Warner Bros. Discovery has revealed the main cast members that will be bringing the world of Alan Moore‘s beloved graphic novel to life in the new animated feature, Watchmen: Chapter I. The first of two feature films that will retell the story of Watchmen, Watchmen: Chapter I is a proper animated adaptation of the infamously difficult to adapt work. The previous adaptations, such as Zack Snyder‘s live-action feature film and Damon Lindelof‘s limited series, are no strangers to having a stellar cast of stars, and Watchmen: Chapter I is continuing that trend with an impressive selection of voice acting veterans.
Among the major players set to appear in Watchmen: Chapter I (and presumably Watchment: Chapter II) include Perry Mason star Matthew Rhys as Nite Owl, The Mandalorian star Katee Sackhoff as Silk Spectre, Bosch star Titus Welliver as Rorschach, The Last of Us star Troy Baker as Ozymandias, The Gilded Age star Michael Cerveris as Dr. Manhattan. It’s a stellar list of stars that fans of television and animation are sure to admire, though Harry Bosch himself playing Rorschach has to be one of the best casting decisions for an animated superhero film in a long time.
The list of stars doesn’t end there either, as several other recognizable stars from the acting and voice acting world are also a part of Watchmen: Chapter I. Also in the mix are Rick D. Wasserman (Batman: The Killing Joke) as The Comedian, Adrienne Barbeau (Escape from New York) as the original Silk Spectre, Jeffrey Combs (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as Moloch, Geoff Pierson (Dexter) as the original Nite Owl, Corey Burton (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as Captain Metropolis, John Marshall Jones (9-1-1) as Hooded Justice, Yuri Lowenthal (Arcane) as Wally Weaver, and Kari Wahlgren (Rick and Morty) as Janey Slater. Also in the cast in yet-to-be-disclosed roles are Grey DeLisle (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Kelly Hu (X2: X-Men United), Max Koch (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack), Dwight Schulz (Star Trek: First Contact), and Jason Spisak (Young Justice).
‘Watchmen’ Adaptations To Watch While You Wait for ‘Watchmen: Chapter I’
August 13th might sound like an eternity for some fans to wait for Watchmen: Chapter I, but thankfully, there are several other adaptations that fans can watch before the first chapter arrives. Arguably the most well-known film is the 2009 live-action film from director Zack Snyder, which recreates the visual style of Alan Moore‘s original graphic novel almost to a tee. While there were some narrative changes made that not every fan was on board with (most notably in regards to the ending), the film more or less successfully adapts a nuanced, complex, and ahead of it’s time superhero story that asks plenty of philosophical questions for comic book fans to ponder.
The award-winning 2019 miniseries from creator Damon Lindelof may have the title of Watchmen, but is actually a sequel to the original graphic novel. This means viewers may need some level of knowledge of the original story before delving into the show’s complex conspiracy thought, but it still pays plenty of homage and reverence to the beloved classic. Not only does the limited series effectively continue the story of Watchmen, but it also adds brand-new elements to the franchise with meaningful commentaries on racism, prejudice, and power.
Watchmen: Chapter I will be released on digital on August 13th and on Blu-ray (including 4K Ultra HD) on August 27th, with Watchmen: Chapter II set to premiere some time in 2025. Watch the trailer above. Both the Watchmen live-action film and the Watchmen limited series are available to stream on Max.
via Collider