'Batman: Caped Crusader' stars Hamish Linklater, Jamie Chung and Minnie Driver sat down with THR at San Diego Comic-Con to talk all about their new animated series. The cast reveal what drew them to joining the 'Batman' universe, working with Bruce Timm and more.
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00:00I think there are some universes that need to remain un-trespassed upon.
00:06Mm. Beautifully put.
00:10That's it. I love how I just threatened an entire audience.
00:12I straight down allowed.
00:14Okay.
00:15There's all these development execs there going,
00:17Dang it! We wasted all that time!
00:20Cancel Mini Driver quick!
00:25Hi, we're the cast of Batman Caped Crusader
00:29here talking to the Hollywood Reporter at Comic-Con 2024.
00:34What was your relationship with Batman?
00:37Did you like him as a kid?
00:40What did he mean to you?
00:41And go through, Jamie, your character,
00:43Harley, and Minnie's mystery villain as well.
00:47What did these characters mean to you?
00:49I have a two-part answer for you.
00:51Uh, look.
00:54Batman was sort of, you know, my dad, my god, my hero.
01:01And Kevin Conroy was the voice of all three of those.
01:04That's the Holy Trinity right there.
01:06He was all of those things to me.
01:08I had the part two answer is,
01:11I had this lady who lived next to us for a little while,
01:17and she was a colorist for Marvel.
01:19And every month, she got every comic book
01:23that Marvel put out that month and gave me the box.
01:27So I had all the Mar-
01:28And I still, I was like,
01:31I never need to read another co-
01:33But I paid out of pocket for Batman.
01:35He was my one DC guy.
01:37I needed him.
01:39Harley was, uh, you know,
01:40originated in the animated series Bruce Timm created her.
01:44So yeah, when did you become aware of Harley?
01:46Did you grow up with her?
01:47It was in 1992.
01:48Oh, yeah, thank you.
01:49I'm sorry.
01:49It was 1992 when Bruce Timm's Batman the animated series came out.
01:53I mean, every Saturday, I would pray that it wasn't a different,
01:56it wasn't like the same episode rerun, you know?
01:59And I would stay back from Korean school just so I can watch it.
02:02But, you know, Arlene Sorkin was, is a legend.
02:07And she really brought this character to life.
02:09And it's, it means a lot.
02:10Because I think in this version, Harley Quinn is her own person.
02:15She doesn't have an association with the Joker.
02:17She's an independent, working woman.
02:21Villain.
02:22Yeah.
02:22She's a working, independent, working villain.
02:27And Minnie, getting to play a villain,
02:31which we're not saying right now,
02:32but maybe you could say what that character meant to you.
02:36I mean, it's a cool character.
02:38You know, look, all of the villains in the Batman universe,
02:45all of the villains that visit upon Gotham
02:48are extraordinary and strange and beautiful
02:50and part of this extraordinarily imaginative world.
02:55And yeah, I play a pretty iconic villain.
03:00And I loved it.
03:02I love, just say it.
03:04I'm not going to say it.
03:06It's, it was a, it was a profound pleasure.
03:10They are really evil.
03:12Dark, noirish, like the show.
03:16So when you go into the booth, who are you playing against?
03:19Right?
03:19I mean, did you have a producer who would read against you?
03:24Were you listening to audio of your co-stars?
03:27Who laid down the most stuff that you were playing against?
03:29Or was it just solo?
03:30I didn't hear anything.
03:32I didn't hear anything.
03:34So, oh, go ahead.
03:36I just felt Bruce Tim's eyes.
03:38Oh, I just felt Bruce Tim's eyes.
03:41Like not judging.
03:42He's very supportive, but I was just terrified.
03:45Terrified that I was in the session with the legend.
03:50I think that Bruce Tim, you know, defined the character.
03:54You know, obviously we had, in terms of for the screen, right?
03:56We had Tim Burton, but then it was Bruce Tim.
03:58So did his, when you end up meeting somebody who you've probably heard about before,
04:03did he kind of, how was he different?
04:05How was he the same of what, to what you expected somebody like Bruce Tim to be?
04:10I think, yeah, the expectation was, oh my gosh, he's got these lines in his head, these scenes.
04:20He knows exactly how they should look and sound.
04:23But then it was actually quite relaxed.
04:25And he would be like, yeah, I liked A and C.
04:31And I also liked the B take as well.
04:33We'll keep all of those.
04:34That's good.
04:35Or he would be like, just A.
04:37And because you do like three, or at least that's what I would do.
04:42You did three.
04:44I usually did it in the, I'm only kidding.
04:46I've called it multiple.
04:50But actually, yeah, it was surprisingly chill.
04:56And, you know, I love, you mentioned Kevin Conroy, Arlene Sorkin, who were great.
05:02I think that you, you didn't really go back to Kevin.
05:07He was in your head, the back of your head.
05:09But you didn't necessarily study because you needed to do your own thing.
05:12What about Arlene?
05:13How did you find your voice for it?
05:15I mean, they gave me zero description of how they wanted this character to go.
05:20They made a lovely offer.
