alan tudyk
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

It has been known for a while that Alan Tudyk was contributing to the new animated ‘Harley Quinn’ series, due to launch next year on DC Universe, but his role was a mystery.  But comes word that he is voicing what is sure to be one of the most important characters on the show, The Joker!  This news arrives via Diedrich Bader, who is voicing Batman on this series and who recently appeared on the Discussing Film podcast.

The ‘Harley Quinn’ animated series follows the title villain after she breaks up with The Joker and strikes out on her own on a mission to become the “Queenpin” of crime and to earn a seat at the table of the Legion of Doom.  ‘Big Bang Theory’ star Kaley Cuoco voices Harley while Lake Bell (‘BoJack Horseman’) voices her best friend Poison Ivy.

Tudyk also lends his pipes to the other new original animated series on DC Universe, ‘Young Justice: Outsiders’, reprising the role of Green Arrow, which he originated on ‘Young Justice’ when it aired on the Cartoon Network, and he appears in the flesh as the villain Mr. Nobody on DC Universe’s upcoming ‘Doom Patrol’ live action series.

In previous DC work, Tudyk has also voiced Green Arrow in various video games and co-starred on the short-lived live-action sitcom ‘Powerless’ which aired in 2017 on NBC, but was removed from the schedule before completing its first season, due to low ratings.  He may still be best remembered for playing pilot Hoban Washburne on ‘Firefly’ and in the follow-up film ‘Serenity’.  He and his ‘Firefly’ castmates appeared in his original web series ‘Con Man’ and he starred in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ and ‘The Tick’.  He performed as K-2SO in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’.  He works extensively in animation, lending his voice to ‘The Adventures of Puss in Boots’, ‘American Dad!’, ‘Star vs. the Forces of Evil’ and ‘Big Hero 6 The Series’.  He will also be heard in ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’.

‘Harley Quinn’ is expected to premiere in October of 2019 and spill over into 2020.