According to various home media retailing outlets and independent research, the recent Superman/Batman: Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature has garnered impressive initial sales. The latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie title moved an estimated 155,000 DVD copies in its first week, along with an impressive 95,000 units in Blu-ray editions in the same timeframe, resulting in an estimated 250,000 home video units sold in its first sales week of October 3rd, 2010. The animated feature hit the DVD sales chart at #5 in its first week, and hit #4 on respective Blu-ray charts. Keep in mind the sales numbers above do not take into account rental numbers, OnDemand numbers, or legal download numbers.
To compare, the previous “DC Universe Animated Original Movie” title Batman: Under the Red Hood debuted with an estimated 255,000 copies sold on DVD and Blu-ray editions sold during its debut week in July 2010.
Above is the cover art for all three separate home video releases for the direct-to-video Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature. Click on the links below to discuss both the new Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature, the respective DVD and Blu-ray home video releases and the DC Showcase: Green Arrow animated short.
Please continue to the The World’s Finest Superman/Batman: Apocalypse subsite for further details on the recently-released direct-to-video animated feature release. Click here to view the trailer and clips from the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature. A co-production of Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature is now available from Warner Home Video.
A representative for The Worlds Finest attended last weeks Superman/Batman: Apocalypse premiere at the Paley Center in New York City, held on Thursday, September 23rd, 2010. The event featured the New York debut of the animated feature plus an opportunity to talk to the cast and crew behind the new Superman/Batman: Apocalypse release. Despite only having a few brief moments with both participants, The Worlds Finest managed to ask Superman/Batman: Apocalypse voice director Andrea Romano and Kevin Conroy – the voice of Batman himself – a few quick questions before the premiere of the latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie.
Below is an edited transcript of both concise interview opportunities, exclusive to The World’s Finest, first with Superman/Batman: Apocalypse voice director Andrea Romano and second with Kevin Conroy.
Andrea Romano
The Worlds Finest: Darkseid has a new voice actor in this film – Was it difficult to have someone new to the role after Michael Ironside?
Andrea Romano: It’s difficult to find their voices because people get in their minds they connect an actor with a role. They just can’t help it. It’s like thinking of William Shatner as Captain Kirk, you just put that together – that’s who he is. But we kind of had a nice thing in this piece where we have Tim Daly as Superman and Kevin Conroy as Batman. So we kind of have that “everybody gets comfortable” zone. And then you have Darkseid, a new Darkseid, and I’d always wanted to work with Andre Brauer, I just enjoy the actor. Darkseid is one of those characters that he’s this big lethal walking rock, he just looks like that. And I thought you could play that with like a James Earl Jones voice, but let’s go elegant, lets try something a little different. Let’s not just do deep-voice-always-in your-face villain. I think Andre does a beautiful job of capturing this guy’s ego, cause that’s what Darkseid’s all about, it’s “ego”. Andre doesn’t have an ego but he acts it really well.
WF: Supergirl and Superman speak Kryptonian in this film. What went into that, and how did you go about creating the language?
AR: Totally made-up. When you listen to it, it sounds like a bunch of languages put together… French, a little Spanish, a little Middle European. It’s just gibberish. But in order to act it, regardless of what they’re saying, it has to make sense. You can actually tell “Oh I know what they’re saying. I have a sense of what it is they’re saying. It’s like when you watch a foreign film without looking at the subtitles you go. You get a sense of what it is they’re saying. It’s just another language.
WF: Wonder Woman plays more of a mentor role in this film as compared to Justice League. Did you have Susan Eisenberg approach the role differently?
AR: No. The thing thats a little bit different in this [movie] is that her will dominates Batman and Superman’s. It’s what she wants and she’s going to make sure she gets it, to take care of Kara and train her and bring her to Themyscira and not leave her in Metropolis or Gotham. And so it’s a much more aggressive Wonder Woman than in the Justice League world.
