Warning! SPOILERS ahead for Batman Unburied on Spotify.Batman Unburied saw the Dark Knight return to the audio format for an episodic podcast adventure, developed by and released on Spotify in partnership with DC Comics. Batman Unburied is not to be confused with the comedic Batman podcast, Batman: The Audio Adventures, on HBO Max. Batman Unburied is a dark and gritty adventure starring Winston Duke as the voice of the Caped Crusader, pitting him up against cannibalistic serial killer The Harvester (brought to life by Sam Witwer). The first season of Batman Unburied debuted on Spotify in 2022, and there is already a Batman Unburied season 2 in the works.
In 2020, Warner Bros. signed an expansive deal with Spotify to bring many of their intellectual properties to the podcast format, including commonly movie- and TV-based DC superheroes. For a long time, DC remained tight-lipped about which characters would be the initial focus, but it is perhaps no surprise that Batman Unburied represents the first outing from this deal. Once again, DC is following in Marvel’s footsteps as they had success with a scripted Wolverine podcast back in 2018 and have further plans to pursue to format.
Rather than casting Bruce Wayne as a billionaire playboy, Batman Unburied reimagined him as a forensic pathologist working in Gotham Hospital, seeking justice with his day job as well as in his nighttime excursions. While Matt Reeves' The Batman sought to tell a "Year One" story while skipping over Bruce Wayne's origin, Batman Unburied instead told a new and different version of the famous character's beginnings. When a serial killer, The Harvester (one of the most sadistic villains in Batman’s rogues' gallery), begins to fill the hospital with his victims, Bruce Wayne came to the fore and had to face his own demons, donning the Batsuit to save the city. Here’s every voice actor in Batman Unburied and who they play, as well as who listeners can expect to return for Batman Unburied season 2.
Winston Duke as Batman
Batman Unburied stars Winston Duke in the titular role of Batman. One of many actors to take up the cowl in recent Batman projects, Duke appeared in Jordan Peele’s Us. However, he made a name for himself in comic book adaptations before that when he rose to prominence portraying M’Baku, the leader of the Jabari in Black Panther, returning to the role for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He is expected to return to the role of the potentially villainous M'Baku in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Duke is also familiar with the mystery setting, as before appearing in Black Panther, he had taken on TV roles in the crime dramas Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Major Crimes.
Jason Isaacs as Alfred
Where would Batman be without Alfred? Listeners of Batman Unburied didn't have to find out, as Jason Isaacs portrayed the Alfred Pennyworth to Winston Duke's Bruce Wayne. Many will know Isaacs from his portrayal of Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise, but his acting credits are extensive. He’s had experience in crime dramas before as he played the protagonist, Jackson Brody, in the adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories. Jason Isaacs is also often cast for voice acting, particularly for DC properties, having voiced Superman in Superman: Red Son and Lex Luthor in Justice League: Gods and Monsters. Outside of DC properties, Jason Isaacs voiced Commander Zhao in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Sam Witwer as The Harvester
The Harvester Bruce Wayne's antagonist for Batman Unburied and plays the role of a villainous cannibalistic serial killer. He'll be portrayed by Sam Witwer, who made a name for himself when he played Crashdown in the early-2000s Battlestar Galactica TV series. Witwer is no stranger to voice acting and after voicing the protagonist in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video games, went on to play the voice of Darth Maul in his animated Star Wars appearances. He has also previously appeared in DC adaptations as he played Ben Lockwood/Agent Liberty in the Supergirl TV series.
Lance Reddick as Thomas Wayne
Despite his death playing a significant part in Bruce Wayne's origin story, Thomas Wayne appears in multiple Batman stories, most often through dreams or visions from Scarecrow. He's very much alive in others though, including taking up the mantle of Batman in a universe where Bruce, not Thomas and Martha Wayne, lost his life that fateful night in Crime Alley. The Batman Unburied version is one of the most interesting takes on the character yet. To avoid spoilers, the apparently living Thomas Wayne in the first two episodes of Batman Unburied isn't a sign that this version of Bruce had a tragedy-free childhood. Lance Reddick has a well-established acting history and previously voiced DC characters like Ra's Al Ghul in Beware the Batman. Most recently he has been seen as Charon, the concierge of The Continental Hotel in the John Wick franchise, and played Albert Wesker (and his multiple clones) in the Resident Evil TV series.
Toks Olgundoye as Martha Wayne
While regularly an important character, Martha Wayne often plays second fiddle to Thomas Wayne (aside from Batman Vs. Superman's infamous "Martha" scene) with Bruce more concerned about living up to his father's expectations while simply feeling like he failed his mother. Just as with Thomas Wayne, Batman Unburied changes the standard dynamic, with Toks Olgundoye playing Martha Wayne. Olgundoye has done extensive voice acting, appearing as Countess Cleo as Carmen Sandiego and Cat Grant in The Death and Return of Superman. She has recently played Terri Grint in Big Shot and Professor Fiona Ryan in The Rookie.
