The next DC Animated Movie is an interactive adaptation of Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo's classic comic book storyline Batman: Death in the Family. A prequel to the 2010 animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, Death in the Family provides different paths for audiences to choose as they revisit the Joker's vicious attack on Jason Todd. Among those appearing in the film is Talia al Ghul, portrayed by voice actor Zehra Fazal.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Fazal talked about her role in the animated movie and her prolific history voicing other DC characters on the acclaimed animated series Young Justice.
With this film, you portray Talia al Ghul, one of the most iconic characters in the Batman mythos. How was it stepping into this role?
Zehra Fazal: I was so excited when I was offered the role, because as you said, Talia is this iconic figure in the Batman universe. And I was so excited, because I know she has different incarnations across different media. But to work with [filmmaker Brandon Vietti's] version of Talia al Ghul, I was so excited because I've worked with Brandon on Young Justice, so I knew that whatever he'd bring to Talia with Death in the Family and her character was going to be really interesting and fun and unique. So I was so super excited.
Like you mentioned, Talia has been portrayed by other actors in animation, film and video games. What were you keen on with bringing your own voice to this role?
Fazal: What was fun was getting into the psychology of Talia. She's a cool customer. She and Bruce Wayne are similar in a lot of ways and that was really what I wanted to focus on. In what ways is Talia kind of a group-builder like Batman builds his team? In what ways is Talia under the legacy of a father similarly, in parallel, to the way Bruce Wayne has his family's legacy on him? They're both characters who are trying to strike out on their own, both from the shadow of this overwhelming expectation and legacies that sat on them. How are they going to make their mark; how is Talia going to make her own mark? So that, for me, was a fascinating psychological angle for her character.
You've voice a lot of DC Comics characters before this. What do you find interesting about voicing different characters in the DC Universe?
Fazal: The DC Universe is such a fun sandbox and, honestly, it's a sandbox I found later in life. As a kid growing up, I didn't read a ton of DC Comics and it helps, I think as an adult approaching these characters and this material, I don't have a ton of preconceptions about what they should be like. I can approach it looking at the script and go "What is the writer saying about this character and what can I do, as an actor, help tell that story the writer is trying to tell through my choices?" It's been so cool to explore the DC Universe and there's so much enthusiasm, especially for DC animated projects. It's always been really cool to discover that community, as well, and that passionate enthusiasm! [Laughs]
You've been working with Brandon for quite some time. How was it working with him on this project in particular?
Fazal: Brandon is the best! When you get a Brandon Vietti script, you trust it's going to be phenomenal, both in the attention to detail he puts into it and the story going places you wouldn't anticipate it going. So going into record on this, I was really excited to work with Brandon again and I was also excited to work with Wes Gleason, our voice director who really does an incredible job. He really lets you take off; he alters and offers assessments, but I find he really trusts the actor to take off and make it theirs. And that's what I love about voice directors, when they make you feel safe and sure of your own choices that you can go play with them. So working with Wes and working with Brandon in recording for this was great. It was the ideal script and ideal director!
Apart from the script, how much creative latitude did they give you in the booth in regards to line reads and alternate takes?
Fazal: What was really interesting was setting the voice of Talia al Ghul, because we talked about if she had an accent, and if so, what kind of accent might she have. And because this film is in the same universe as Under the Red Hood, Ra's al Ghul was played by Jason Isaacs in that. So I knew we wanted to model the accent after Jason Isaacs, which is more British rather than Middle Eastern. What would she sound like if she gone through the British educational system and was raised by Jason Isaacs? [Laughs] So there was some freedom in exploring what the accent might sound like but, once we set it, then [that was it].
The other interesting thing about this project is you see these characters in different stages of circumstances based on choices that they viewer makes so Talia in one branch might be a different psychological headspace than Talia in another branch. So there was an immense pleasure in playing all the different sides of the character and I'm sure that's the case for our leading characters as well.
As an aside, you were on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which just came to an end earlier this year, as well as Bojack Horseman and Voltron: Legendary Defender, which have similarly come to an end. I was just wondering if you could comment on your experiences on those shows.
Fazal: Oh wow, I have to say working in animation is such a dream, I love it so much. I think the thing in common with all those projects is I've been very, very fortunate to work on series that were both critically acclaimed, but also the people who make them love them so much. And that passion, you can tell, helps the project; that passion, that attention to detail, the enthusiasm for the story they're telling. So that's kind of been a through line thus far in my career that I'm so grateful for.
She-Ra holds a special place in my heart because that is a show I wish that I had when I was a young one, and I'm happy that young ones today will grow up having that particular story told; it was such a special thing to be a part of. And with Bojack, I was such a huge fan of that show for several years before I got cast on it so that was like being a kid in a candy store!
What are you really excited about for audiences to see with Talia and the movie in general?
Fazal: The thing I love about interactive media, whether it's an interactive movie or interactive fiction, you are in charge of your choices and I think you learn a lot about yourself with the choices that you make. Even though it's not life-or-death choices that you make in your real-life, the choices that you make in this kind of environment, I feel like you might learn something about yourself that is just as valuable as experiencing the story and the viewer will have a parallel experience of their own choices and their own experiences. And the big thing is you might think you're making the best choice at the time, given the information you have, but you don't know what life has in store. Sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so I think that'll be real interesting for people to explore!
Produced, written and directed by Brandon Vietti, Batman: Death in the Family stars Bruce Greenwood, John DiMaggio, Vincent Martella, Zehra Fazal and Gary Cole. The film is scheduled to be released on Blu-ray and Digital HD on Oct. 13.