Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features a lot of characters. There's Batman and Superman, obviously, but there's also Wonder Woman. And Lex Luthor. And Lois Lane. Plus Martha Kent, Perry White, Alfred Pennyworth, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, and a bunch more. It's fairly obvious who portrays each of these characters because they're all human (or at least humanoid). The one exception in the film is the villain Doomsday. He's a full-CGI creation; a massive, terrifying monster who requires the attention of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman all at once. But who plays Doomsday in Batman v Superman ?
The answer to that question is not as easy to track down as you might think. The IMDb cast list for the film does not list Doomsday as a character at all, even though everyone knows he's in the movie. His presence is no secret, as he was featured heavily (some say too heavily) in the film's second full-length trailer. So why the continued secrecy around his casting? I have no idea, really, but I do know who portrays the character. Doomsday is played by voiceover artist and motion capture actor Robin Atkin Downes, who confirmed the news in a tweet last month. He wrote at the time, "Very proud to release that I helped bring #Doomsday to life in the upcoming @BatmanvSuperman."
Downes has since confirmed that he voiced the character, and he is listed on IMDb's cast page for the film under "Creature Vocals". He also revealed in an interview with All Systems Go that he didn't know the creature he was voicing was Doomsday until the public knew about the character's involvement in the film. That's how secretive the whole process was. What is still unknown, however, is if Downes also portrayed Doomsday via motion capture in addition to providing the voice for the character, as he has plenty of experience with the technique in a number of video games.
It shouldn't be too shocking that Downes was tapped to voice Doomsday, since the guy has a ton of experience lending his voice to various DC Comics projects. He's voiced notable characters like Alfred Pennyworth, Deathstroke, Harvey Dent, and Deadshot in a total of three Batman video games, eight DC animated films, and four DC TV series, including Justice League. Ironically, he also voices The Abomination on the Marvel animated series Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.; a character whose film version in The Incredible Hulk bears more than a passing resemblance to Batman v Superman's Doomsday.
It certainly seems like Batman v Superman made the right call in bringing Robin Atkin Downes on board to voice Doomsday. The actor clearly has a passion for DC Comics and the experience necessary to bring the character to life. So now the only question is: Will he return for future movies in the expanding DC film universe?
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures; giphy.com; Universal Pictures/Marvel Studios