WF: All-Star Superman is kind of a quirky take on Superman and that whole world. Did that affect how you and the actors approached that film?
AR: We try to do each one differently, so that everything isn’t exactly the same. So we’re stimulated and also the actors are stimulated and the audience has something new to look at. We try to keep the quality at the same height but not always the same note.
Kevin Conroy
WF: Since each film is different, do you approach Batman differently each time? In this film?
Kevin Conroy: I think the important thing for me to do is to maintain the consistency of the character throughout all the films, because the audience has really grown to know him so well. The audience knows him probably better than the producers know him, you know what I mean? They would know in a second if I did something that was not Batman-like, so I can’t fool around with that too much. I’ve tried to be really loyal to the character and from what I’ve heard from the fans they get that, they like that so it works both ways I think.
WF: Did you record your part in the same room as the other actors for this film?
KC: Yeah. That’s the great thing about Warner Bros. and about Andrea Romano. She always insists on everyone being together, which is unique for the studios. A lot of the other studios like to have you record separately, because then the technicians have a completely clean take so, in post production, they have a lot more control. They like that. But in terms of performance quality, I think there’s no comparison. You just don’t get as good a performance, so Andrea likes to get everyone together. That affects the kind of actors she gets. She needs people who will work together well. So she loves theater people, she loves people with really strong acting chops, that can really play together well. They don’t want kids who are going to fight in kindergarten, you know what I mean?
Click here to view the official trailer for the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature.
A co-production of Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature is now available to own on Blu-ray Combo Disc and DVD from Warner Home Video. Stay tuned for further updates here soon at The Worlds Finest. Click on the links below to discuss both the new Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature, the respective DVD and Blu-ray home video releases and the DC Showcase: Green Arrow animated short.
The World’s Finest presents the latest in a series of studio-conducted interviews, provided by Warner Home Video, for the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature. Continue reading below for the latest installment featuring Summer Glau, the voice of Supergirl. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is now available to own.
Sci-Fi Fan Favorite Summer Glau is Supergirl in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Star of Serenity/Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles continues to entertain fanboys as voice of Supermans cousin in all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie available today, Sept. 28
Summer Glau knows her audience.
Whether as River Tam in Joss Whedons cult classic series and follow-up film, Firefly and Serenity, or as the indestructible android-from-the-future Cameron in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Glau has cornered the market on playing attractive, demure young females with the controlled homicidal power to destroy an opposing legion of trained warriors.
So it was only natural that as her first-ever animated voiceover role, Glau would fit neatly into the role of an uber-powered Kryptonian who falls under the spell of one of Supermans greatest foes. Glau finds the perfect mix of youthful curiosity, teen angst and alien-turned-Earth-girl aggression as the voice of Kara, cousin of Superman (and ultimately destined to become Supergirl) in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, the ninth entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies arriving today, September 28 from Warner Home Video.
Based on the DC Comics series/graphic novel Superman/Batman: Supergirl by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is produced by animation legend Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist). Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is now available as a Blu-ray Combo Pack, Special Edition DVD, On Demand and for Download.
Glaus career has been populated with frequent visits to the fanboy realm, adding regular roles on The 4400 and Dollhouse to her featured gigs on Firefly/Serenity and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The professionally trained ballerina had a seven-episode run on The Unit, and will appear in the upcoming NBC series, The Cape, as well as in the film Knights of Badassdom.
Following her recording session, Glau freely discussed a number of subjects from the acting strengths of the Whedon alumni association to her consistent on-set nerves to a strong desire to land more adult roles. Heres how that conversation went
QUESTION: Was it easy to find a way to relate to Kara?
SUMMER GLAU: Kara was a really comfortable fit for me because she’s sort of a girl coming into her own. A girl becoming a woman and finding out who she is, and so I felt like there were moments when it reminded me of River because she is so powerful, but also young and nave and a little bit lost. She has this underlying strength that comes from out of nowhere.
