Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight actor feels like a contest winner for joining the franchise but is “petrified” to follow in the footsteps of iconic Batman performers.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight introduces a new voice for the iconic caped crusader, and the pressure is on to live up to the legacy of those who came before.

This game is a unique blend of adventure that doesn’t simply retell Batman’s cinematic history. Instead, it pulls key moments from his extensive lore—like the Penguin chase from The Batman and Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker—to weave an original narrative set in an open-world Gotham reminiscent of the Arkham series. To bring this vision to life, TT Games has cast Shai Matheson, known for his roles in Final Fantasy 16 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, as the voice of Batman.

“I’ve been a Batman fan my whole life, so I feel like it’s all in my veins. I’ve watched the films since I was probably too young. Batman Returns is my favorite film of all time, regardless of Batman,” Matheson shared in an interview.

He cites Michael Keaton as his definitive Batman and reflects, “I think it was sort of in me all along.” Despite his long-standing admiration for the character, Matheson took the role seriously, immersing himself in the franchise. “I’ve watched everything before doing it—I watched all the films again, I watched a lot of clips on YouTube of different things, different Arkham clips, just tried to immerse myself.”

When discussing the weight of joining the ranks of legendary actors who have voiced Batman, Matheson admits, “First of all, in voice, Kevin Conroy is the go-to, the greatest of all time. So, it’s very scary.” He expresses his apprehension about stepping into the shoes of those who have contributed their talents to the character, saying he feels “petrified” to be part of such a prestigious list.

Yet, despite his nerves, Matheson feels “unbelievably humbled” to take on the role, likening his experience to that of a competition winner just to be involved.

James Gunn has noted that Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will allow players to experience the character “maybe as fully as they ever have.”