While the 90s Batman: The Animated Series remains one of the defining iterations of the Caped Crusader in animation, the 2000s brought along The Batman, which was set in its own distinctive continuity. The series debuted in 2004 and has its unique take on several elements from existing Batman mythos.
One of the show’s major twists was the identity of the iconic Batman villain Clayface. Actress Ming-Na Wen who voiced one of Batman’s main allies in the animated series revealed that she was surprised by the twist about Clayface that was unveiled at the end of the first season. Here is what Ming-Na Wen said about finding out the Clayface twist in The Batman.
Ming-Na Wen Reveals Being Surprised at The Batman Animated Show’s Clayface Twist
Ming-Na Wen is primarily known for her time as Melinda May / The Cavalry in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, Wen was also featured in a DC Animated Universe series in the form of The Batman. In the series, Wen voiced GCPD Detective Ellen Yin, who is an ally of Batman alongside her partner, Ethan Bennett.
Towards the end of season 1, Bennett is captured and tortured by the Joker, transforming him into the iconic comic book villain Clayface. This iteration of the villain is not directly based on the comic book version and is original to the animated series. Therefore, Wen was surprised by the twist when she first learned about it.
During a conversation with Groucho Reviews, Wen opened up about the twisted fate of her character’s detective partner in the series. The actress explained that she wasn’t aware of where Yin and Bennett’s story was heading as the first seasons progressed. She said:
“And so that was a huge surprise to me. I had no idea about that.”
Wen added that while the revelation of Bennett’s transformation was a surprise to her, she was impressed with the creativity of the writers and the direction they decided to take the series in. Wen voiced Yin for the first two seasons at which point her character was written out of the series.
Co-Creator Duane Capizzi Explains How the Clayface Twist in The Batman Was Devised
During a separate interview, co-creator Duane Capizzi, who developed The Batman and served as the head writer for the first four seasons spoke about how the Clayface twist came to be. While speaking with The World’s Finest, Capizzi explained that the twist had been planned from the very start.
“We knew there would be an exception or two to the “save the pathos for Bruce Wayne” mission statement. So, in the case of Clayface, we “snuck” his origin by the audience without them knowing, little by little, all season long.”
Capizzi made the above statement highlighting how the actual origin of Clayface from the comics was loosely adapted into the series. At the same time, Capizzi also revealed that the Clayface storyline served as a means to establish the Joker as Batman’s true nemesis since he is the reason Batman loses a friend.
The Batman (2004-2008) is streaming on Max.