QUESTION: Whats special about voicing Supergirl?
SUMMER GLAU: I think everything about being Supergirl is special. When I saw the graphics for her, I thought I don’t think I’m ever gonna look that good again, so I’m going to soak it up and enjoy it. I feel like animated characters always have longer calves than they have thighs. They have these tiny little thighs and these big, wonderful calves and then these big hips, and this tiny little waist. I feel like it’d be hard to keep your balance, but it looks good. Plus I loved this script, and I loved the character. Who wouldn’t love to be Supergirl? So I had a great time.
QUESTION: As this was your first foray in voiceover for an animated character, what did you have in your head while you were recording to stay focused on your character?
SUMMER GLAU: Ive found that I do my best when I’m not afraid of being embarrassed in front of everyone. You have to just go there in your imagination. I tried to picture everything around me, seeing these other characters, and then I just put it out there and hoped that you all didn’t laugh at me. And you might have because I couldn’t hear you (she laughs) , but I just went for it.
QUESTION: Without any spoilers, do you have a favorite scene or a favorite line in the film?
SUMMER GLAU: I love that first scene when Superman comes to rescue Kara and she’s putting on this completely different persona. Playing that change was really fun. And I also really loved when Kara meets the Kents. I thought that was really funny.
As an actress, it’s very gratifying to have a character that has such a strong arc, so that you can do so many different things in one script with one character. She starts out speaking a different language and being very scared and not relating to anybody, and then realizing that she’s reconnected with a family member. Then she goes to school and learns how to hone her skills. She just goes through so many changes good, evil, scared, confidant and that variety in one script is fun to play.
QUESTION: You did have an added degree of difficulty for your first voiceover session speaking Kryptonian. How easy or difficult was that task?
SUMMER GLAU: I still don’t know how that all turned out. It’s kind of a blur right now. I’m trying to remember what we actually ended up with because we tried a lot of different things. You can make it up because not many people know Kryptonian, so I don’t know exactly what I ended up saying. I am surprised that I’m not still working on my Kryptonian lines right now. I thought I was going to be doing the Kryptonian for a few hours (she laughs).
QUESTION: Youve played a lot of strong, powerful, quiet women. Are there similarities to Summer Glaus real-life persona?
SUMMER GLAU: Well, as far as my actual fighting abilities, I haven’t tried it out in real life. I don’t know what would happen. I did learn how to do some martial arts, but I can’t throw cars. I can’t bend metal like Cameron, and, I dont know if I’m as psychic as River. I’m definitely not as powerful as Supergirl but, you know, here I just have to use my imagination.
I was always very shy growing up, and I wasn’t really good at expressing myself in real life. And I don’t know why it is but when I’m playing someone else, it’s a really therapeutic thing for me. Being an actress has really opened up a lot of opportunity for me to see different sides of who I am. I think I’m still pretty shy in real life, but I just have to let go of that when I’m playing these characters. There were moments when I felt really scared to just let it out today, but it felt so good.
QUESTION: DC Universe films have been populated with Whedon alums. What is it about Joss Whedons actors that makes them so good with this material as well?
SUMMER GLAU: One thing that I recognized about the Firefly cast is that that group of people loves what they do and there’s an innocence and an excitement about just diving into a character and being part of this make-believe world. Some actors, I think, don’t like doing such fantastical characters. You have to just dive in and have that open heart to play these characters that are bigger than life, And that’s what Joss’ actors do pretty well.
I think that Joss writes characters that are so specific and rich and complicated. We had an ensemble cast for Firefly. It was a very big cast and we had to share story lines between a lot of people. But I felt like each person was so distinct that you found ways to relate to each. Joss does that so well. He has a way of writing characters that really fills them out and, as an actress, reading the material, you just lock into it right away. It’s so specific. It’s very inspiring.
QUESTION: So how did you find your very first voiceover/animation experience?
