Highlights

  • Superman is intentionally underutilized in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League to create a sense of anticipation and to prevent him from overpowering Task Force X immediately.
  • Nolan North's portrayal of both Penguin and Superman showcases his range as an actor, with distinct voices and nuances.
  • The game highlights the admiration that Rocksteady has for Nolan North and his characters as it continues to bring him back to play key roles in the Arkhamverse.

Spoilers for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League ahead.

Superman is massively underutilized in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and he doesn’t have many lines in the game between pre-recorded holograms in the Hall of Justice and his boss fight, where he spends time mocking Task Force X. That said, it was a brilliant choice to withhold him as long as Rocksteady does because otherwise he would have been too much for TFX right away, and suddenly appearing to stop a nuke from striking the defenseless Skull Ship came at a time when players’ guards are down.

Even then, Superman doesn’t say a single word to Wonder Woman as they’re fighting and it can be easy to forget what Superman’s voice sounded like unless players had recently plummeted down to Gizmo’s base beneath the Hall of Justice where holograms of Batman and Superman remain. However, maybe without knowing it, players have actually been hearing his voice all along in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League because Nolan North plays both Superman and the Penguin, reiterating how profound his acting range is.

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Nolan North is a Staple of the Arkhamverse

Nolan North Has Been the Arkhamverse’s Penguin Since Batman: Arkham City

Nolan North may be much better associated with Uncharted’s Nathan Drake, Deadpool in a handful of Marvel games, or The Last of Us’ David. These roles alone showcase what a diverse talent Nolan North is, but with regard to the Arkhamverse he’s played a vital role in its storytelling almost since the beginning.

Oswald Cobblepot’s Penguin wasn’t in Batman: Arkham Asylum, but he would first appear in Batman: Arkham City and become a permanent fixture of the Arkhamverse thereafter by returning in Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Knight. Penguin is an arrogant crime lord who may or may not be putting on a British accent as a guise, and despite how often Batman subdues him Penguin naturally gets out and has a crew of loyal henchmen who serve him, such as the Street Demonz motorcycle club.

Penguin’s role as a side villain in these three Arkham games is fantastic because he’s usually warring with rival gangs or rival supervillains, leading to a satisfying throughline between Arkham Origins and Arkham City where WB Games Montreal’s prequel entry contextualizes the history Penguin and Mr. Freeze share together and why Mr. Freeze harbors hatred toward him in particular. Penguin easily has some of the most lines out of any antagonist in individual games, let alone across the three titles he appears in, and that’s undoubtedly because of how terrific Nolan North is.

Penguin could’ve been a fairly static character if it wasn’t for a masterful portrayal, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League dragging him into the next chapter of the Arkhamverse is evidence that Rocksteady adores Nolan North and the character equally.

Nolan North Now Plays Penguin and Superman in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Nolan North Plays Both a Good and ‘Evil’ Superman

Players get to hear Nolan North play two similar but distinct iterations of Superman: one where he’s the wholesome and traditional symbol of hope that his chest insignia represents and one where he’s been brainwashed by Brainiac to be a murderous weapon. Nolan North’s wholesome Superman is kind and compassionate, kneeling to put himself closer to children’s heights and not seem imposing to them.

Then, Nolan North’s brainwashed Superman is only subtly different, keeping his emotions composed but with an undertone of resentment and narcissism, especially when he’s condescendingly talking down to each TFX member during his boss fight. The juxtaposition between Nolan North’s Penguin and Superman is staggering and it’s doubly phenomenal that both are heard within Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Of course, Superman’s death in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League may mean he won’t appear in any future Arkhamverse games. But if there’s any way for Rocksteady to feature Penguin again, he’s sure to be reprised.