'Merry Little Batman' Interview: Luke Wilson

Moviefone speaks with Luke Wilson about 'Merry Little Batman.' "I'm a version a very different version of Batman. I just tried to take a fun approach to it."

‘Merry Little Batman,’ which stars Luke Wilson (‘Old School’) as the Dark Knight and was directed by Mike Roth (‘The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie’), premieres on Prime Video beginning December 8th.

Luke Wilson stars in Prime Video's 'Merry Little Batman.'

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Luke Wilson about his work on ‘Merry Little Batman,’ playing the Dark Knight, his specific version of the character, his relationship to his son, Damian Wayne, and why this Batman has a beard.

Luke Wilson stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman in 'Merry Little Batman.' Copyright: © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Merry Little Batman and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC. All rights reserved.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Wilson and director Mike Roth.

Moviefone: To begin with, Luke, you’re Batman! What was it like to voice the iconic character and what was your approach to playing this specific version of the Caped Crusader?

Luke Wilson: Well, that's what I was just going to say, is I'm a very different version of Batman. I mean, you can tell by just the title of the movie, ‘Little Batman,’ that it's not going to be this kind of dark dystopian take on it like the most recent ‘The Batman,’ and then the Christian Bale versions, which were so good. But my approach to it was just thinking about friends I have that have smaller kids, and you watch them watch something, and they are very dialed in, in a way that I feel like even you and I as adults, with movies even that we like, we're just kind of watching and happy. But you watch a little kid, and they're not even blinking while they watch it. So, I was just trying to put a little energy and fun in my voice, which it's not that kind of gruff voice. I was just trying to take a fun approach to it.

Related Article: Movie Review: 'Merry Little Batman'

(L to R) Bruce and Damian Wayne in 'Merry Little Batman.' Copyright: © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Merry Little Batman and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC. All rights reserved.

MF: Can you talk about Bruce Wayne’s overprotective parenting skills and his relationship with his son, Damian Wayne?

LW: I mean, I think my Bruce Wayne as a parent, he's like a lot of parents, trying to be a good dad, but trying to also be the cool dad, while also having to be the disciplinarian at times. So, I think he's kind of, at times seems like he can handle crime, he can handle villains, but sometimes with his own son, he can have his hands full and not quite know how to handle it. Like, the idea of I'm going off to fight crime, so I leave Damian behind at the Wayne Mansion, and I've left him with the special bracelet so that he can get in touch with me. I was just trying to do a fun version of it. He’s a little overprotective and bumbling at the same time.

(L to R) Damian and Bruce Wayne in 'Merry Little Batman.' Copyright: © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Merry Little Batman and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC. All rights reserved.

MF: Finally, Batman has a beard in this movie, which could be very controversial with hardcore Batman fans. What is your opinion on the Bat-Beard?

LW: I don't want to say I didn't get it, but it's a choice. I certainly hope it wasn't affected by me going in there for one of the recording sessions and being bearded. But I didn't quite get the Bat-Beard, because when I first saw the preview, I thought, "Okay, Batman's got a beard. He's eventually going to shave this off, or maybe he's undercover." But that was a choice by the people that are above me in this process, so I don't want to put my own job in jeopardy by questioning their artistic choices. I don't know about the Bat-Beard, but maybe it could become a thing. It's like I saw the progression from Adam West to Michael Keaton to getting darker with Christian Bale and then the most recent one with Robert Pattinson, so maybe it's just the way things go.

Merry Little Batman

PG1 hr 37 minDec 8th, 2023

Watch Merry Little Batman Online

What is the plot of ‘Merry Little Batman’?

After Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) is left alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve, he transforms himself into "Little Batman" to safeguard his home and the rest of Gotham City from supervillains during the holiday season.

Who is in the cast of ‘Merry Little Batman’?