Batman, Superman and various members of the Justice League are often the headliners in Warner Bros. Animation’s DC films, but their most recent film is turned not only on the sidekicks, but Batman and Superman’s sons Jonathan Kent and Damien Wayne. Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons follows Jon and Damian as they are the only superheroes to save their parents and the world from a dangerous alien invader.
We spoke with Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Jack Dylan Grazer about his role as Jonathan Kent in the film. Our discussion ranged from Jon making his feature-film debut and his quick rise in popularity, the relationship between him and Damian and Battle of the Super Sons‘ unique style compared to other DC films with its computer-generated animation. Check out our interview below…
Ricky Church: In Battle of the Super Sons, you play Jonathan Kent who is the son of Lois Lane and Superman. What’s it like for you to play Superman’s son?
Jack Dylan Grazer: Everything you could imagine it being! It was the coolest thing on earth. I loved it, I had a blast!
Awesome! One of the cool things about Jon is that he’s a relatively new character in the Superman mythology. He was just introduced a few years ago and in that time he’s become a really popular character. What do you think the reason is for his, no pun intended, soar in popularity?
(Laughs) That’s pretty good! So Jonathan Kent is Superboy now, he’s Superman’s son. I don’t know if he’s actually Superboy, there’s a difference between Superboy and Jon. Actually no… so Connor Kent we all know. That’s Young Justice or the Teen Titans?
Kind of both, Connor is in Young Justice and Titans.
Yeah. So we had him, but what made playing this character really nice is that I was the first person ever to do an animated voiceover for Jonathan Kent. I really had no shoes to fill. It was kind of refreshing that way. There was no real responsibility to hold to anything which felt really nice. Also, I think there’s just been a lot of buzz about Jonathan Kent. I think they started getting into his identity, making him bisexual and all this stuff. So I think that that might have done something in that regard.
Yeah, for sure. Now one of the things that I found really funny about this movie with Jon is he starts off being like “Oh, my parents are so boring” and then immediately changes his tune once he finds out his dad is Superman. I don’t know if you watch Superman & Lois at all, but it’s quite a funny contrast because in that show their boys are teenagers and they have the opposite reaction. They’re like “You’ve lied to us our whole lives.” How did you tap into that youthful aspect, like “Oh my god, my dad is Superman!”
I had to channel that little part of me when I was kid with my dad. My dad was a Teamster and he was my hero. He was a Teamster in Hollywood, driving around picking up limber for people. I accessed a lot of that thinking my dad was my hero when I was a kid. Saying that line, “my dad is Superman,” I mean that obviously transported me right into that little boy when he came to mind. We all have that inside of us, I think. That eagerness.
For sure. Now Jonathan and Damian have quite a combative relationship. They come from different lives and outlooks. How do you view their relationship and their slow partnership into actual friendship?
I love the dichotomy and the dynamic between them. It is beautiful. I love that they grow together, that they learn to develop grit as one and perseverance and determination together. They overcome their obstacles and dislike for each other because the stakes are high. They have to save their dads. That’s huge.
Yeah. It’s interesting because their relationship is almost what you’d think Batman and Superman’s was when they first met. Just very combative, clashing personalities except with the two of them it seems like it’s taken up to the 10th degree because of how young they are. And there’s a little bit of “Oh, my dad is better than yours!” playing into it.
Of course, yeah.
Did you ever talk to or reach out to Jack [Griffo, voice of Robin] about your performances and how you’d play off each other?
No, I only had one recording session for this movie and an ADR session about a year later, two years later, and I met Jack Griffo the first time here in New York for the New York Comic-Con. He was just the sweetest dude ever! He was so charismatic and I could tell right then and there that he knocked playing Damian Wayne out of the park. I knew that he killed it.
Now you just mentioned you guys saw the premiere at New York Comic-Con. What was the vibe like for you? Have you ever seen a crowd that big for yourself and the reaction?
Yeah, I had privilege of being in Hall H at the San Diego Comic-Con a few times and that was kind of a walk in the park, you know? (Laughs) I’m kidding. Obviously it was stunning. I love that. I loved watching the movie for the first time amongst an audience and then reacting with them. You build kind of a family there, even subversively if you’re not communicating with everybody in the crowd. Everybody kind of had the same shared experience and that’s a really cool thing.
Super Sons has such a unique animation style compared to the other DC animated movies. When you saw it at the premiere, what did you think of the animation and how it brought Jon and Damian into life?
That was most exciting part. I think getting to see the animation for the first time in the ADR session, I was blown away with how talented the artists were and how the CG melded with the classic nostalgic almost Justice League Unlimited finish on it was beautiful. I’d never seen anything like it.
Now you’re a young actor so you’ve grown up in this era where superheroes and comic books have really blown up on film. What’s the appeal for you to not only star in these films, whether it’s Battle of the Supers or Shazam!, but see so many of them on either the big screen or, you brought up Young Justice and Teen Titans, the shows on TV?
I’m a fan first, especially in DC. I grew up being obsessed with the Justice League and Aquaman and Batman were my two favorite superheroes all time growing up. I got later more involved or invested in watching and consuming Marvel stuff, but DC has always been the first love. I always see every Batman movie, I see every Justice League movie, every Wonder Woman movie and anything. I just love DC, I’ll never be able to separate myself of it.
Cool. We’ve talked about Superman being Jon’s father. It’s cool because Superman’s been around for over 80 years now and for all the changes he’s gone through in that time, being a father is one of the most major ones DC has done. How do you think being a father changes Superman’s role?
I think it makes him more human potentially or more softened. There’s been many different lenses of Superman, but I think this one is probably the warmest and most human. That’s a beautiful thing to see. It kind of humanizes our superheroes who are like archetypes. They’re now relatable to more people.
What’s your favourite power of Superman’s or Jon’s? Would you prefer to fly or shoot lasers or anything?
I love heat vision because it’s the first power that Jonathan expresses. He shoots it out of his face and that’s like the coolest thing because it’s like it was bottled up in there for so long and then finally he just let loose and it was freeing, liberating, for that power to come out.
Thank you very much to Jack Dylan Grazer for speaking with us!
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons will be released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray October 18th
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
