With ‘The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1’ set to make it’s debut on Blu-ray and DVD on September 25th, complete with bi-coastal premiere dates in the days prior, Warner Home Video is looking towards Part 2. According to TV Guide (via Comic Book Movie), the second part to the animated adaptation of Frank Miller’s classic Batman tale has cast two of DC’s most iconic characters, The Joker and Superman.
Michael Emerson and The Joker, courtesy of TV GuideFirst, portraying the Man of Steel will be Mark Valley from TV’s ‘Days of Our Lives’, ‘Boston Legal’, and ‘Human Target’, which was loosely based on the DC Comic of the same name. In Miller’s Batverse, Clark Kent has become a government pawn since the fall of the superheroes because he sees it as the only way to continue doing good in the world.
For the role of the Joker, a new voice will be stepping up to bring the Clown Prince of Crime to life. To the devastation of Batman fans everywhere, Mark Hamill retired from voicing the character in 2011 after the release of the best-selling video game ‘Batman: Arkham City’. Now, since the show must go on, ‘Lost’ and ‘Person of Interest’ star Michael Emerson will take the reins and voice The Caped Crusader’s archenemy. On being cast as one of the world’s most recognizable comic book villains of all time, the actor had this to say:
“He’s one of those great villains that an actor like me likes to play because he has layers — he has a face for the world and a face for himself. He is, in a way, a villain who is a natural actor. All of that is delightful and confounding at the same time.”
Valley and Emerson join the already impressive voice cast, which includes David Selby, Wade Williams, Michael McKean, Ariel Winter as Robin, and Peter Weller as Batman.
‘The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2’ is scheduled to be released in early 2013.
