Mark Hamill is iconic to the world because of his role as Luke Skywalker. But we nerds of course know his true iconic status is thanks to his epic voice acting career. And no, we’re not only talking about Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. But it seems, according to a story in Entertainment Weekly, that Hamill was looking to leave the world of animated voice acting behind. Until Skeletor, Masters of the Universe‘s so-called “Lord of Destruction,” convinced him otherwise.
While talking to EW about how the new Masters of the Universe: Revelation series came together, showrunner Kevin Smith said “[Hamill] had talked about wanting to step out of animation, but he was like, ‘When you came at me with Skeletor, how could I say no?'”
Skeletor is a role so perfectly fitting for Hamill’s ability to play evil with a comedic edge, we can see how easy it was for Smith to pull him back in, to use a Godfather phrase.
Netflix
Even though Star Wars helped make Hamill a household name, he was already doing voice acting in animated TV shows. Years before he ever picked up a lightsaber. He was the male lead in the 1973 Hanna-Barbera version of I Dream of Jeannie. In 1977, the same year as Star Wars, you can hear his voice in the animated film Wizards. But without a doubt, his role as the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series in 1992 shot Hamill into the stratosphere in the voice-acting world.
Warner Bros. Animation
After Joker, Hamill’s voice shows up in dozens of animated series. Later, also video games, and even puppetry with last year’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. There are so many legendary nerd properties, it’s hard to keep track. Nineties kids will remember he played Hobgoblin in the ’90s Spider-Man animated series and several other Marvel characters since. He’s acted in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Transformer, Scooby-Doo, and most recently, on Invincible. We honestly hope he never quits voice acting. He’s a true legend in the field. But if Skeletor is his swan song, then that’s not a bad way to go out.
