Sci-fi legend Michael Dorn recently spoke about his approach to inhabiting the role of Battle Beast/Thokk in Amazon's upcoming animated television series Invincible.
During this year's virtual New York Comic Con, Robert Kirman -- the creator of Invincible's comic series and a producer on 2021's television adaptation -- praised Dorn for his portrayal of Battle Beast, admitting he was "in the recording booth and almost crying," as reported by Looper. Dorn spoke about his approach to voicing the combat-obsessed alien in an interview with CBR.
"Well, look, the voice-overs are tons different than anything else because you don't really have time to prepare," Dorn said. "And it's a futile exercise too because when you get there, a ton of the time, they already have an idea in mind. And then they'll change their mind. So all you do is go in there as a clean slate."
"The great [voice actors], they don't prepare," he said. "They go in as a clean slate and do what they're told to do. My favorite line they always say is, 'Michael, that was good. Now, do it like this.' Then you do it like that and you ask, 'Do you like that?' And then they say, 'Do it in between.' That's the one you have to worry about... but I'm happy that they like it," he said. Kirkman also said that Dorn's performance was "everything he could want" for Thokk.
Invincible is based on the Image Comics series of the same name, created by Robert Kirkman and artist Cory Walker. The series debuted its official run in 2003 and ran until 2018, ending with the giant-sized Invincible #144 (written by Kirkman, with art by Nathan Fairbairn, Ryan Ottley and Cory Walker).
Amazon Prime Video's adaptation seems to be sticking to the series' main theme of a complicated father-son story as well. Its official synopsis reads,
From The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, and based on the Skybound/Image comic of the same name by Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, Invincible is an adult animated superhero show that revolves around seventeen-year-old Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), who’s just like every other guy his age — except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons). But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.
Invincible stars Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson, J.K. Simmons as Nolan Grayson, Sandra Oh as Deborah Grayson, Gillian Jacobs as Atom Eve, Mark Hamill as Art, Michael Dorn as Battle Beast, Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennett, Khary Payton as Black Samson, Walton Goggins as Cecil Steadman, Zachary Quinto as Robot, Chris Diamantopolous as Doc Seismic, Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Splode, Grey Griffin as voice Shrinking Rae and Amanda (Monster Girl as Girl), Melise as Dupli-Kate, Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell, Kevin Michael Richardson as Mauler 1 and Mauler 2 and Monster Girl (as Monster) and Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien, with Lauren Cohan as War Woman, Chad Coleman as Martian Man, Michael Cudlitz as Red Rush, Lennie James as Darkwing, Ross Marquand as The Immortal and Aquarius and Sonequa Martin-Green as Green Ghost. The series arrives on Amazon Prime Video in 2021.
Source: Looper, CBR