SUMMER GLAU: I’m very relieved today that everybody was nice to me at the end. I was very scared. I’ve never done any kind of straight voiceover work before. I’ve never done anything animated. I wasnt sure what the process was going to be. So I was worried about how I would do, but everyone was very accepting and I felt like it was a really creative environment. I felt very safe.
I felt a lot of freedom about trying different thing, and we got to try a lot of different things. And it surprised me that we were able to jump in and out of the scenes so easily, and I felt like I could stay focused. It helped me a lot to get the coaching and get ideas. And I was surprised that it went by so fast, too. We got through a whole script in a few hours. Amazing.
QUESTION: When was the last time you were this nervous on a set?
SUMMER GLAU: I was nervous this morning. But I get nervous every take. Every take, I feel butterflies. It never gets to the point where I feel like it’s easy. Not that it feels like I can’t do it, but there’s this thing about acting I feel like a little bit of magic always has to happen because you have to kind of leave yourself. You have to leave your reality and I think that it takes a little bit of magic to do that.
QUESTION: Why did it take so long for you to voice an animated character?
SUMMER GLAU: I never thought about doing animation before and this was the first time that anybody asked me to do it. I couldn’t think of an animated character that I would like to do more. Supergirl is amazing.
QUESTION: So youd like to do more?
SUMMER GLAU: Yes, please. More. (she giggles)
QUESTION: Do you stay mostly in the science fiction genre by choice?
SUMMER GLAU: I’m not going to question it because it’s been fantastic doing so much sci-fi. I think that maybe the reason why I have been able to do a lot of sci-fi is because I think that fans of science fiction are very loyal and they’re very nurturing and dedicated. They like to see their actors in other projects and they’ll follow you and support you and I think that’s why I’ve moved from one sci-fi job to the next. I’ve really enjoyed it. I think that science fiction gives actors some of the best opportunities thats where you find some of the most challenging, well written roles in TV and film.
QUESTION: Its obvious that you respect your fans. Do you have any unique fan experiences or antidotes?
SUMMER GLAU: I always keep my fan experiences very, very close to my heart. My favorite Comic-Con memory is the first one because I had no idea there’s no way to picture what it’s going to be like until you’re there. And being one of Joss’ actors is really special, because it’s like being part of a special family. Comic-Con was just beyond what I could’ve imagined. It’s an amazing experience for you to say thank you in person to the people that make it possible for you to do what you love.
I feel that our fans are so positive and so loving that I like to hear what they have to say. On Terminator, one thing that our cast liked to do was read if the fans noticed little things that we would put into the show. It became sort of a game. We loved to hear what they had to say and what they noticed or what they didn’t notice or if they liked choices that we made. It’s like a little love letter. You send it out and then you see what they say and it happens every week. I think they’re very thoughtful and so smart and, ultimately, we do it for them, so it’s great to hear what they think.
QUESTION: If you could wish for your next role, what would you want to play?
SUMMER GLAU: I think what I’m focusing on the most right now is just growing as an actress, and really being around actors that push me to be better. I’d like to grow and as I grow up, I’d like to play more adult roles. I’d like to play a woman. I’ve played a lot of girls and teenagers, but I’m not a teenager anymore. So I’d like to try to push myself in that direction. I want to keep doing TV; I love to do film; I should try to do comedy, even though I’m terrified of trying to be funny. I’ve always wanted to do a western and Id love to do a period film. Besides that, I just want to keep pushing myself.
For more information please go to SupermanBatmanApocalypse.com
Warner Home Video has also released three new videos to promote the release of the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature. Two clips feature actor Summer Glau discussing the role of Supergirl, and the other a clip from the actual animated feature. Click on the thumbnails below to view these three videos in the Quicktime format.
Click here to view the official trailer for the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature.
