Comedian-podcaster Joe Rogan is beaten out for Spotify's top podcast -- by Batman.
Following the May 3 debut of the Caped Crusader's latest audio adventure, Batman Unburied, Variety reports that the DC podcast has replaced The Joe Rogan Experience as Spotify's No. 1 podcast on charts. The new adventure starring Black Panther actor Winston Duke as Bruce Wayne earned the No. 1 title in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and India.
The Joe Rogan Experience has been Spotify's top podcast for a long time. Hosted by Rogan, the show features conversations with guests ranging from fellow comedians to political figures, celebrities and more. In May 2020, the service announced a partnership with Rogan, which gave Spotify exclusive licensing to The Joe Rogan Experience. The show has come under fire since then, due to Rogan's controversial discussions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Batman Unburied is also a Spotify exclusive. Only two episodes of the slated ten-episode season have released as of writing, titled "Kind of a Night Person" and "Such Wonderful Secrets." Other than Duke, the show's star-studded cast includes the vocal talents of Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin, Carmen Sandiego) as Barbara Gordon, Jessica Marie Garcia (On My Block) as Renee Montoya, Jason Issacs as Alfred Pennyworth, Hasan Minhaj as the Riddler, Lance Reddick as Thomas Wayne and more.
Batman Unburied is written by the Dark Knight trilogy and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice screenwriter David S. Goyer, and is set to explore the "darker aspects of Bruce Wayne's psychology," according to an early synopsis. This Bruce Wayne is different from fans' typical Dark Knight, being that he works as a forensic pathologist for Gotham Hospital. After he conducts an autopsy on a victim of The Harvester serial killer, he seeks out the assistance of an "unconventional psychologist," Dr. Hunter (John Rhys-Davies).
The Harvester antagonist will be voiced by none other than Sam Witwer, adding to the list of villains that he has portrayed over the years, including Supergirl's Agent Liberty and Davis Bloome/Doomsday on Smallville. Witwer's vocal talents have frequently been lent to the Star Wars franchise, voicing Emperor Palpatine and Starkiller (who he also served as the likeness for) in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video games, and Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
New episodes of Batman Unburied release weekly on Spotify.
Source: Variety