The actor who is arguablyDC’s most underrated Batman has returned in a 2024 release, and I’m stoked to see them back in the superhero role once more. In terms of DC heroes, Batman has long been tied with Superman for the most iconic superhero of all time - something that thewide array of immensely successful Batman moviesmay give him an advantage in. Theselection of actors who have played Batmanalso helps him maintain this high-profile reputation, as some seriously talented names and faces have put on the cape and cowl in Batman’s history.
While high-profile Batman performances like Christian Bale’s or Robert Pattinson’s are rightly appreciated en masse, some less well-known versions of the Caped Crusader also deserve their credit for similarly doing justice to the vigilante while adding their own unique spins on the role. November 2024 has brought a prime example of this with its newest DC release, providing another solid Batman performance from an actor who I’m delighted to see return as the hero, and who I think brings something to the character that others would love if they only knew this version existed.
Batman Unburied: Fallen City Brings Colman Domingo’s Dark Knight Back Once More
Colman Domingo first played the Dark Knight in 2023’sThe Riddler: Secrets in the Darkaudio drama - a spinoff of theBatman Unburiedseries, which originally had Winston Duke as Batman instead. However,Batman Unburied: Fallen City- the 2024 sequel - also saw Domingo return as Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter-ego, cementing his place as the franchise’s current Caped Crusader casting. Sadly though, as the second of the castings, Domingo’s is also the Batman that audiences may be even less aware of unless they’ve been keeping up with these less well-known releases.
Batman Unburiedwas first released in May 2022.
Though Duke nailed his version of the DC hero,Domingo’s performance has a gravitas that makes it feel like classic Batman, complete with his ability to balance the gravelly tones of the Dark Knight with the breezier intonations Bruce Wayne puts on when it’s time to be a public figure.Batman Unburied: Fallen Cityalso benefits from letting the actor embody Batman in a second season that needs to spend less time setting itself up, thus allowing the focus be on the established universe and its protagonist more straightforwardly.
Colman Domingo’s Batman Is Seriously Underrated
It’s readily apparent that Colman Domingo is a talented actor, having most notably won the 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Ali inEuphoria. This is by no means Domingo’s only award, with a considerable assortment of acting awards and nominations recording his history both on-screen and on the stage.
A beloved fan choice for the MCU’s potential Kang recast - and actively cast as Norman Osborn inYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man- there’s also a clear interest in having Colman Domingo’s considerable talents translate over to the superhero sphere. As such,it’s surreal to think that many people who actively want to see Domingo in the superhero genre don’t know that he’s already voiced one of DC’s biggest heroes- either because they aren’t aware of the audio drama itself due to it being a comparatively less well-known medium for superhero releases, or because they haven’t heard Domingo took over the role.
I Hope Colman Domingo’s Batman Returns Again After Batman Unburied: Fallen City
TheBatman Unburiedseries is a testament to the creative ways in which the Dark Knight’s franchise can expand by effectively playing into different mediums' strengths - andBatman Unburied: Fallen Cityis no different. The mystery genre naturally lends itself well to podcasts and audio dramas, making it perfectly fitting that this format should be used to let audiences get a new look at Batman’s mystery-solving skills.
Since there’s a whole assortment of Batman’s rogues gallery who still have yet to be explored in the series, there’s plenty of room for it to continueand further explore the mysteries that the World’s Greatest Detective faces across the course of his vigilante career. As someone who’s been thoroughly entertained byBatman Unburied: Fallen Cityand all that’s come before it, I’m definitely hoping this isn’t the last release within thisDCworld, and that further installments are eventually added to the list ofupcoming DC releases.