A co-production of Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature is now available to own on Blu-ray Combo Disc and DVD from Warner Home Video. Stay tuned for further updates here soon at The Worlds Finest. Click on the links below to discuss both the new Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature, the respective DVD and Blu-ray home video releases and the DC Showcase: Green Arrow animated short.
The all-new direct-to-video Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation is now available to own on Blu-ray, Two-Disc Special Edition DVD, and Single-Disc DVD. Warner Home Video distributes the direct-to-video animated feature, which is also available on Pay-Per-View, OnDemand and for legal day and date download. Also available exclusively on the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Blu-ray and Two-Disc Special Edition DVD release is the latest animated short DC Showcase: Green Arrow. The cover artwork for the separate home video releases are available below.
Further information on this latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie title can be found by clicking the images above. Click on the links below to discuss both the new Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature, the respective DVD and Blu-ray home video releases and the DC Showcase: Green Arrow animated short.
Continuing, the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse home video release also includes a look at the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie title, All-Star Superman. The All-Star Superman animated feature is slated to hit Blu-ray and DVD in February 2011.
In further related news, the new The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection soundtrack release is also now available from WaterTower Music. The soundtrack is available as both a digital download, through iTunes and other similar digital download outlets, and an Amazon-exclusive compact disc release. The release features a collection of popular theme songs and musical selections from different DC Comics-based properties, including live-action and animated features and series, from the past 75 years. A complete track listing for this release can be found here. Click on the link below to discuss this new soundtrack release.
Please continue to the The World’s Finest Superman/Batman: Apocalypse subsite for further details on the newly-available direct-to-video animated feature release. Click here to view the trailer and clips from the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature. A co-production of Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature is now available from Warner Home Video.
The World’s Finest presents the latest in a series of studio-conducted interviews, provided by Warner Home Video, for the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature. Continue reading below for the latest installment featuring Tim Daly, the voice of Superman.
Fan Favorite Tim Daly returns as Man of Steel in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Private Practice star reprises Superman: The Animated Series role for all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie available Sept. 28
Tim Daly, the fans choice as the quintessential voice of the Man of Steel from his days portraying the title character for the landmark Superman: The Animated Series, once again supplies those All-American tones in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. The ninth entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies arrives Tuesday, September 28 from Warner Home Video.
Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will be available as a Blu-ray Combo Pack, Special Edition DVD, On Demand and for Download.
Daly was the voice behind the worlds ultimate super hero for 52 episodes of Superman: The Animated Series and several animated movies, all the while starring in one primetime television series after another from eight seasons on Wings to memorable roles on HBOs The Sopranos and From The Earth To The Moon to his current ABC hit, Private Practice. The Emmy nominated actor made his feature film debut in Barry Levinsons 1982 classic Diner.
Daly joins forces with Batman voice Kevin Conway to lead a Superman/Batman: Apocalypse cast that boasts two-time Emmy Award winner Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age) as the evil lord Darkseid, sci-fi heroine Summer Glau (Serenity/Firefly; Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), and multi-Emmy winner Ed Asner (Up) as Granny Goodness. Based on the DC Comics series/graphic novel Superman/Batman: Supergirl by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is produced by animation guru Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) from a script by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist).
Amongst the many activities surrounding the films upcoming release is “Destination Apocalypse,” an interactive online promotion that allows fans to get even deeper into the mythology of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Fans can access “Destination Apocalypse” at http://DestinationApocalypse.com and explore the many sections including games, quizzes and information about film. Fans can even send Kryptonian messages to their Facebook friends. In each section, participants virtually “check in” and earn badges to unlock an exclusive video clip from the movie. In addition, earning badges for participating in the various activities in each section help to unlock exclusive movie poster downloads.
Daly joined the festivities at the World Premiere of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse in Los Angeles on September 21 at The Paley Center for Media. The Metropolis, er, New York City-born actor offered his thoughts on a number of subjects ranging from the Superman/Batman dynamic and the importance of a great villain to his love of farming in a playful interview. And heres what he had to say
QUESTION: What did you find unique and/or fresh about this latest Superman-Batman vehicle?
