Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham is proof that animation is an underrated medium, particularly for comic book entertainment media. While the live-action DC feature films have struggled to break out of the rigid guidelines of the MPA, Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham brings forth an exciting Elseworlds story in the horror genre.
Stars Tati Gabrielle and Christopher Gorham portray Kai Li Cain, a new character, and Oliver Queen / Green Arrow. Both performers spoke about their work in the DC universe at WonderCon.
The following interviews have been edited for clarity.
LadyJenevia: Tati, I noticed that your voice has a very high pitch when performing this character. Was that conscious choice or perhaps something you were directed to do to really create a character that’s a child, when you yourself are not a child?
Gabrielle: Yes, it was definitely intentional to make that youthful quality still be very felt, especially in contrast and juxtaposition to what Kai Li feels internally. She’s very tough. She’s been hardened by life, but you know… how hardened can a young girl be? She still had to have that lightness about her.
LadyJenevia: One of the things that I noticed immediately was that your character is Asian, and you as a fabulous Blasian actress…
Gabrielle: Thank you!
LadyJenevia: …you’re starting to get more opportunities to play characters that have Asian heritage. What has that meant for you personally, professionally, and do you maybe have any aspirations to expand beyond acting so you can really create more of those opportunities that the industry is too slow to give you?
Gabrielle: Yes, and yes! It means the world to me. That was one of the first things that drew me to Kai Li. I was like, “Oh yeah!” For me, with my Asian half, my mother is like my superhero. It’s always been a priority for me to champion her and to her carry her legacy so whenever I get that opportunity to do that, I’m always there for it. I’m actually looking into producing and stuff now so yeah, look out for it. [I want] to do exactly that, to be able to tell the stories that aren’t being told, and especially in the way that I think a lot of the AAPI community wishes that they were told. [I want to] create opportunities not only for myself but for the other AAPI actors and filmmakers out there that aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
LadyJenevia: Christopher, with your version of Oliver Queen, you’re getting to play this really interesting mix of the more playful, exuberant Oliver Queen and this existential spiralling Oliver Queen. Was that a highly of getting to play this character in this story?
Gorham: Yeah, because I get to go to so many different places. We get to kind of reboot this character in a new way which is fun, setting it in a different time period is really fun, and helpful honestly. Then, just getting to play and just be silly and oh so serious all in the same movie is especially fun.
LadyJenevia: How did you approach the mix of researching this massive library of stuff that already exists about Oliver Queen versus doing your own creative process of making this character your own?
Gorham: The research is great and really valuable. Then, when you step into actually doing the performing, you gotta let all of that stuff go. Wes Gleason, our voice director, was really helpful with that were it was just the two of us playing and experimenting and trying different things, and me feeling safe to make a choice and go 100. If it works, great, or maybe if it’s a little too far we’ll bring it back. Just being up for the adventure opens you up to all kinds of really fun things. I think we found a lot of really fun things in this film.
Watch my full interviews with the cast and crew of Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham here: