When the 2017 version of Justice League was unleashed a lot of fans felt like something major was missing from the plot, and once it was revealed that the legendary comic book villain otherwise known as Darkseid got cast aside from the movie, it was clear, that they were right to feel that way. Darkseid is indeed one of the main reasons why the hashtag #releasethesnydercut exists. STARBURST talks with voice actor and audiobook narrator Ray Porter to uncover how he ended up playing Darkseid, what it was like to keep this crucial role a secret for so long, how excited he is for Wales Comic Con (Telford Takeover), and of course, what the visionary director/writer Zack Snyder was like to work alongside…
STARBURST: How much of a DC fan were you before being getting involved with this movie, and what memories do you have from this classic superhero world?
Ray Porter: I was woefully unversed in DC lore, and that’s really what it is, it’s a whole thing. I learned very quickly, it’s like Shakespeare or Greek mythology, these vast, huge, intricate stories. As a kid growing up, I loved Batman especially, he was my favourite. I would have to say that he was my favourite out of all of them, even going over into the other church Marvel, I was always a Batman guy. However, I wasn’t too familiar with Darkseid. I had to learn pretty quickly. Mostly after filming just because fans would ask me really involved questions, and I didn’t know the answers. So I couldn’t even have an opinion, and I just thought that was kind of annoying. You don’t want somebody who gets to play this role to be like “I don’t know” but that’s kind of how I was initially. So I’ve really striven to educate myself out of respect for the fans. It’s huge. Of course, once you start delving into the story of Darkseid and into the whole pantheon of the DC characters, without getting too edgy or whatever, it’s like “We need to see more of this please!” It would be great for there to be a continuation of the Snyderverse.
Leading on from that then, how did you get involved with this version of the Justice League?
Zack and I knew each other, and I narrate a lot of audiobooks. That’s been kind of, the stock and trade mostly. He really likes hearing his scripts rather than just sitting and reading them. It’s a very different experience hearing them, obviously, when he is so involved with the writing and he is so close to the script being done to externalise it, and to hear it gives it perspective. So I’ve been reading the scripts to him, throughout the filming, when we were there in England and they were filming at Leavesden rewrites and things like that. There was basically one day, where he handed me this page and went “What do you think that this guy would sound like?” and I just did this voice, and he was like “Cool”. I didn’t think anything of it, it was two weeks later and somebody else came over to me and said “Hi, Darkseid!” and I was like “What?” and he cast me in the film.
Can you tell us about the ideas Zack had in mind for the character initially, as you got on board? Maybe, how he wanted him to sound, or even, just how he wanted him to look?
He had it clear in his mind how he wanted him to look. I had seen a 3D rendering of Darkseid and Steppenwolf long before even the CGI was done, but there was a very clear idea that he had, which was obviously informed by the comics. It wasn’t a wild departure at all. So the look was pretty well established. I knew what he looked like, but it isn’t about playing a look necessarily. Basically, Zack is an intensely collaborative director. He’ll feed you an idea, he will listen to your ideas, he’ll watch what you’re doing, he’ll expand on it, let you run with it. It’s a great process and a great experience working with him. With my Shakespeare background, I basically just approached this like I would any role sort of in that world, and it seemed to work. It’s really very simple, what Darkseid wants, and what he intends to do, who he is. But you can’t play “I am a world destroyer” the audience will be like “What?” but you can play “I want this!” and that’s something the audience can relate to, and so that’s kind of the direction that I took with it. Darkseid is a simple man, with simple goals. He just wants to destroy worlds, and sit at home and make toasties against his flaming walls. It’s a simple life really.
You did motion capture for Darkseid, can you tell us about that process, and what you enjoyed the most about working that way?