TIM DALY: What’s interesting about the relationships in this film is that Superman and Batman are really on the same page. They are united and they only give each other a very modest amount of grief, whereas at other times they’ve been a little more at each other’s throats, and more dubious about the other one’s methods. And Kara is, perhaps, Superman’s last surviving relative. So he feels very protective of her, and sort of glad to have someone who has had or is about to have a similar experience as he’s had coming to a different planet. So it’s kind of touching, really. He’s very paternal towards her. He really wants her to do well and to stick around.
It’s nice to see his powers used in connection with something personal. He’s not saving the planet, he’s not saving Metropolis. He’s not saving Lois. He’s saving a blood relative. So it’s that kind of deeply personal feeling. I do enjoy that in the script.
QUESTION: If Batman is a loner, how would you classify Superman?
TIM DALY: I think Superman’s a loner. Without a doubt. I think he recognizes that he has this responsibility, because of the power that he has, and that he has to bear it by himself. And to make sure that he is using it for good and not for evil. He has to keep in check his human emotions, though he’s not really a human because those are the things about living on Earth that can get us in trouble. Greed, power, love — all those things that take us off the tracks. In this script, Kara asks him if he’s ever regretted having his power, and he has a one word answer: no. We actually spent quite a bit of time trying to find the right level of no to play, because I don’t think Superman is 100 percent sure about that answer. Or he hasn’t always been. He’s been through a lot, finding out how different he was from everyone else, and having to essentially live a double life.
QUESTION: As different as they are, what is it that you think creates the dynamic for Batman and Superman to essentially be each others best friend?
TIM DALY: I think part of it is that they’re both super heroes, so they share that in common. They understand and forgive the other one for living a double life, because they both essentially have to do it. And more often than not they’re on the same side. Batman, despite his darkness, is essentially a power of good. It’s interesting — it’s kind of like sometimes you wonder why big movie stars are best friends with huge movie stars. I think the answer is that they live such a specific life that’s so odd and so difficult that they tend to gravitate toward people who have an understanding of that, and forgive the fact that they have to be private or have to wear disguises, or come in the back door of the place so there’s not a big fuss made over them. I think that’s sort of the same kind of relationship for Batman and Superman.
QUESTION: So when you and Kevin Conroy to go dinner in Manhattan …
TIM DALY: No one gives a damn. No one could care less (he laughs).
QUESTION: Do you see these Superman-Batman pair-ups as buddy films?
TIM DALY: I think maybe in a bizarre way. I mean, when you think about great buddy films, like Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, these guys are willing to die for each other, and yet they’re constantly giving each other a hard time. And they frustrate each other to no end. Think about a movie like 48 HRS. Ultimately that’s a buddy film, but it starts out with Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy beating each other up and abusing each other in all kinds of different ways. I think these Superman-Batman films are part of that genre. The oil and water who become inseparable.
QUESTION: How do you interpret Superman’s perception of Batman?
TIM DALY: I think Superman likes Batman. In his own private way, he gets a kick out of the fact that he can count on Batman being cynical and pessimistic, and that he sort of relies on that probably in the way you rely on certain friends or family members to do certain things that you shake your head and go, Oh, jeez. It’s sort of comforting. And in this script, he’s come to trust Batman to have his back. And he has a genuine concern for him. So I think he likes him fine.
QUESTION: Do you now feel some sense of ownership of Superman?
TIM DALY: I think I feel a greater sense of ownership now than I ever have. I think it’s because I’ve embraced the fact that it’s so important to so many people. People take Superman very, very seriously. I think that when I first started doing the series, I took it seriously when I recorded the role, but I maybe judged the audience a little bit. I wondered Why are people getting all excited about Superman? It’s just a cartoon. But I’ve realized that it’s not my place to judge. People love this character and take him seriously, and follow his every movie, and if that’s their thing, then they have every right to that. And I should serve that with all my might. So I understand that now, and I try to respect the characters importance to the fans.
