Movies News Talk
Jensen Ackles has quickly established himself as one of the best Batman Voice Actors in recent years, showcasing his vocal talents across several DC animated films. With his popularity in The Boys as the hero Soldier Boy and a solid career that goes back to Supernatural and Smallville, the actor is familiar with playing iconic heroes and those with dark origins. So how does he stack up? It seems the fanbase agrees - his performances as Batman are fantastic!
Ackles' Batman was introduced into DC's Tomorrowverse, otherwise known as the DCAMU, which brought together several Batman and Justice League films. Since then, Ackles has lent his voice to the role in a string of animated projects! If fans could pick, they'd say he would be a perfect live-action Batman for the upcoming DC Universe and we all hope that happens sometime soon! And don't forget, Ackles was also the voice of Jason Todd, the infamous Red Hood, in a prior Batman animation movie.
What makes Jensen Ackles' Batman performances so interesting? It's that he isn't just one specific type of Bruce Wayne! Sometimes we hear that gruff, powerful Batman. Sometimes it's a little bit softer. There are even times when his Bruce Wayne persona is just totally over the top!
These qualities show us just how good of an actor Ackles is - a real chameleon! We've seen this talent across several projects - his characters are unique and very easy to get attached to. As fans have expressed, Jensen has mastered the art of being Batman, making a strong case that he should be a top pick for a live-action version in the DC Universe.
The Batman: Long Halloween saga, a two-part story set in the DC Tomorrowverse, features the brooding detective on a quest to catch a brutal serial killer. This was an incredible experience! With all the drama, suspense, and action of Gotham, you'd expect it to be a difficult story. And Jensen really goes deep with the emotional vulnerability, showing the toll that hunting down such a terrifying villain takes on the dark knight. This part one of Batman: The Long Halloween shows what Ackles does best - nailing the voice acting and hitting all the emotional highs. We get to see Batman go deep as he juggles those relationships with Catwoman, Harvey Dent, and Gordon. And it's clear he is doing a killer job.
The second half is pretty awesome, bringing a tragic twist as Harvey Dent is transformed into Two-Face! But it’s Jensen’s vocal performance that keeps audiences glued. He totally masters the more personal moments in the film and his range just elevates the emotional impact! We get to revisit Bruce’s childhood. He nails it again. The story, paired with Ackles’s acting skills, is totally top tier. You’ve got to check this movie out for the best display of Ackles’ Batman so far!
Don’t think that every animated movie has been flawless for Ackles. When the story has more plot, action, and overall bigger-picture events to cover (as seen in Legion of Super-Heroes), you get a smaller spotlight for the dark knight. You have to remember, in animated stories, if a movie is trying to show multiple characters (especially with a larger universe!), the filmmakers have to give their actors a bit more direction on how they fit into those complex storylines. And honestly, for Batman: Legion of Super-Heroes, Jensen does a decent job, but his Batman role is minimal - basically, we get a couple of awesome scenes, but no character-defining moments.
The same can be said for those Justice League projects where, even with amazing moments - such as a hilarious Bruce Wayne cameo - the role’s not as grand because of the other big superheroes on screen! Ackles, while a fantastic Voice Actor, is really sharing his talent with other huge superheroes who have their own stories to tell!
Jensen's performance as a brooding, serious Batman has the DC Universe buzzin'! It's not just fans, the internet's in on this too. A lot of speculation's swirling about if he's going to take on the Batman mantle for a live-action role in the future. Even if he gets the gig, we might be waiting a while for that project to hit theaters since it’s all tied to James Gunn's direction and production schedule for the DCU. Let's keep our fingers crossed and get ready to see what the future holds for this incredible actor! It could be very epic!
The one thing that might hold Jensen back, however, is the casting of the upcoming “The Brave and the Bold.” This film is based on one of the Batman series that debuted back in the 1950s. While many fans would love to see Jensen's performance on the big screen, Gunn has hinted that he might not play Batman.