The Dark Knight. There are those who even consider the former to be superior. The series has been widely praised for its flawless storytelling, mature themes and film noir aesthetics.
During its run, it won four Emmy awards. Several spinoffs were made after its conclusion with many of the original voice actors reprising their roles. However, there are a few facts about the series that are not so well-known to the public. Here are some of them.
U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy Had A Voice Role
United States Senator of Vermont, Patrick Leahy is such a big Batman fan that he requested to have an unpaid voice role in the animated series. In the episode titled “Showdown,” Leahy voiced the Governor Of Utah who finds himself deep inside Ra’s al Ghul’s plans to destroy a railroad.
This wasn't the only time that Leahy was involved in a Batman adaptation. He also has had cameo roles in five live-action Batman films. the old man that stood up to the Joker as he was looking for Harvey Dent in the gala? Yeah, that was him. He's basically the DC version of Stan Lee when it comes to cameos.
Mark Hamill Wasn't First Choice To Play The Joker
DC fans are often conflicted about who the better Joker is. Some feel Mark Hamill's animated Joker was the best ever while some feel that Heath Ledger's Joker is unrivaled. However, Hamill wasn't even the first choice to voice the Joker in the animated series.
Tim Curry who had impressed while playing the clown Pennywise in the original IT film was the first choice. Sadly, he began suffering from Bronchitis after voicing only three episodes so the producers had to look for someone new. And the moment Mark Hamill laughed, they knew he was the guy.
Al Pacino Was Offered The Role Of Two-Face But He Turned It Down
The producers felt that Al Pacino would be the perfect man to voice Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Sadly, he turned down the role since he was not interested in voicing animated characters. The role was then given to Richard Moll who didn't disappoint.
Despite Al Pacino turned down the role, the series still contained a hidden nod to one of his characters. During a robbery, Harvey says: “For the next five minutes, I’m in control!” Pacino said the same thing in the heist film Dog Day Afternoon.
Harley Quinn Appeared In The Series First Before Appearing In The Comics
Given Harley Quinn's popularity, you might be mistaken to think that she has appeared in DC comics since the very beginning. That's not the case. Quinn was created by showrunners Paul Dini and Bruce Timm who felt that the Joker needed a female love interest that was as scary, crazy, and evil as him.
Quinn would later be added to the comics due to her growing popularity. She soon became too big that specific comic book issues were created to only focus on her. The formation of the character was inspired by the original Harley Quinn voice actor Arleen Sorkin's previous role of Calliope on Days of Our Lives.
Fox Imposed A Set Of Rules
The series turned out just fine but perhaps it could have been much better if Fox had taken it easy. Apparently, the network had a set of rules. The first one involved Robin. Batman's sidekick had been traditionally portrayed as a teenager or child but Fox insisted on making him older because they didn't want to show a child in danger.
The villain Firefly who had featured in the comics a lot was also banned from appearing on the series. This was because of his modus operandi involved causing fires using a flame-thrower. Apparently, Fox didn't want kids to see any character being harmed by fire.
Showrunner Paul Dini Almost Had An Unfortunate Thomas Wayne Moment
The tragic story of Batman's parents is a well-known one. Interestingly, the series showrunner Paul Dini almost faced a similar fate. One night in 1993, Dini was walking down an alley Los Angeles when two muggers approached him before robbing him and hitting him in the skull.
Luckily, he recovered after undergoing surgery. Dini revealed that he almost gave up on writing episodes of the series but decided to continue after reflecting on it for a while.
Bruce Wayne And Batman's Distinct Voices
In all the recent Batman on-screen adaptations, Bruce Wayne tends to have a normal voice when he is your regular billionaire but a harsher voice when he is Batman. This all started with the animated series. Before that, both Wayne and Batman spoke in the same manner.
Voice actor Kevin Conroy was the one who came up with the idea of using two different voices. He wanted Batman to sound tougher and heroic hence he pitched the idea to the voice director. Everyone liked the idea and it has stuck ever since.
Ron Perlman Voiced Five Villains
Ron Perlman is best known for his roles as the biker gang leader Clay in Sons Of Anarchy and the ruthless multi-millionaire investor Wes Chandler in Startup. But many aren't aware that he voiced five different villains in Batman: The Animated Series.
Perlman voiced Clayface, Mo, Lar, Cur, Carol, and Driller. He also portrayed Killer Croc and Bane in a different Batman DC animated series that aired between 2005 and 2008. He definitely deserves a live role now, doesn't he? Wassup Zack Snyder?
Mr. Freeze's Backstory Was Changed
Mr. Freeze became less popular after the disastrous portrayal by Arnold Schwarzenneger but before that, he was considered one of the best Batman villains. In the animated series, he was given a whole new background story that made much more sense.
Originally, Mr. Freeze accidentally spilled cryogenic substances on himself while constructing his ice gun. However, in the series, he had a lab accident while working on a cure to treat his terminally ill wife. The accident lowered his body temperature so much that he had to wear a cryogenic suit to survive.
"Batman" And "Superman" Attended The Same School At The Same Time
Voice actor Kevin Conroy is basically the real caped crusader since he has portrayed Batman the longest (25 years). Christopher Reeve is kinda the real "Man Of Steel" too after portraying the superhero for ten years. Interestingly, the two were in the same school at the same time.
Conroy went to the prestigious performing arts school, Juilliard where he had a couple of popular classmates including Robin Williams. The comedy actor was also Conroy's roommate. Christopher Reeve was also at Juilliard at the time but he didn't know Conroy. Too bad! They could have formed the Justice League earlier.