was to people and how important it had been for so many decades. So I was a little slow on the uptake, but I get it now!

While the actor was initially not aware of the impact that Superman as a character has on the generation that the DCAU catered to, he came around to it once he saw how popular these characters were, even after the shows went off air.

Superman: The Animated Series has found a worthy successor in My Adventures With Superman

Superman of the DCAU was one of the most well-realized versions of the character, and it seems that the trend is continuing with DC’s latest animated Superman offering: My Adventures With Superman. Not only has the show taken a fresh take with the Superman mythos, but its visuals and story really honor the legacy of the character and what he stands for.

At a time when a lot of superhero content has been focusing on producing r-rated, gratuitous content, a show like My Adventures With Superman works like a breath of fresh air. It is ironic that the show comes to audiences from Adult Swim, but a traditional superhero show that is more in line with the DCAU rather than the more mature DCAMU is bound to be deeply appreciated by fans.