A Batman Cartoon Gave the Late Paul Reubens His Most Fitting DCU Role

Paul Reubens will forever be remembered as Pee-wee Herman, but one of his most memorable connections to the DC universe is also worth mentioning.


Tragic news struck on July 30, 2023, when comedy legend Paul Reubens passed away after a secret battle with cancer. While he was best known as the lovable man child Pee-wee Herman, his career was also filled with many other roles in film and television that allowed him to showcase his range outside of the character. In fact, many may be shocked to learn that he also had a long history of playing roles from the DC Universe.


Some may remember his cameo as the Penguin's father in Batman Returns and how he reprised the role for a three-episode arc on Gotham. However, it was through his venture into voice-acting where he really landed the perfect role for his comedic sensibilities. In fact, it just so happened to be another Batman-related role, in one of the character's most arguably underrated incarnations, Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The character of Bat-Mite may have been introduced to the DCU with a passing mention in Season 1 of Peacemaker, but it was thanks to Reubens that the character was first given a proper screen portrayal.


Who Did Paul Reubens Play on Batman: The Brave and the Bold?


Taking a much lighter approach compared to previous incarnations, Batman: The Brave and the Bold served as love-letter to Batman comics of the Silver Age. This new tone coupled with the story format of having Batman team up with a different DC hero every episode, created the perfect avenue for an appearance from Bat-Mite. He is a magical imp from the fifth dimension, who is Batman's self-proclaimed number one fan. The show featured a wide variety of guest stars, with Reubens being one of them, voicing the character for four episodes.


There are many similarities to be found between him and Superman villain, Mr. Mxyzptlk, but unlike the latter character, Bat-Mite is more of a nuisance than a legitimate villain. It is through his abilities of interdimensional travel and the manipulation of reality and spacetime that he creates problems for his idol. He tests Batman's limits (and patience) by trying to raise the stakes of his adventures and hoping to see him overcome them. His cosmic-awareness also make him completely aware that he's a fictional character in a cartoon, and his powers even end up leading to its cancelation in the events that unfold in series' ultra-meta, fourth-wall-breaking finale.


Why Bat-Mite Was the Perfect DC Role for Paul Reubens


Reubens played many notable roles throughout DC media, even voicing Mike the Spike on The CW's Legends of Tomorrow and the Riddler on episodes of Robot Chicken. It was the fanatical and fanboyish nature of Bat-mite, however, that made it the perfect match for his comedic style. With his previous history of playing juvenile, energetic and eccentric characters, a character such as Bat-Mite was practically tailor-made for him. The role allowed him to not only tap into his Pee-wee Herman energy once again, but it also proved how he could still be just as funny while giving a more subdued performance.


Paul Reubens was a one-of-a-kind talent whose undeniable impact on pop-culture is sure to be missed. His contribution to the comedy world as Pee-wee Herman will no doubt be the main highlight of his legacy, but his recurring contributions to the world of DC media are more than overdue for a proper recognition from fans.

Popular posts from this blog

Barbie Crosses Another Major Domestic Box Office Milestone

Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is set to cross a major box office milestone domestically in its fourth weekend in theaters. Barbie continues to smash through box office milestones, with the Warner Bros. film on track to cross $500 million domestically today. According to Deadline, Barbie is expected to top the box office again in its fourth weekend with $31.8 million. The Greta Gerwig-directed feature film has so far grossed $492.6 million domestically, meaning that Friday's box office haul should push it over the $500 million milestone. Globally, Barbie has cracked the $1 billion worldwide box office mark. So far, the only other 2023 movie to have achieved that milestone is Universal's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is currently the highest-grossing movie of the year with $1.356 billion. Barbie has seen great commercial success since its release in theaters on July 21. The film opened domestically with $162 million -- the largest debut ever for a film dir
Read more

Sofía Vergara Is the Cocaine Godmother in First Griselda Photos

Netflix shares a sneak peek of the miniseries Griselda, created by the team behind Narcos & starring Sofía Vergara as Miami drug lord Griselda Blanco. Netflix gives viewers their first look at the upcoming miniseries Griselda, produced by and starring Sofía Vergara. First shared by Entertainment Weekly, the preview images show Vergara in the title role as Griselda Blanco, a Colombian immigrant who became involved in America's burgeoning cocaine business in the 1970s and a prominent figure in the Miami drug wars of '80's. The series was created by Eric Newman and Ingrid Escajeda alongside Doug Miro and Carlo Bernand, who previously created the similarly-themed Narcos for the streamer. Another Narcos alum, Andrés Baiz, will direct the series, though he specified that Griselda will have a different feel to the team's previous collaboration. "The stylistic landmarks of Narcos are not in Griselda," Baiz explained. "Griselda has its own identity ... its own
Read more

Loki EP Insists Jonathan Majors' Victor Timely Still Plays a 'Big Part' in Season 2

Loki Season 2 executive producer Kevin Wright confirms that the production hasn't downsized Jonathan Majors' role despite his ongoing legal issues. Jonathan Majors' Victor Timely is still set to play a major role in Loki Season 2, according to executive producer Kevin Wright. Wright indicated that Majors' real-life legal issues haven't resulted in Marvel Studios retooling Loki's second season to minimize his character's importance during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "Victor Timely is somebody that we are very, very excited about," he said. "When you look at Kang, he has a very funny comic backstory. He has all these iterations. Timely was one that we've always wanted to do in Loki. And I think we're really excited about how that integrates into the season. It's a big part of the show." Wright's comments track with a recent report that purported to reveal how much screentime Majors will have in the upcoming Marve
Read more