Filling the shoes of an iconic comic book character is an opportunity of great honor, but also of great responsibility. This is especially the case when the role has already been played by another actor, and to great acclaim. That is why Titus Welliver took his chance to voice Rorschach in the animated Watchmen: Chapter I very seriously.
Rorschach (née Walter Kovacs) was previously portrayed by Jackie Earle Haley in Zack Snyder’s live-action adaptation of writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons’ highly influential graphic novel from 1985. His performance is considered one of the top reasons why the 2009 Watchmen movie is worth revisiting, and Welliver seems to agree. The actor — also known for some great movies directed by Ben Affleck, such as The Town and Argo — shared with me his thoughts about succeeding the role from the Academy Award nominee for this new DC movie, saying:
Playing a character from many, many, many successful novels, meaning Harry Bosch, it’s a daunting task when you come in. But, you have to kind of just go with your gut. I had that with Bosch. I knew that I had to do that, but with Rorschach, I was like, ‘Well, there was a hugely successful feature made of this.’ Obviously, I don’t wanna do an impression of Jackie doing Rorschach, but I wanted to pay respects and homage to the work that Jackie did incredibly well.
Welliver reflected here on his previous experience playing a well-known literary character. that being Michael Connelly’s Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch in the hit Amazon original TV show, Bosch, and later in the sequel series, Bosch: Legacy. However, the difference between that detective and Rorschach is that Welliver was the first actor to ever portray Bosch in an adaptation, which he notes is a challenge in itself. Luckily, he recognized that playing in the same sandbox as Haley was not to be taken lightly either.
Welliver has also played other DC characters before — namely Gotham City mobster Carmine Falcone in a two-part installment of DC’s animated Tomorrowverse movie franchise, 2021’s Batman: The Long Halloween, and a live-action version of Lex Luthor on Titans that received praise from showrunner Greg Walker. However, the self-described comic book fan had a personal connection with Rorschach that made the Watchmen: Chapter I gig an extra-special occasion for him. He explained to me why he felt so strongly about the character in the following quote:
Obviously, when I got the call that it was Rorschach that I was going to be playing, I flipped out because Rorschach was really my favorite character. I always felt that he was a deeply, sort of, misunderstood character and had a lot of humanity, despite everything else. So, it was a tremendous privilege and honor to play this character.
Welliver’s approach to playing the inkblot-masked antihero is endearing to me, as someone who believes he is the most important character of the story. It is he — who refuses to retire even years after vigilantism is outlawed — and his investigation into the death of Edward “The Comedian” Blake (Rick D. Wasserman) that sets the epic saga in motion.
Any fans who have already purchased the film, which is now available on digital, ahead of its Blu-ray and 4K release on August 27th know that the 83-minute film ends with Rorschach being put into a very complicated position. Keep an eye on our guide to all upcoming superhero movies schedule to find out when you can see the tale conclude when Watchmen: Chapter II is released later in 2024.
