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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 It would be a major understatement to say Michael Benyaer took an extremely unorthodox approach to creating the voice of Ra\u2019s Al Ghul for the new Prime Video animated series \u201cBat-Fam.\u201d<\/p>\n
For those not fluent in the DC Comics universe, Ra\u2019s Al Ghul is a super villain who is the leader of the League of Assassins.<\/p>\n
Benyaer decided the character should speak like \u201ca Middle Eastern vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept thinking Omar Sharif, if he was a villain. I wanted the accent to be Middle Eastern but also with kind of a British education sound,\u201d Benyaer says. \u201cHe\u2019s kind of been around for probably centuries, and he\u2019s kind of educated in some way. This guy has lived multiple lifetimes and gone through different centuries. You have to create a voice that would be kind of ageless.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benyaer\u2019s voice work decision for Ra\u2019s Al Ghul can be heard when the new animated series from DC and Warner Bros. Animation debuts on the streaming service on Nov. 10. The half-hour Prime Video action-comedy is a follow-up to the animated holiday film, \u201cMerry Little Batman\u201d that was released in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cBat-Fam\u201d\u00a0follows Batman (Luke Wilson), Alfred (James Cromwell), and young Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) \u2013 who has now having taken on the mantle of \u201cLittle Batman\u201d \u2013 as they welcome a few new residents to Wayne Manor.<\/p>\n
Joining the family dinner table are: Alicia Pennyworth (London Hughes), Alfred\u2019s free-spirited grandniece; Claire (Haley TJU), a recently reformed Super-Villain; and Man-Bat (Bobby Moynihan), who takes up residence in the Wayne Manor belfry. Ra\u2019s Al Ghul is a spirited residence who pops up to cause mischief.<\/p>\n
The Canadian actor is best known for his roles as Bob in the Canadian animated series \u201cReBoot\u201d\u00a0and as Hadji Singh in the first season of \u201cThe Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.\u201d He banked on his long list of credits both onscreen and as a voice actor to help him formulate how to speak for Ra\u2019s Al Ghul. He has appeared in \u201cUnderworld,\u201d \u201cDeadpool,\u201d \u201cTracker\u201d and \u201cStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.\u201d Benyaer also has a long list of voice credits in video games.<\/p>\n
Because the animated series features enough comedy to fill the Batcave, Benyaer gets to show off his ability to be funny. He is happy because it is a a rare opportunity for viewers to see his comical side.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the stuff I\u2019ve done has been dramatic. It\u2019s interesting because you\u2019re only seeing what makes it to air. I did a couple of sitcom pilots that didn\u2019t go,\u201d Benyaer says. \u201cI do seem to have that kind of villainous face, as it were, even if I\u2019m doing a comedy.\u201d<\/p>\n
He points out not all his work has been bad guys as he was the voice for Ken in the 1987 television short \u201cBarbie and the Rockers: Out of This World\u201d and was the voice of a hero in \u201cG.I. Joe: Rose of Cobra.\u201d The best part of his career is that Benyaer loves all kinds of acting and embraces the diversity he has found.<\/p>\n
Benyaer first became familiar with Ra\u2019s Al Ghul years ago when one of his best friends told him 15 years ago he would be perfect to play the character. When he saw that Liam Neeson was playing the character in the 2005 live-action movie \u201cBatman Begins,\u201d Benyaer became convinced he would never get to take on the role. The comedy he showed during auditions gave him an edge as the creative team behind \u201cBat-Fam\u201d opted for Ra\u2019s Al Ghul to have a light side.<\/p>\n
Not getting to play Ra\u2019s Al Ghul in a live-action film or television series didn\u2019t end up being a completely bad thing. Once Benyear saw the original designs of the series, he knew that he was going to be part of something very different.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got the material, I completely understood what it,\u201d Benyaer says. \u201cMy instincts and my intuition were correct. I do like to be in comedy more than dramatic pieces as it were, but you know you got to go what where they\u2019ll have you. This is a totally different take on Batman. Even the animation is different. That\u2019s why people who think they know what it\u2019s going to be should watch and be pleasantly surprised. And they will have laughs and action, and it\u2019s got a family vibe to it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The series was developed by executive producer and showrunner Mike Roth and executive producer Jase Ricci. Roth is a long-time writer and producer of animated programming include such productions as \u201cRegular Show,\u201d \u201cThe SpongeBob SquarePants Movie,\u201d \u201cThe Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack\u201d and \u201cCamp Lazlo!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBat-Fam\u201d also will stream on Amazon Kids+, Amazon\u2019s digital subscription for kids.<\/p>\n
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