Summary
The newest upcomingBatmangame,Batman: Arkham Shadow,will see Elijah Wood take on the role of the villainous Dr. Jonathan Crane, better known as Scarecrow, following a recent reveal. The casting announcement came just days beforeBatman: Arkham Shadowis set to release on October 22 exclusively for the Meta Quest 3 and 3S platforms.
A fan-favorite superhero universe is making a major return withBatman: Arkham Shadow,which will see players take on the role of the caped crusader in virtual reality, putting the fate of Gotham directly in their hands. The game is set shortly afterthe prequel titleBatman: Arkham Originsand sees a younger Bruce Wayne return to take on some iconic bad guys like the Rat King and, of course, Scarecrow.
Now,asBatman: Arkham Shadowgears up for releaseon the Meta Quest 3 and 3S on October 22, fan-run YouTube channel Batman Arkham Videos revealed in a Q&A video that Elijah Wood will be taking on the role of Scarecrow in the game. While many of the game’s voice actors, like Roger Craig Smith as Batman and Troy Baker as Harvey Dent, have been known for a while, Scarecrow’s casting surprised many due to his iconic status in Hollywood.
Eiljah Wood Makes His DC Debut as Arkham Shadow’s Scarecrow
Wood is perhaps best known for his role as Frodo Baggins in theLord of the Ringstrilogy, along with many other major Hollywood roles, though he does have a decent tenure as a video game voice actor as well. Most notably, he portrayed the titular protagonist in theLegend of Spyrotrilogy, which began in 2006, and he has even reprised his role as Frodo in multipleLord of the Ringsvideo gamesin the mid-2000s.
In any case, however, Scarecrow will seemingly be a much larger role for Wood, as he mentioned in his brief segment of the video that it was his first time doing motion capture work for a major gaming project. The video even provided a brief clip of the actor donning full motion capture gear as he seemingly taunts Batman in what appears to be one of the iconic scenes that play when the player is defeated in theBatman: Arkhamseries.
While the “Arkhamverse,” as fans have dubbed it, went on a long hiatus following the release ofBatman: Arkham Knightin 2015,it made a controversial return inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueearlier this year. Now, however, fans have a chance to jump in again as the Dark Knight, asBatman: Arkham Shadowbrings the fan-favorite universe back once more, putting players in the shoes of Bruce Wayne in first-person virtual reality.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Become Batman in this official new entry into the Arkham franchise.It’s the Fourth of July, and Gotham City is under attack by a new threat: the mysterious Rat King and his cultish devotees. As widespread rioting engulfs the city, Batman races to prevent this so-called “Day of Wrath” before it all goes wrong.Experience the World of Batman Like Never Before:Immerse yourself in all the grit of Gotham City with the power of VR, and take down its most notorious criminals.Hard-Hitting Arkham CombatRealized exclusively for VR—choose from fan favorite gadgets and bold fighting styles reimagined from the beloved Arkham franchise.Friends, Foes and Other Familiar Faces:Meet Dr.’s Quinzel and Crane before they became Harley Quinn and Scarecrow, as well as other iconic characters including Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, and Ratcatcher.