There were definitely moves in there that I did. A lot of the fight stuff was done by Zack’s go-to guy, who later played the zombie king in Army of the Dead, a wonderful, amazing stuntman and actor. I did do mocap, Ciarán Hinds and I both stood there in our black lycra suits with the little shiny balls on them, and that’s not a picture really anyone wants. Then later with Peter Guinness, we wore a kind of weird suit, it looks like a bandolier of white dots against a black background. Ray Fisher also wore it for much of the filming of Cyborg, and they do the CGI over it, and then you wear this headpiece, with a camera and this bright light right in your eyes, and then you play the scene. Then they CGI off of that, so they get the facial expressions, the way your mouth moves, and that sort of thing. I also had a session at Warner Bros in London where I was literally, for an hour or so, doing grunts and reactions for a fight scene. The scenes themselves we shot in LA, me up on a ladder yelling at Ciarán Hinds.
As an actor, what do you think that motion capture brings or adds to a movie?
The CGI in this film was absolutely astonishing and even made more so by the fact that they achieved it in such a short amount of time. It was an amazing thing to see it finally on the screen. It was like “Wow – that looks really cool!” Of course, you have no idea when you’re shooting, you’re in a room with a step ladder, just playing a scene, so you don’t get any indication of what it’s going to look like. The VFX artists on this particular film just went above and beyond, and I think it’s beautiful. It’s interesting because seeing it, and obviously seeing Darkseid’s face talking, but there were people that know me who said “I could see you in that” and also what they did with the voice, there are some effects on the voices, but it sounds like us. I in fact recorded one of the last lines right here, on this mic, where I’m speaking to you from, in my fabulous audiobook studio. I literally held an iPhone up so that they could record my face, and I did the whole, “Anti-Life is found, DeSaad” thing right into the mic.
Can you elaborate on what it was like to work opposite Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf?
Ciarán Hinds is one of the best actors that I’ve ever seen. I have been an admirer of his for many, many years. He does all kinds of different projects, and that’s a career that I’d love to have. You’ll see Ciarán in Game of Thrones, then you’ll see him in a brilliant small film about writers in some coastal town, then you’ll see him in Justice League, he is all over the place. I just think that he is a wonderful, incredible actor. He is also an incredibly nice man, and great fun to be with. The time that I spent with Ciarán Hinds and with Peter Guinness, who played DeSaad, was wonderful. They’re great guys. I wanted more, the time was entirely too short. Both to act with them, but also just standing around chatting. Lovely guys.
As a voice actor was there anything you personally really wanted to bring into how we hear Darkseid on screen?
It was literally Zack saying what do you think this guy sounds like, and I did this voice. He seemed to like that, so obviously, we were going to do that voice. You want to sound a little bit like the guy looks, but it wasn’t a limitation really, then it just came down to acting it. What I wanted, I think as an actor in the role, was the absolute rightness of my cause, the anger, and that it’s long overdue that I find the anti-life equation, and this is mine, and I will take it. Just unquenchable desire.
As this is, of course, promoted as Zack Snyder’s cut, we were wondering if you could elaborate on what he was like to work with, and why you think his vision stands out?
Zack is an imminently trustworthy director, first and foremost. Nobody on the set knows more about the story being told than Zack does. He has done his homework, and you can trust that. As an actor you feel very secure in that. He has very clearly and specifically designed the sandbox that you’re playing in, and then you’re free to play. He enjoys the collaborative process, and there’s nobody more excited on the set about what’s going on than Zack is. That enthusiasm is infectious. I would do any project that Zack wanted to do as a director, I would be happy to be there as an actor for him, he is that kind of a person. He and his wife Deborah are incredibly kind, unbelievably generous, and they really know the story they are telling. So already you’ve got all of the best elements that an actor could really hope for. You trust the director, and you’re excited by what the director wants to do, and you feel free to play, to bring your best to the circumstance. It’s a marvellous process, working with him, and it’s always over way too soon.
Can you tell us about the process of having to keep it a secret that you were Darkseid, and also, why do you think that it was just so important for both the fans and Zack Snyder that Darkseid featured in the movie?
