Green Lantern (as voiced by Nathan Fillion) in Justice League: Doom. Photo copyright of Warner Home Video.
Nathan Fillion continues to look good in green.
The star of ABC Television Network’s hit series Castle, and fanboy/fangirl idol for his role in Joss Whedon’s Firefly, Fillion returns to the super hero fold to voice Green Lantern/Hal Jordan for Justice League: Doom, the latest entry to be released in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies.
Fillion returns to the DC Universe after two successful turns – first as Steve Trevor in the animated film Wonder Woman, and then last year in the title role of Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, voicing Hal Jordan. He has also performed voice work on Justice League, Robot Chicken, The Venture Bros., and several Halo video games.
Before taking reins as the title character in Castle, Fillion starred in several primetime television series, including Desperate Housewives, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He has also developed a popular cult following as a pair of Joss Whedon’s heroic captains: Capt. Mal Reynolds in the space-western series Firefly and follow-up film, Serenity; and Captain Hammer in Whedon’s internet sensation Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.
Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid’s much-heralded “JLA: Tower of Babel.”
Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new Justice League: Doomis available from Warner Home Video as a Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. Both the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViiolet™ Digital Copy.
Nathan Fillion during his recording session for Justice League: Doom. Photo courtesy/copyright of Gary Miereanu.
Fillion’s relaxed, easy-going, honest demeanor makes any interview a joy – check out his answers below to a brief interview following his initial voiceover session for Justice League: Doom. And also keep your eyes peeled for video clips of answers from the same interview, offering additional insight on his thoughts about the film, his character and entertainment in general. Read on …
This is your second run with Green Lantern. Do you now take full equity in the character?
Nathan Fillion: I don’t think I can take full equity in this character – too many people have a chunk. Ryan Reynolds gets the right-of-way on this one. Right now I feel pretty Green Lantern-ish. But sooner or later, I think I’ll be a poor man’s Green Lantern.
How did the role in Justice League: Doom compare with the voicing of Green Lantern: Emerald Knights?
NF: It was definitely different this time. A little more action, and more conversational. Last time it was like reading prose. We referred to last time as biblical, as though we were reading bible passages. Far more narrative, because Hal Jordan was really just relating stories of the Green Lantern Corps, and then being one of many contributing to the main story that weaves its way through the short stories. This time, it’s all action.
During your recording today, there were times when we could see a sly smile come across your face. What were you thinking?
NF: This kind of work, it makes me happy. Makes me smile. When I’m doing these voiceovers, I kind of like to live in the moment. You suspend reality for just a second. You know what Green Lantern looks like, you know the situations, you know the characters that surround him. So I kind of just like to live in that moment for half-a-second like I’m there … and it makes me (smile).
Super heroes inspire so many folks these days. Who inspired you as a kid?
NF: It’s always kind of in retrospect that you look back and think, “That was a really big deal.” But looking back, it was my dad and my brother who inspired me. My father has no fear. We don’t have to worry about things like stopping meteors from hitting the Earth. We’re not super. The things we worry about are every day social situations where something might be awkward or out of our control. My dad has never wanted to feel uncomfortable or awkward. He kind of says it like it is. If you’re comfortable enough to do that thing, he’s going to be comfortable enough to comment on it quite honestly. He always sort of controls every situation like that. He’ll just say. “You’re kind of a jerk, aren’t you?” He’s that kind of heroic guy.
My brother has those same qualities, but he’s more diplomatic about it. He’s more of a gentle giant. His leadership style, he says, is the velvet glove over the top of an iron fist. You get the soft velvet, but if you push against the glove, you get the iron fist.
Green Lantern (as voiced by Nathan Fillion) in Justice League: Doom. Photo copyright of Warner Home Video.
What are your first memories of comics?
NF: We had the Wee Book Inn, a second-hand bookstore (in Edmonton). You came in with a stack of comic books, and they’d kind of leaf through them for their value, and then say, “Alright, from these 60 comics, you can have 35 from our used copies,” and then my dad would fork over another 10 bucks or so we could have our full stack of 60 comics. Every few months we’d go back to the store and get a fresh influx of comics. We’d only keep the ones we really, really liked. And my dad knew somebody who owned a proper comic book shop – which kind of went the way of Dungeons and Dragons and eventually closed. I think if they’d stuck with comics, they’d have still been around. So I was really into comics. My brother and I would take turns with who got to have that comic book rack in their room. We’d go back and forth. Then eventually my brother got a little older, and then I started collecting and getting cardboard backs and plastic covers. Proper collecting. And then you’ve got to say, “Okay, what am I going to do, spend all my money on comics?” Because it got a little expensive. So … comics or girls? Comics or girls? Hmmm …
And now rather than just collecting comics, you’re in them. How does that strike you?
NF: I’m a fan. I am very fortunate in that now I have a piece. Forever I will have this piece of Green Lantern. “Ah yes, he voiced Green Lantern back in the day … when they were still doing it on TVs and not holograms.” I’ll always have a chunk. It’s nice to be a fan and own a piece.
As noted above, Nathan Fillion photo courtesy/copyright of Gary Miereanu and Green Lantern photos copyright of Warner Home Video, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
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