Having played J. Jonah Jameson in Marvel and Commissioner Gordon in DC, J.K. Simmons is no stranger to excelling in the comic book genre. And with Invincible, the Oscar-winner was once again allowed to spread his acting chops in the realm of superheroes, and unlike his live-action CBM counterparts, Omni-Man was not bound by mortality.
But this isn’t the lone time the actor has voiced CBM characters in animation, as prior to this series, the Whiplash Star had played two major DC villains in the acclaimed Justice League Unlimited.
J.K. Simmons Did Double Duty in Justice League Unlimited
Whether it be Kai in Kung Fu Panda 3 or Lenny Turteltaub in Bojack Horseman, J.K. Simmons always brings out his A-game while voicing animated characters. Furthermore, his performance as Nolan in Invincible stands as a testament to the actor’s expertise as a VA.
But long before excelling as the complex superhero in the rated-R series, the Oscar-winner voiced General Wade Eiling and Mantis in Justice League Unlimited. While the latter is considered the most powerful being on Apokolips, only second to Darkseid, it’s Simmons’ performance as Eiling that left a lasting impact.
Originally an ally to the Justice League, General Wade Eiling’s inability to trust the superheroes eventually pushes him over the edge, leading him to join Project Cadmus, led by Amanda Waller. Thanks to Simmons’ performance and some top-notch writing, which is unanimous when it comes to DCAU, despite being a minor antagonist, General Wade Eiling left a major impact on the show.
J.K. Simmons’s Performance Pushed the Studio Heads to Bring Him Back for Season 3
Following Simmons’ brilliance in the role, Matt Wayne, responsible for helming several episodes of JLU, revealed his three bosses had “kicked around ideas for having J.K. Simmons back as the General”. This eventually led them to bring him back for Episode 7 of Season 3, Patriot Act, even though the Cadmus storyline was already wrapped up in the previous season.
Bringing him back turned out to be the right call, as we get to experience Wade’s story coming to a tragic end. After he mutates into a monstrous form to fight Superman, Wades comes to realize that he has become the thing he stood against.
Wayne recalled:
“My three bosses had kicked around ideas for having J.K. Simmons back as the General, mirroring Eiling’s comics continuity somewhat. Bruce came in one day with the inspiring image of the General popping the Superman balloon at the parade, and the story accumulated very slowly around it. But gradually an incredibly tight story about honor emerged, as opposed to Cadmus, which was about power (and admittedly more ambitious than anything in the final season). From the Spy Smasher sequence to the kids playing Justice League at the end, I love ‘Patriot Act.'”
With Simmon confirming that we’ll see more of Omni-Man moving forward, fans will hope the actor keeps on excelling at voicing metahumans for more years to come.
Justice League Unlimited is available to stream on Max.
