Ethan Hawke is the star of an underrated Batman series, and the show ends up having one of the best casts for any DC series. The Dark Knight is DC’s most popular superhero. Sure, Superman is the epitome of what it means to be a superhero, but no DC character has managed to leave a bigger mark in comics, movies, TV shows, and games than Batman.
Several live-action Batman movies have been released over the years, with DC soon set to have two versions of Bruce Wayne running at the same time on the big screen. Despite rumors, Hawke never played one of them, nor is he under consideration to do so at the moment. Instead, the two live-action Batmen are Robert Pattinson’s version from The Batman franchise and the actor who will don the cowl in James Gunn’s DC Universe.
That said, Hawke’s involvement with Batman’s mythos comes in the form of another popular medium for the character. After all, Batman’s animated shows are some of DC’s best and most iconic releases of all time. For instance, Batman: The Animated Series introduced characters like Harley Quinn, while the more recent Batman: Caped Crusader brings the Dark Knight back to 1940s Gotham City.
While it is set in the modern day, Batwheels, Hawke’s three-season animated Batman series, continues the franchise’s idea of always doing something fresh. As its name suggests, the show focuses on the Bat-Family’s vehicles, who are living beings in a Cars meets Batman twist. The show quietly has a phenomenal cast.
Batwheels’ Cast Mixes Live-Action And Animation Stars
Due to how Batwheels is aimed at young kids and its story is more vibrant than the dark tone that Batman fans prefer for the DC hero’s adventures, the animated series has not become one of Bruce Wayne’s most-talked-about releases. As such, Batwheels has been quietly playing out over the years, adding several exciting stars to its cast over three seasons, with Batwheels season 3C set to arrive on HBO Max on May 22.
The animated Batman series features a diverse ensemble, with multiple actors fans will recognize from popular live-action releases and some true masters of the animated medium. Led by Hawke as Batman, Batwheels‘ popular live-action actors include DCEU Blue Beetle actor Xolo Maridueña as Mr. Freeze’s Snowy, Jane the Virgin‘s Gina Rodriguez as Catwoman, Batman legend Adam West (through archival audio) as A.D.A.M, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid star Zachary Gordon as Nightwing.
They are aided by a stellar roster of experienced voice actors that includes names like SpongeBob SquarePants‘ Tom Kenny, Star Wars: Clone Wars‘ James Arnold Taylor and Dee Bradley Baker, Bat-Fam‘s Fred Tatasciore, frequent Batman voice actor Diedrich Bader, and many more. This mix keeps things interesting in the show with immediately recognizable voices and true chameleons of the profession, adding a nice flair to Batwheels‘ cast of beloved characters.
Ethan Hawke Shows He Has What It Takes To Play Batman In Live-Action
After voicing Batman for years in the animated series, Hawke has shown that he has what it takes to play the hero in live-action. He has one of the hardest tasks given to a Batman actor, which is to make the character still feel in line with the darker, stoic tone that fans expect from him in most appearances, while never feeling out of place in the wildly fun and vibrant world created by a Batman spinoff series where the Bat-Family’s vehicles can talk.
Any actor cast in that specific role would have to walk a fine line, and Hawke has been doing so with an ease that shows he would absolutely succeed as Batman in live-action. He could do grounded or fantastical Batman in a heartbeat. Additionally, Hawke has an extensive live-action resume to prop him up to such a position. While he is unlikely to play Batman in the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold movie, perhaps after his Batwheels‘ performance, Hawke could jump to live-action down the line for a multiverse event, which Peacemaker season 2 opened the door to.
- Release Date
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October 15, 2022
- Network
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Cartoon Network
- Directors
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Antoine Charreyron, Lila Martinez, Michael Berardini, Vaughn Ross, T.J. Sullivan
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Jacob Bertrand
Bam (voice)
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Noah Kaye Bentley
Buff (voice)