When the fans saw the 2017 version, which I never saw, they knew something was missing. They started talking amongst themselves, and their voices got louder. Obviously, I had been told that the new director had removed Darkseid from his version of the film, which was sad. But it was only when I started to hear things like Kevin Smith on his podcast, talking about how he had seen the original script, and Darkseid was in it. And fans went “Woah, wait a minute, we want Darkseid? Why did you cut that” they got more and more vocal, and more impassioned, and for the most part, very, very good. I mean the amount of money raised for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is considerable, and that’s all generated by the fans. So this release the Snyder cut movement started. I was only peripherally aware of it, I had signed an NDA. In fact, when the 2017 version came out, I went to both Warner Bros and DC and I said “Is it OK if I say that I played Darkseid in the movie, even though he wasn’t in it?” and they said “Absolutely not” so as far as I was concerned, that was it, it was done, then all of this stuff started to bubble up about it.
I went to bed one night, and I had 250 Twitter followers, who are all loyal audiobook listeners, got up the next day, and thought that I would just check Twitter again, and then suddenly I had 3,000 followers, and an inbox filled with “Hey, we hear you played Darkseid?” and I panicked, because I didn’t want Warner Bros or DC to think that I was the one who leaked it. So I contacted them, and they said “No, we know it wasn’t you”. Great! But somebody did, and even then I didn’t really feel like I could say anything. That was when I really became aware of just how much people wanted to see this character in live-action, in film. You consider the great level of work already set by incredible actors who have played Darkseid. I think of Michael Ironside, so many other actors who played the role in animation, it’s quite a legacy, and obviously a very important character to fans. So finally, when Zack announced that it was going to be shown, I sent Zack a text saying “Can I come out of the closet now? Can I say that I played Darkseid?” and he said “Yes you can” So I went online and said “Yes, OK, I can officially say that I played Darkseid” There was never a moment with the fans where they were like “Who the hell are you? We want an A-List actor” everybody was like “Hey, welcome, you’re Darkseid! Great!” That was humbling, and pretty incredible. I have nothing but love and respect for the fans. They made this happen, they’re the reason why I’m sitting here, talking with you today. I’m eternally grateful to them for that.
Just by being aware of this movie, at the time, you could really see the fans speaking out to make this happen through social media alone. It must have been incredible to see that happen, and to have a supportive fan base, instead of a toxic one?
Yeah, truly impassioned, and for the most part, non-toxic. Which I thought was great. You get any gathering of people, there’s always going to be a few outwriters we’ll say. The majority of these fans are incredibly kind, very smart, know what they want, have schooled me amazingly on Darkseid lore, and all of that. But they also knew, when they saw the initial theatrical release, that it wasn’t right, it wasn’t a complete thing, and they decided to get very loud, and fight for what they wanted, which was for this story to be told as told by Zack Snyder. They achieved that, and I think the end result is pretty wonderful. I was blown away, I sat through all four hours, and I was like “What, wow!” Again coming down to what the VFX artists did in such a short time, to get this thing done, was incredible. And now of course, the fans want more, they’re asking for the SnyderVerse.
How would you feel if the fans indeed made a sequel to this version of the Justice League happen?
I believe so much in Zack Snyder as a storyteller, that of course I want the fullness of his story to be told. Never mind whatever personal benefit of like “Woo, I get to play Darkseid again!” I admire the man, the filmmaker enough that his story should be told.
Great! Tough question time. What was the most rewarding scene for you to work on in the movie and why?
Well, it’s funny, the most rewarding scene to act was when I first appear to Steppenwolf, when he is on earth. I’m like “Can it be that you have found it?” and I announce that I’m going to be coming. That was really rewarding to play, because I get to play that scene with Ciarán Hinds. It’s some great text, and it was really fun. Doubly rewarding when I got to see the final product with the music, and that surge of him coming through. I was like “This is so bitching!” it was so great. I wasn’t there a lot, but I loved every one of the scenes, I really did. There was great stuff between Peter and I, him as DeSaad at the end of the film, where he’s like “I told you” it’s like “haha!” In such a short amount of time, in such a small amount of space, you really get an insight into what it’s like on Apokolips. All of the power dynamics, and how treacherous it can be. I credit Zack and Chris Terrio for writing a screenplay that you get to see so much into this world with only a little bit of actual information presented on screen. So it was immensely satisfying to play all of those scenes, but in the final project, Darkseid’s first entrance when he comes through that molten steel was exceedingly cool. I wish I could enter every room like that now.