What really surprises me is when I’m talking to someone, and someone else standing close by will say, Tim Daly? Superman! And I’ll say, How did you know? And they say, Your voice. And then I realize, oh yeah, that makes sense. But clearly they’ve become attuned to my voice, and the fact that my name is attached to Superman. But still, it always surprises me.
QUESTION: Is Darkseid a perfect example of the bigger the villain, the better the story adage?
TIM DALY: Villains are really what give comic stories their flavor. Honestly, I think Superman would be quite dull without a really great villain. Batman, maybe not so much, because he’s such a twisted character himself. He’s struggling with a lot of inner demons. But Superman is the kind of guy who’s impossible to hate, because he’s a guy’s guy, and he’s straightforward. He can be a little sarcastic and he has a wryness about him. But he doesn’t have a lot of dark corners. So I think that contrasting him with someone like Darkseid, who’s a real badass villain, absolutely makes the script more interesting.
QUESTION: Do you have a favorite villains?
TIM DALY: I guess my favorite would have to be, and I say this very selfishly, but its Bizarro. He’s sort of a hapless villain, a sort of demented Superman replicant that Lex Luthor wants to use for his own evil purposes. He’s kind of almost innocent in a weird way. He has no idea what it is he’s doing, but he’s doing a lot of damage. And I guess I like him the best because I got to play him.
QUESTION: What entertained you as a kid?
TIM DALY: I had two sources of entertainment. One was television and the other was my own imagination. I was a kind of a lonely kid I spent a lot of time by myself, and I spent a lot of time outside. So I would wander around in nature with this huge imaginary world. And I had three imaginary friends. And there was a whole lot going on in there that no one else really knew about. But that entertained me. I wasn’t sad, I was just a loner. And then there was television especially cartoons like Bugs Bunny.
QUESTION: And what entertains you now?
TIM DALY: I haven’t been bored since 1970. I play the guitar, which entertains me a lot. I play golf. I watch a little bit of TV with great relish. I go to the theatre. I play around with my kids. I am not very good at sitting still, so having activity entertains me. I futz with stuff. I build things and fix things. I like to garden.
QUESTION: Another thing you and Batman, er, Kevin Conroy have in common. Working in the garden. Whats the foundation of your attraction to gardening?
TIM DALY: Oh my God, if you’ve ever grown your own food, youd know. I had a moment about 15 years ago when I first harvested my own potatoes. I had some primordial Irish experience. It was a cold fall day, and it was kind of misty, and I was muddy. I reached into the ground and I took the potatoes out of the ground and sort of held them to the sky. Like, Food, my food, my people. (he laughs) It’s great.
I farm in Vermont. A lot of people tell me I shouldn’t talk about this because it makes me sound too much like Mr. Green Jeans, but I have a garden with lettuce, broccoli, peas, beans, tomatoes, carrots, lots of herbs, parsley, basil. Cauliflower, which never grows. Eggplant is a disaster for some reason. Corn, squash — stuff like that.
Maybe it’s because it’s just a little miracle. You take some little seed, you plant it, and it becomes this beautiful thing, and you can pick it and eat it, and it sustains you. Just a little miracle. I love it.
For more information please go to SupermanBatmanApocalypse.com
Warner Home Video has also released three new videos to promote the release of the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature. Two clips feature actor Tim Daly discussing the role of Superman, and the other a clip from the actual animated feature. Click on the thumbnails below to view these three videos in the Quicktime format.
Click here to view the official trailer for the upcoming Superman/Batman: Apocalypse direct-to-video animated feature.
A co-production of Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated feature debuts September 28th, 2010 on DVD and Blu-ray disc from Warner Home Video. Stay tuned for further updates here soon at The Worlds Finest.