Why Christopher Lee Passed On Playing Batman: The Animated Series' Ra's Al Ghul

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Here's why screen legend Christopher Lee passed on playing Batman: The Animated Series' Ra's al Ghul. 1992 was a great year to be a fan of the Caped Crusader, thanks to the arrival of Tim Burton's Batman Returns and Batman: The Animated Series. The former was somewhat controversial at the time, as despite being marketed towards family audiences, its dark tone and sexuality were considered unsuitable for younger viewers. Still, it's a movie that's aged very well, just like Batman: The Animated Series too.

Batman: The Animated Series was canceled in 1999 but it is considered a defining take on the character. While the show had its share of dud episodes, it also featured excellent casting — chiefly Kevin Conroy's Batman and Mark Hamill's Joker — and writing. It approached its characters and stories with depth and even created beloved characters like Harley Quinn. Subsequent adaptations have swiped elements and inspiration from it, including Batman & Robin's take on Mr. Freeze's origin story and motives.

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One of the innovations of Batman: The Animated Series was to treat the material in a relatively grounded way, and not talk down to its younger viewers. Performers like Hamill — who has many favorite Batman: TAS favorite episodes — Richard Moll, Arleen Sorkin, and many others gave the show's villains a sense of inner-life too, as they weren't just one-dimensional antagonists. This includes Batman: The Animated Series' Ra's al Ghul, a recurring villain who also forms a personal connection with Bruce Wayne/Batman. While David Warner eventually took the role, this was only after Christopher Lee passed on playingBatman: The Animated Series Ra's al