Arguably the biggest surprise that came from the second Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer in December was the appearance of Doomsday, confirming months of rumors that he would appear. While opinions are divided about his CGI look and presence in the movie, he’s clearly being set up as the movie’s main physical threat, and today it was revealed that accomplished voice actor Robin Atkin Downes performed the dangerous villain.
Robin Atkin Downes announced on his Twitter page that he "helped bring Doomsday to life" in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In addition his voice work, Downes is also a motion-capture actor, but he didn’t specify which of those he did in this case, if not both. Doomsday’s never been much of a talker, but from what he saw in the trailer, he’s in his "mindless beast" phase. So if Downes did provide the monstrosity’s voice, it was likely just grunts and roars, much like The Hulk’s usual utterances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
I could fill a whole article just listing Robin Atkins Downes’ comic-related work, but some notable DC-centric offerings include voicing Harvey Dent in Batman: Year One, Oliver Queen In Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2, Gentleman Ghost in Justice League Unlimited, and numerous characters in the video game LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. Over in the world of Marvel, Downes has voiced characters in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., and Ultimate Spider-Man, among others. Downes is the latest actor to play Doomsday in some fashion. Previous actors include Michael Jai White in Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, Sam Witwer (in human form) in Smallville, and Khary Payton in Injustice: Gods Among Us.
The exact circumstances of Doomsday’s creation in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice have yet to be revealed, though it’s strongly indicated that he’ll emerge from the corpse of General Zod following experimentation by Lex Luthor. All we know for certain is that somehow he’ll be unleashed on the world, leading Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman to join forces and take him down. Director Zack Snyder also hinted that Doomsday will continue to play a role in the DC Extended Universe, like possibly Justice League: Part One. As one of Superman’s strongest enemies, Doomsday has proven nearly impossible to kill in the comics, as each time he is defeated, he evolves so he can better combat threats. So even if the DC Trinity defeat him in this movie, there are no assurances he’ll stay down for good.
Moviegoers can see Doomsday in action when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters on March 25.