05:21And I was like, wait, are you sure?
05:22They know how I look like, and they know how I sound.
05:25So I watched, you know, I watched Arlene's work.
05:30And I studied that.
05:30And I was like, well, if they want it as energetic or with a New York, you know, vibe like Arlene did.
05:37But I went in and I tried to imitate Arlene.
05:42He was like, no, absolutely not.
05:43That's not the direction that we want to go.
05:45And we kind of went from there.
05:47So.
05:49Yeah.
05:50And what about you?
05:52Because like, I think I read that you were thinking of Kevin, but you didn't necessarily
05:56need to study him because you needed to do, make it your own, right?
05:59Well, I just, I loved Kevin's Batman so much.
06:04And I mean, I didn't even know there was a Kevin.
06:08I just knew there was a Batman.
06:09And he sounded like that, which it turns out was Kevin.
06:12So I just wanted to, you know, have there be more of this content in the world.
06:19Like, I just loved the show so much.
06:21And I wanted as an audience member to have more of this and to not bump on it.
06:29Sometimes there's like a new Kermit the Frog voice.
06:32And I'm like, where are you, Jim Henson?
06:37I'm sure the new Kermit is really good too.
06:41But I wanted to, you know, I don't want there to be a bump on Kermit.
06:48I don't want there to be a bump on Batman.
06:49I want, you know, as an audience member to have this.
06:53And I think it's like, I'm one of those.
06:56I mean, maybe not Adam Driver level self-loathing actor, but like he doesn't like watching himself.
07:06And I don't care to watch myself either.
07:09I mean, I like myself, but sometimes I have an idea that's a little bit.
07:12You know what?
07:13Batman's a vibe.
07:14And you were that vibe in the way that Christian Bale is that vibe.
07:18Michael Keaton was that vibe.
07:21Val Kilmer was that vibe.
07:23Ben Affleck was that vibe.
07:25You know, you catch it.
07:27You catch the vibe.
07:28It's Batman.
07:29You can't like, there's always going to be that.
07:31This is also the, what's iconic about this role is that many, many people have played it.
07:37And there's an essence to him.
07:38And I think you have that.
07:39And it's in the depth of his voice and in the depth of his, dare I say it, tragedy.
07:45You're saying I'm tragic?
07:49Yeah.
07:50I like it.
07:51Well, we're going to get to the popcorn bucket now.
07:54If you could take question, reach in and answer the question.
08:01What is this?
08:02So there's secret questions in there.
08:05Oh, do you know what this is?
08:06That's Wolverine's mouth.
08:08Oh, just joking.
08:10Do you know that's how you catch a raccoon?
08:13You put a thing and they grab the treat and then they can't get their fists out because
08:18they won't let go.
08:19Okay.
08:24And I ask a friend this question?
08:26You answer that.
08:27Oh, I answer this?
08:28Yeah, yeah.
08:29What would your superhero name be?
08:32Well, my stripper name was Fluffy Kiki Root 7.
08:36And my superhero name would be Captain Humility.
08:45Okay, Jamie.
08:50Would you mind holding it for me?
08:53Come on, Hugh.
08:54If you could cosplay as one character, who would it be?
08:59I mean, I'm so infatuated with Jean Grey, but like as the Phoenix.
09:04And I said that yesterday.
09:05But today I will go with...
09:09I think it'd be nice to have like a female Deadpool, but without the mask, you know?
09:15Yeah.
09:16Kind of like disfigured and fat ass and funny.
09:20Oh, God, I'm dreading this now.
09:23Oh, it's actually disgusting putting your hand through that rubber thing.
09:28I don't have a problem with it.
09:31Right.
09:34Oh, what is your all-time favorite cinematic universe?
09:39Oh.
09:40You guys.
09:42I mean, it's Star Wars.
09:44It's Star Wars.
09:46It really is.
09:47I was very little when the first movie came out, which was...
09:52What number was the first movie actually?
09:54Whatever it was.
09:55Four.
09:56Very well.
09:57That's how obsessed I am with the universe.
10:02Yeah, it's part of my whole imagination as a kid.
10:09I even like Jar Jar Binks.
10:11But like, with all lowercase.
10:14Yeah.
10:15What about like The Princess Bride?
10:17Couldn't that...
10:18Shouldn't that be a universe?
10:19If anyone touches The Princess Bride...
10:21Let me look into the camera here.
10:23If anyone decides to make a remake of that film, I will find you and I will stop you.
10:28No one.
10:30No one can remake that movie.
10:32No?
10:33No.
10:36I just feel like we've still got Mandy Patinkin.
10:38We've still got Wally Shawn with us.
10:40Shouldn't we take advantage of them?
10:42I just don't...
10:42And Carrie Elwes and Robin Wright.
10:44I mean, I still...
10:47No, I think there are some universes that need to remain untrespassed upon.
10:56Beautifully put.
10:58That's it.
10:58I love I just threatened an entire audience.
11:03There's all these development execs there going,
11:05Dang it!
11:06We wasted all that time!
11:07Cancel Mini Driver, quick!