Actor David Alexander Miller doesn’t have any lines in his role as Batman in the CW television series Gotham Knights, but he’s still trying to wrap his head around that he was on a television set, in the famous dark knight’s suit.
Miller, who grew up in Miramichi, N.B., and now lives near Toronto, said he has mixed feelings about playing Bruce Wayne in the series, since the series is about the aftermath of his character’s death.
“I wasn’t sure how to respond and I still don’t really know how to respond,” said Miller.
“It’s a weird role as well because — and I’m not ruining anything — as you can see in the trailer, I die.”
Loosely based on a video game of the same name, Gotham Knights has the caped crusader murdered from the outset, and several people in Gotham are prime suspects.
In the series, Bruce Wayne has an adopted son named Turner Hayes, who ends up framed for his murder along with several others, and they have to race to find out what happened.
The series premieres March 14 on the CW. In Canada, it will air on Showcase.
Miller said when he arrived on set as Batman, he was focused on the job at hand, but the younger cast members were excited.
“I’m in a Batman costume, but I’m just there to work so you’re not looking at a mirror so you don’t really know what you look like,” Miller told Information Morning Fredericton.
“Then I walked into a room with a bunch of the cast members in their early 20s and they lose their minds. Their phones come out, they start freaking out.
“And I’m like, oh yeah, I’m Batman.”
Miller said his scenes were shot over a few days, some in a studio and one in downtown Toronto.
He said he is staying in top shape in case there is an opportunity for a further role as a flashback in the series, but the production has moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and is unsure whether there is a future for for him as Bruce Wayne.
Miller said his role in the show is mostly brooding so he didn’t get to show his acting chops. His preparation was mostly working out, but a lifetime of having read Batman comics also helped.
As to his favourite Batman actor to date?
“I’d have to say Michael Keaton,” said Miller, adding he has liked performances by Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson.
“It’s hard to beat Michael Keaton. He’s just, I don’t know, he’s got that swagger.”