There’s also a huge fight scene where Darkseid takes on all of the heroes of earth. As an actor, and with the power of mocap, did you just get to go into full-on battle mode here?
Yeah, for sure. I jumped off a platform onto the ground, and I got to do the superhero landing, run my hand through some styrofoam, hold it up, and look all that, and then I swung a big broomstick to make the anti-life equation. Movie magic! So that was the mocap stuff that I did, then the fighting stuff was handled by a much better person than me for that sort of thing. It was a long process. There are five years between the end of one sentence and a paragraph that I say and the next sentence, because there were re-writes and things that changed. There was all of that. It was quite a long process, I did the mocap stuff, and then months later I was in an audio studio in London doing the fight sounds, and all of that. Then months later, I was shooting in LA with Ciarán and with Peter. So it was a very long process.
Leading on from that, it must have been so rewarding to watch this movie yourself?
Both so satisfying and so incredible to see. For every reason, yes for myself I was like “Oh my god, this is really cool” but on the other side of it, the achievement for Zack, Deborah, and everybody who worked on the film, for it to actually finally be seen. The achievement of the fans, from my favourite pastime, in all of the time when the previews were coming up, was I would see the preview, and then I would go on YouTube and watch the reaction of the fans to the preview, and see their excitement. It was as much revelling in, and enjoying the movie, as it was going online, interacting with the fans, and dancing around the fire, the triumph of the hunt, that they had finally achieved it. It’s been a complete honour, to be a part of that.
How excited are you for your upcoming appearance at Wales Comic Con (Telford Takeover) and what can fans expect?
I am so incredibly excited about the Wales Comic Con Telford takeover! First of all, most importantly, I’ll be back in the UK. Which is a place that I absolutely, and entirely love. I just don’t want to come back to the States after the Comic Con is over. Maybe they’ll let me post a tent in the venue or something. I’m incredibly excited, the greatest thing about cons, and that’s a new one on me as well, I’ve been to a few of them, but getting to interact with people, getting to meet people, getting to hear people’s experience of the film. Shake hands, sign stuff, all that good stuff, it’s great. To see the cosplay, good lord, I’m incredibly excited for Wales Comic Con, I can’t wait! I keep checking my calendar, like “Can I get on the plane now please?” I’ll bring one empty suitcase so when I travel back I can have all my proper sausage rolls, Yorkie bars, all the good stuff. I’m so excited about it, and I’m very much looking forward to meeting people. I’ve been to a couple Comic Cons here in the States and I’ve heard people’s reaction to the movie, answered questions and everything, and I’m looking forward to the UK perspective on it. Very excited. And what a great time to be a fan of such things, I mean, you’re spoilt for choices now, whereas many years ago, it wasn’t that obvious. So it’s very exciting to see all of the different worlds colliding at Comic Con. I’ve read into some of the other guests that are going to be at the Con and I’m desperate to meet Brian Blessed, I seriously am. He is going to think that I am some sort of weird fan, but I really want to meet him. I’m very, very excited about it. Really looking forward to it.
Finally, why should STARBURST readers check out this version of the Justice league if they haven’t done so already?
Because you’re going to get the story as it should have been told. Zack Snyder’s vision, carried through, with the trilogy. Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman, going into the Justice League. It is in many ways the culmination of some stories, it’s the beginning of other stories. It’s a massive, epic, huge, event. It’s beautiful to look at, it’s a great story, well-acted, brilliantly directed, if you’re only going on the 2017 version, you’re missing out on what the story actually was, and what the feel of it was. If anybody is seriously going “No, no, no, the original theatrical version was fine, that was enough for me – that was great” You’re missing out, you need to see this.
Ray Porter appears at Wales Comic Con (Telford Takeover) on April 2nd and 3rd, 2022. Find out more here. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is available on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD as well as on digital platforms.
