Apart from being filthy rich what separates Batman from most heroes is his famed deep voice that oozes a sense of authority in the chaotic Gotham City. Amid the squeaky and creepy laugh of Joker, it’s Batman’s cold and heavy tone that makes things seem calm in the city.
From Michael Keaton in Batman (1989) to Val Kilmer in Batman Forever, the voice of the caped crusader has always been a hot topic for any actor given the responsibility to assume the role of the DC superhero. Christian Bale got plenty of plaudits for his portrayal of the character in Batman Begins partly because of how well he used his vocal prowess to make Batman and Bruce Wayne distinctive from each other.
While singing praises of the likes of Keaton, Bale, and Ben Affleck, we often fail to put the spotlight on Will Arnet, another Batman star who used his brilliant voice to present the famous superhero in a very humorous way.
How Batman Star Will Arnett Was Ridiculed for His Baritone
Will Arnett got his breakthrough with the role of Gob Bluth in Arrested Development, a highly acclaimed sitcom about a business family that loses everything after the head of the family gets convicted of fraud.
The likes of Jason Bateman and Michael Cera got plenty of plaudits for their acting performances in the show. Arnett, meanwhile, stood out from the rest for his baritone voice that ended up pushing him from a supporting cast to the center of the stage.
Down the road, he voiced major characters in high-profile animated movies like Ratatouille, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and The Lego Movie among others.
His voice as Batman was received so well by the audience that he also reprised the role in The LEGO Batman Movie and The Lego Movie 2. Having seen his success, it’d seem he always knew about his great voice. However, Arnett didn’t pay much heed to it until he moved to New York.
He said in an interview with The Guardian: “Maybe in Canada people don’t really compliment each other. Actually, a member of my extended family said to me: ‘People PAY you for that voice?!’”
Not only did people pay for Arnett’s voice, but he also received plenty of recognition in award shows for his work so far. In 2019, he won an Annie Award for brilliantly voicing Bojack Horseman. Further, he received two Emmy nominations for his work in the same show.
Batman Star Will Arnett Is Collaborating With Marvel’s Bradley Cooper
The 53-year-old’s talents aren’t limited to just his baritone. Arnett has penned a script with Mark Chappell for a movie, titled Is This Thing On?
As per Deadline, he will also star in the movie alongside Bradley Cooper, who has voiced Rocket Raccoon for several MCU ventures. Both Cooper and Arnett have known each other since before they became stars and are now finally joining hands to develop something for the big screen.
Plot details remain unknown but Cooper will be in charge of shaping the narrative from the director’s chair. He has already shown his directing prowess with A Star Is Born.
Source: The Guardian, Deadline
