Colman Domingo Starred As Batman In A DC Project You've Probably Never Heard Of

Many, many actors have put their stamp on Batman over the years. From Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's "Batman" to Kevin Conroy, the late, great voice actor often referred to as "the one true Batman," each actor brings a little something different to the role. Oscar nominee Colman Domingo ("Sing Sing," "The Running Man") also had the chance to play the Caped Crusader in a project you probably haven't heard of.

Domingo voiced the beloved DC Comics superhero in "Batman Unburied," which gave the Dark Knight a podcast in 2022. Season 1 of the audio drama featured Winston Duke ("Black Panther," "Us") as the title character, but Domingo took over for Duke in the spin-off/sequel "The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark," reprising the role for "Batman Unburied: Fallen City," which functioned as Season 2 of the series.

Warner Bros. and DC didn't skimp when it came to courting talent for the series either. David S. Goyer, who wrote "Man of Steel" and "The Dark Knight," was tapped as a writer and producer. The cast also featured Hasan Minhaj ("The Daily Show") as The Riddler, Jason Isaacs ("Star Trek: Discovery") as Alfred, and Gina Rodriguez ("Not Dead Yet") as Barbara Gordon. As for the story that Domingo took part in? The synopsis for "Fallen City" reads as follows:

Political turmoil threatens to tear Gotham City apart after a shocking murder rocks the city to its core. With the help of The Oracle, Batman is forced into Gotham's underbelly ... uncovering a horrific conspiracy that will change things forever.

You can get a taste of Domingo's performance as Batman in the trailer below, but he very much seems well-suited to the part.

It's unlikely that Colman Domingo, who is well into his 50s, would play the part in live action, but a podcast allowed him to play in the DC sandbox. While he's no stranger to comic book fare, given that Domingo starred in "Fear the Walking Dead," there are few comic book characters — if any — bigger than Batman.

In a video posted by Spotify on YouTube, Domingo explained that his relationship with the character is rooted in the 1960s "Batman" series, which ran for three seasons and starred Adam West as the beloved superhero. Here's what he had to say about it at the time:

"I grew up back when the old 'Batman' show was on [laughs]. It was really cool and '60s, and sexy in a weird way. I feel like I was a fan of that Batman because that's what came on. I think that's iconic still to me."

West's take on Batman was decidedly campy. Domingo's version of the character was darker and grittier, which is what fans have largely come to know of the franchise ever since the publication of Frank Miller's seminal 1986 series "The Dark Knight Returns," which Zack Snyder has long wanted to adapt. It's a reminder that everyone's relationship with this superhero is different, be it tied to "Batman: The Animated Series," Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight," or something in between.

The podcast series allowed David S. Goyer, Domingo, and the rest of the creative team to explore a complex story without being overly concerned about the budget, which would be tremendously expensive as a movie or TV show.

You can listen to "Batman Unburied" on Spotify.