John Rhys-Davies as Dr. Hunter/Hugo Strange
Seemingly an entirely new character to DC, Dr. Hunter was announced as a psychiatrist in Batman: Unburied. It turns out Dr. Hunter wasn't a new character introduced for Batman Unburied though but is in fact an alias of longstanding Batman adversary and Arkham Asylum overseer Hugo Strange. Dr. Hunter/Hugo Strange is played by John Rhys-Davies. While John Rhys-Davies has had a storied career, he is probably best known for his role as Sallah in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Emmy Raver-Lampman as Kell
Another "new" character that appeared in Batman Unburied is Kell, a medical who assists Bruce Wayne in his role as a forensic pathologist during his day job. Kell is played by Emmy Raver-Lampman who has done recent voice work as Milly Tillerman in Central Park but is probably best known for her role as Allison Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy. Just like Dr. Hunter, Kell's real identity is actually well known to Batman fans – Kell is none other than Poison Ivy.
Gina Rodriguez as Barbara Gordon
The casting announcement for this character came purely as "Barbara Gordon," making it unclear whether the series would see her assume her comics roles of either Batgirl or Oracle in Batman Unburied. Oddly, the on-screen version of Barbara closest to the audiobook is the one from Lego Batman, at least in terms of having a GCPD-focused story arc. Batman Unburied has no Commissioner Gordon (he exists, he’s just not present), and this version of Barbara serves as an officer herself, doing her best to follow in her father’s footsteps without a cape or cowl. Gina Rodriguez is well known as Jane Villanueva in Jane the Virgin, but more recently voiced Carmen Sandiego in the TV series of the same name
Jessica Marie Garcia as Renee Montoya
Renee Montoya is best known as a member of Birds of Prey, but first, she was a member of the GCPD. In Batman Unburied she is portrayed by Jessica Marie Garcia who played Jess in Betch and Rhonda Navarro in How To Get Away With Murder.
Jim Pirrir as Arnold Flass
Detective Arnold Flass has appeared in several Batman adaptations before, including Batman Begins and Gotham. He was first introduced in "Batman: Year One" and is reliably a corrupt member of the GCPD. Jim Pirri has worked extensively as a voice actor, portraying Angelo Bronte in Red Dead Redemption II and Sal Maroni in Batman: The Long Halloween.
Ashly Burch as Vicki Vale
Vicki Vale is a journalist who makes regular appearances in Batman adaptations, including being portrayed by Kim Basinger in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman. In Batman Unburied, she is voiced by Ashly Burch. Burch has become a rising star in voice acting since playing Aloy in Horizon: Zero Dawn and voiced the podcaster Danika Hart in Spider-Man: Miles Morales. She's most known, however, for her role as Tiny Tina in the Borderlands games and spin-off Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, a role she landed off the back of her breakout YouTube series Hey Ash Whatcha Playin in the early 2010s.
Hasan Minhaj as The Riddler
The Riddler appears from the third episode onward of Batman Unburied, where he is voiced by comedian Hasan Minhaj (best known for Netflix offering Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj). Like many other characters, the Batman Unburied Riddler is markedly different from previous versions, whether in comics or in movies. Whereas Paul Dano in The Batman played the most twisted version of The Riddler perhaps seen in any medium so far, Minhaj voices a somewhat reformed Edward Nashton. The Batman Unburied Riddler is a former foe of Batman's who, by the time of the events of the audio drama, is now a helpful ally and asset to both The Dark Knight and Barbara Gordon.
Key Crew - David S. Goyer & More
The very first name attached to Batman Unburied was one with a long DC history: David S. Goyer as creator. Goyer penned Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, as well as many other DC adaptations, including the Constantine TV show. The series was directed by Alex Kemp, with episodes written by Saladin Ahmed (Foundation), Eric Carrasco (Supergirl), Rebecca Klingel (The Haunting of Hill House), and Graham Westerson (Stranger Things).
Which Cast Will Return For Batman Unburied Season 2
Batman Unburied has been renewed for a second season, but since the announcement only came in mid-2022, there hasn't been much news as yet. In terms of returning cast members, it's expected that most will reprise their roles at this point (where the story allows, of course). Winston Duke's Batman and Hasan Minhaj's Riddler were particularly well-received by fans and critics, so they're unlikely to be voiced by new actors in the second season. Barbara Gordon invariably experiences a lot of development in every story that uses her, so Gina Rodriguez will also more than likely be returning. Emmy Raver-Lampman will probably also be back, especially since the reveal that Kell is Poison Ivy opens up the series' scope to bring her more to the fore of Batman Unburied's season 2 story. The major question really hangs around Sam Witwer as The Harvester. With Ivy revealed as the real protagonist, and with the Batman tradition of using different villains for each entry in non-comic mediums, there's a chance that Sam Witwer's harrowing cannibal serial killer will be replaced in favor of a new foe.