Heroes are only as strong as the friends, allies, and loved ones who support them, and for Wonder Woman, that's always been Steve Trevor. Both Diana and Steve will be seen once more in the upcoming upcoming DC Animated movie Justice Society: World War II, which hits digital platforms on Tuesday, April 27 and Blu-ray on May 11. With Wonder Woman and the Justice Society as key players, Christopher Diamantopoulos provides the voice of Steve Trevor.
Diamantopoulos has voiced other characters before, such as Green Arrow and Aquaman, and will also be seen in the upcoming Netflix action movie Red Notice alongside Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds. For Justice Society, Diamantopoulos portrays the upstanding straight arrow pilot that Steve Trevor embodies, and his continued support for Diana on her superheroic missions. With World War II as their backdrop and the Nazis as their enemies, Diana and the Justice Society will naturally need all the help they can get.
Christopher Diamantopoulos spoke with Screen Rant regarding his role in the movie as Steve Trevor, his relationship with Diana and the Justice Society, and the kind of heroism Steve personifies in the film.
How did you become involved with Justice Society: World War II, and what was it like voicing Steve Trevor?
Well, it's a terrific film, and I jumped at the chance to play Steve Trevor for two reasons. Mainly because, what little boy at heart doesn't want to be that World War II hero who is also Wonder Woman's boyfriend? It's kind of a no-brainer, but also because I love Wes [Gleason] and Butch [Kutic] so much, and any time I work with them, they guide me in such a good direction. Typically, after the script is written, it's just me in a black voice-over booth and Wes over a microphone telling me 'Okay, now this is what you're going to see', and the fact that they can sort of guide us voice actors to be able to really see what the world is going to be before it's been rendered is quite astonishing, and I place a great deal of why the movie works on Wes and Butch's shoulders, for sure.
You've also voiced Green Arrow in the Batman: Unlimited movies. What was it like going from voicing Green Arrow to Steve Trevor in Justice Society?
I love Green Arrow, and he was a big influence when I was a little boy. I loved Robin Hood and all the medieval stuff, and so Green Arrow naturally fit in there very, very well. I think the similarities between Steve Trevor and Green Arrow are that they both don't have powers, and they both rely on their intellect, their moral compass, and to a certain degree, their wit and their sense of humor to get them through the adventures that lie ahead.
I think the characteristic difference for me as a voice actor, because I always want to add some kind of idiosyncratic vocal overtones or undertones to catalogue each voice differently, what was fun about Oliver Queen was that he's this rakish billionaire, and so I could add a little more of a happy scoundrel sound to his voice. What's great about Steve is that he comes from this bygone era where men spoke with a certain gravity and there was a cadence to the way that people bantered. The movie kind of ended up feeling like the superheroic version of Casablanca, so I got to have a chance to have a little bit more of a 40's lilt, which I loved playing with. I'd played Moe in The Three Stooges, so that sort of vernacular has always been fun for me.
So how does Steve's arc play out in Justice Society?
I think what they've done, which I think is really quite special, is they've taken a man from an era that we today wouldn't consider a woke era. We know so much more about how things work then they did then, but they've taken him and they've allowed him to not be a product of his era, which I think is brilliant. Steve is not only happy to be in Wonder Woman's shadow and be number two, but he's the one who suggests to the President 'I've got the perfect person who's going to take care of this for us.' I have to believe that it's not era specific for a human being to recognize quality for quality and justice for justice. It's not like, 'Well, he's from the 40's, so he would naturally assume that the woman couldn't do X or Y.' I have to believe that an enlightened individual from any era would recognize quality is quality, and I love that he is this hero who doesn't possess superheroic powers, but he does possess a self-possession and an understanding of loyalty and the ability to recognize quality and know when to stand back and let others do their work.
Would you be interested in playing Steve Trevor again after Justice Society?
Oh, absolutely, particularly after seeing the movie! Stana [Katic] and I didn't get to work together in the booth, which is another testament to Wes and Butch, because they ended up crafting dialogue between the two of us that sounds like we were next to each other. Based on the direction they gave me and that they clearly gave her, there's a real chemistry there, which we wouldn't have known at the time because we were recording separately. I would do it in a heartbeat, and I was just taken with her performance. I thought she was spectacular, so the chance to stand by her would be absolutely wonderful for me, I had a ball!
So, with Steve being so supportive of Diana in the movie, how does he compare to Chris Pine's portrayal of Steve Trevor alongside Gal Gadot?
I think they smartly borrowed from a lot of what Chris brilliantly did. He did such a terrific job, and they just added to it. I think that the character of Steve Trevor that existed in the live-action films has a major vein in what we're doing here. There's a great, self-effacing sense of humor and a bewilderment by the things that he doesn't understand but a reverence for them, as well, and there's this era-specific sense of duty that will not be quelled. Even when some of the other superheroic beings are showing doubt, it's that sense of patriotism and duty that drives Steve. I love how in the superhero genre, we are continually redefining what heroism means, and that in this instance, we're realizing more and more, it's not about the powers and the strength and the stature, it's about really being able to put your money where your mouth is and stand up for what you believe in and not back down.
That's definitely Steve! So, after Steve Trevor, Green Arrow, and also voicing Aquaman on Harley Quinn, are there any other DC characters would you want to play, or any from Marvel?
I loved playing Aquaman, and that was another really interesting take on those characters, I think they did a terrific job. You know, I've always had a notion that I'd make a great Green Goblin in the Marvel Universe. I would love to play Norman Osborn and play the duality, that Jekyll and Hyde concept. For me, I'd love to do a live-action version of Green Goblin for Marvel, and just knock it out of the ballpark!