James Gunn Casts Rupert Thorne In The Animated DCU, But For ‘Creature Commandos’ And Not A Batman Project

JB Augustine |

Oct 26, 2024

Wait a minute — Rupert Thorne (John Vernon) can't believe what he's watching in Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 Episode 10, "Two-Face - Part 1" (1992), Warner Bros. Animation

James Gunn is expanding the animated side of his DCU by adding a Batman villain or two, but not in a way you might anticipate. No character, not even the Dark Knight himself, has been cast for The Brave and The Bold, and no one has any inkling how it will connect with everything yet. All we know is that Andy Muschietti is directing it.

Possibilities — Rupert Thorne (John Vernon) contemplates his dinner order – everything sounds so good – in Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 Episode 10, “Two-Face – Part 1” (1992), Warner Bros. Animation

We can now say for certain, however, who will be taking up residence in Gotham’s high rises to manipulate and facilitate crime from above. That nefarious individual is Rupert Thorne. A staple of Batman: The Animated Series, he will be appearing in the next cartoon climbing to the top of the DCU pile.

Thorne is showing up in Creature Commandos and will be voiced by Benjamin Byron Davis. The corrupt politician and mobster was glimpsed in the recently released trailer for the upcoming series and Gunn confirmed on Instagram that Davis is supplying the vocal performance.

In his grasp — Rupert Thorne (John Vernon) has got the world in his hands in Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 Episode 10, “Two-Face – Part 1” (1992), Warner Bros. Animation

“Well, the cat is out of the bag…” Davis posted along with a screenshot of Gunn’s earlier, direct, and revelatory comment. “Thrilled to be able to share, I’ll be bringing Rupert Thorne to the DCU alongside the absolutely remarkable ensemble James Gunn has assembled for ‘Creature Commandos’!”

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A post shared by Benjamin Byron Davis (@bigbendavis)

Davis concluded with the promise that “Faces are going to melt…” An actor, writer, director, and voice artist, Benjamin Byron Davis has appeared in many popular TV shows. He is perhaps most recognized, though, for voicing Dutch van der Linde in the Red Dead Redemption series of games.

Rupert Thorne’s origins go back to the 1970s in the pages of Detective Comics but more will remember him from BTAS and the DCAU, voiced by John Vernon, where he had a hand in creating Two-Face and bringing Bane to North America. Whether in panels or frames of TV broadcasts, Thorne was every bit what his name implies in the side of Batman.