Today marks the digital release of Warner Bros. Justice Society: World War II. Recently we sat down with co-writer Jeremy Adams and voice actors Elysia Rotrau and Matt Bomer to talk about crafting this new version of the legendary DC Comics team.
You can listen to the full interviews in our latest podcast, but here is what Bomer had to say about taking on Barry Allen/The Flash in this new animated adventure.
GYCO: Hey, Matt, how you doing?
MB: Hey, Neil, how are you?
GYCO: So Justice Society. Tell me about your version of the flash and where we find him in this film.
MB: So we meet Barry in this film, he is scattered mentally, physically, he’s trying to be everything to everyone and do 100 different things at the same time. And it’s really affecting the relationships in his life, particularly his relationship with Iris. And he’s thrust into these really extraordinary circumstances where he encounters the Justice Society. And it’s only really by his interactions with them and his watching the kinships between the group and particularly between a Wonder Woman and Steve, that he’s able to really value the present moment in his life and, and be available and present to the people who he loves the most.
GYCO: What was it about the story for this film that made you want to join the cast?
MB: Well, I mean, obviously you’re dealing with really iconic characters. This is a character who I’ve known and loved as long as I can remember. And it was a character who was really a big hit with one of our kids in particular at our home. So, yes, many, many Halloween costumes. And you know, sure you understand why certain characters are so iconic for certain people, because now he’s an athlete, he loves running fast and all those things. So I don’t know, maybe it’s a bit on the nose. But I understand what his fascination with the flash. So I, it starts with that and just having had such a great experience doing voiceover work with Warner Brothers and DC in the past. And then I read the script. And I thought the story was really engaging and unique and ultimately very moving. So and I thought the character had a great arc. And I thought he had a great sense of humour, and really unique rhythms. So all these were things that I thought would make this unique from some of the other roles i’d voiced in the past.
GYCO: Flash has a brilliant arc in this film. It’s such a well defined beginning point to where you find him at the end. What’s it like trying to bring that kind of arc to life when you’re in a recording booth, as opposed to when you’re doing something, say in live action, and you’re on set with with other actors?
MB: Well, you really only have your voice, you know, and the registers and cadences and rhythms that make that character unique. But I think we all owe so much to Wes Gleason and Butch Lukic, who were with all of us, because we’re never really in the same room at the same time. So they really did a great job getting everyone in the same film. And that’s probably why a job like this, which involves a different time period where people spoke to me, yeah, there are different dialects. So yeah, you’re really relying heavily on that collaboration. And I remember distinctly the initial phases of recording, you’re kind of really discovering the rhythms of the character together, and then you get into a zone, you go, Okay, this is the guy they want, this is what they want. And you kind of settle into that and go for that.
GYCO: There are so many great action scenes in this and you get some real fun ones. How is it recording those moments?
MB: I mean, that was one of the things that was most intriguing to me about the role. I think it bolsters him and through very difficult experiences. And he also has this great sense of fortitude. But the action sequences are always one of my favourite experiences, and doing these films there. Fortunately, they save them typically until the end of a recording session, so you don’t lose your voice. Good idea. I’m one of those people. I’m one of those people who goes all out. I’m swinging, I’m kicking, getting punched. I’m punching. And I leave just you know, panting and exhausted and sweating. Because I don’t know how to fake it. So it’s always you have to sort of just let go of any sense of self consciousness and just be willing to look like a complete idiot to get the vocal performance across.
GYCO: You mentioned obviously that you’ve done other voiceover work with Warner Brothers in DC. And obviously, of course, you play Larry and doom patrol as well. What is it about the characters of DC that keeps you kind of coming back?
MB: I honestly, there’s so different. And there’s maybe less so with Superman, but I do feel like Superman has this great. They all have these great contradictions. Whether it’s Superman, being someone who has to feel feels like he has to hide his identity, but then his identity ultimately being his greatest gift. Or it’s someone like Barry, who has who wants to be someone who has the ability to be in all these different places, but can’t be in the one place he’s needed. And let’s see, you know, and when we find him in this film, yeah, or, or someone like Larry, who, you know, was this sort of golden boy hero who, who became this guy who resented his ultimate gifts, until he was able to form a relationship with them. So they’re all really rich and nuanced. I mean, if you took if you took the superhero aspect out of it, I would still want to play these roles, I think they’re, I think often can be a bit more dismissive about these roles. But some of them are the more better roles that have to portray. Because there’s so much thought and care and love is put into them. So I love working in the medium. Express, I think the circumstances also the doing weather also just huge. If you look at what my periods dealing with in this film, I can’t. It’s almost unimaginable to have to find a way to not only cope, but also to thrive and just kind of jump into this world he’s thrust into.
In case you missed it, here’s the trailer for Justice Society: World War II. You can also read Neil’s full review of the movie right here.
Justice Society: World War II stars Stana Katic as Wonder Woman, Matt Bomer as The Flash, Elysia Rotaru as Black Canary, Chris Diamantopoulos as Steve Trevor, Omid Abtahi as Hawkman, Matthew Mercer as Hourman, Armen Taylor as Jay Garrick, Liam McIntyre as Aquaman, Ashleigh LaThrop as Iris West, Geoffrey Arend as Charles Halstead/Advisor, Keith Ferguson as Dr. Fate and Darin De Paul as Roosevelt.
The film comes to 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray combo pack and Blu-ray™ on May 11, 2021.
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