The DC Animated Universe takes a leap back to the 1970s in Batman: Soul of the Dragon, which will be out on digital January 12 and on Blu-ray January 26. The Kung Fu-filled adventure finds a newly-minted Batman reuniting with old martial arts classmates to save their sensei and their world from a deadly cult.

Aside from the fierce Lady Shiva and the brave Bronze Tiger, who make up the team, Richard Dragon is the one who brings them all together. In many ways the heart of the group, Dragon is played by Hawaii Five-0 actor and action legend Mark Dacascos.

Related: Why Ben Affleck & Michael Keaton Can Both Be The DCEU's Batman

Dacascos spoke to Screen Rant about the way he views Richard's journey in the film and what other aspects of his life he'd like to see down the line.

batman soul of the dragon shiva

You've previously been DC-adjacent, with roles in The Flash and Lucifer. What was it like stepping into a voice acting role for an iconic character?

Mark Dacascos: I loved it. I think Jeremy Adams did an incredible job writing the script. Reading it initially, I was already smiling and getting scared in the first few pages. I've never played a character with such an incredible, exciting, funny introduction.

When Richard introduces himself, I cracked up. I don't want to give the scene away, but I thought it was fantastic. The heart of the story is there, and it is so colorful. I think everybody just did such a fantastic job.

What research, if any, did you do into the original iteration of Richard Dragon before going into the role?

Mark Dacascos: You know, for this film, I based all of my research and character backstory on the script. Sometimes, I read a script and there are things I say, "I've got to research this or that, or look up different things." But for me, everything that I felt that I needed to play Richard Dragon, Jeremy Adams had written in the script. It was all there.

I just had to kind of delve into that story. Being that we hadn't seen any of the visuals yet, and I hadn't heard the music yet, I just kind of went there in my mind and my heart, and I fleshed it out. It's too easy when the writing is so good.

Speaking of the writing, the 70s setting was so much fun. What aspect of the script was the most fun for you?

Mark Dacascos: I was born in '74, so I was going to school wearing bell bottoms. I remember those days. It's interesting, because when I was recording with Sam Liu and Wes Gleason, they kind of gave me the visual setting. But it wasn't like, "Play this 70s vibe," per se. They may have said a few things to tweak me, but really, it was about the story. What is the heart of the character? What does he want? It's not really playing that era; it was just finding that character and his sense of humor; his morals and his heart.

I think what really brings the 70s vibe alive is, of course, when you see the clothing and the characters. Joachim Horsley did an incredible job with a score and the music. When you hear the beat, all of a sudden, you're transported and you're in the 70s. I think that played a huge part in it.

batman soul of the dragon richard and bruce

What is the biggest lesson or arc that Richard goes through in Soul of the Dragon?

Mark Dacascos: What I love about the story is that it is as deep as you want to go, as profound and nuanced. I go back to my character's introduction, where you see so many what he's gone through to get to where he's at right now. I think his arc is that you can never give up on love.

Thank you for that question, because that's the first time I've had to really go there and question it.

I love getting to see the bond between Richard, Bruce and the rest of the team. What do you think makes them work so well together and makes it possible for them to pick back up where they left off?

Mark Dacascos: It's their backstory of being trained by O-Sensei. In my own experience, when training is that challenging - mentally, physically, spiritually - and you're with a group of people sharing in that pain and in that success, you just naturally form a bond. It's a family.

In the years of that rigorous training that they went through, they became brothers and sisters, friends and classmates. It's something that will unite them, and they have this deep connection and history for the rest of their lives.

What part of O-Sensei's training do you think resonated most with Richard?

Mark Dacascos: I think he found that no matter how hard you've trained in the past, and what you've learned, every day will bring you a new challenge.

If you were able to reprise the role, what other aspects of his past or new adventure for the crew would you like to see?

Mark Dacascos: Oh, yes. I love everyone that worked on this show, behind the camera and in front. It was so much fun. You could see the energy from everybody. So, I would love to be a part of this. I would love for us to do a series or a sequel. I think it'd be really interesting.

What we did not explore was Richard’s relationships. Outside of O-Sensei and his classmates, who does he have? Does he have a family that we don't know about? Does he have a significant other? Does he have a child? What does he do when we don't see him? That's my question.

More: Batman's Future In The DCEU: Flash, Batman Beyond, What's Next?

Batman: Soul of the Dragon arrives January 12 on digital HD and on January 26 on Blu-ray and 4K UHD.