With the release of the complete remastered series on Blu-ray and its recent 25th anniversary, “Superman: The Animated Series” still stands as one of the best Superman cartoons of all time. In a recent interview with FlickeringMyth.com, Tim Daly reminisces on his time as the voice of Superman/Clark Kent.
Superman: The Animated Series was Superman’s first animated series for a modern audience. It was his first solo series since the 1970s or 80s I think. Did you feel the weight of that fact going into the show that this was going to introduce Superman to a whole new generation?
You know, I have admitted in many interviews and I will admit to you in my shame that I didn’t understand it at the time. I thought that I was sort of doing a Saturday morning cartoon show for kids. I didn’t realize how important Superman was to generations of people, children, adults, men and women and it wasn’t until later that it occurred to me how important this character was to people and how important it had been for so many decades. So I was a little slow on the uptake, but I get it now!
Just talking about the longevity of the series and how you’ve come to realize how important that character is, Superman: The Animated Series is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Looking back, what sticks out to you the most of your time on the show? What does it or Superman himself mean to you?
Well, I think that the thing that I appreciate about Superman even more now than when I was first voicing the show was that he’s just good. He doesn’t have a grudge. He’s not vengeful, he’s not settling any scores. He’s just trying to help the human race be better and live in a more peaceful way. Even though he has definitely some childhood trauma, he lost his parents and his planet, he is not embittered the way Batman can seem to be, you know, he’s not dark. It’s interesting because I think we went through a period in entertainment that we’re just trying to come out of where everything is dark and dystopian and edgy and brutal. There’ve been some shows that have kind of broken through like Ted Lasso where I think audiences are ready for something that is more, you know, an actual hero, not a dark hero, but a positive light in the universe as opposed to someone who’s dark with superpowers or has been abused or has a grudge. I really appreciate that about Superman.
You can read the full interview at FlickeringMyth.com.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment celebrates the 25th anniversary of “Superman: The Animated Series” with the fully remastered release of the acclaimed series on Blu-ray for the very first time!
i’m a big fan of his and really enjoyed his performance. andrea romano deserves huge credit for casting him, and later george newborn. they both brought a tough but fair vibe with kindness and gentleness thrown in. great work.
I love Tim Daly as the voice of Superman. He was excellent. I feel completely comfortable when I hear his voice for Superman. The other person I really liked is the voice actor who voice Superman in “Superman vs. The Elite.”