Josh Keaton is the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the hit animated series 'The Spectacular Spider-Man.'
As there is much talk surrounding the reboot which is to be helmed by "500 Days of Summer" director Mark Webb, Josh was asked his opinions on the subject.
The reboot was spurred after director Sam Raimi had a falling out with Sony over script problems and creative differences. And with Sam gone, Tobey and Kirsten soon followed suit.
Josh also takes time to mention his voice-acting career and the possible third season of The Spectacular Spider-Man.
Interview and select pictures courtesy of The Geek Files
The Geek Files: The Spider-Man series has been rebooted, with a new director (Marc Webb) and a new cast set to join. Several names have been mentioned but who do you think should play the new Peter Parker/Spider-Man?
Josh: I'd love a go at that role myself, of course!
TGF: Okay, well let's hope Sony is listening. So who do you think the villains should be?
Josh: I would like to see a good Lizard story, or even have our show's revamp of Tombstone become a central figure. Without trying to sound biased, I'd essentially like to see lots of The Spectacular Spider-Man's continuity make it to the big screen.
TGF: What story should the new Spidey 4 tell?
Josh: I'm really not sure. They killed off many of his A-list rogues already in the previous series so I think the reboot idea is a good one as it clears the slate.
TGF: Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 had rumors about several actresses up for role of Black Cat, Raimi wanting Vulture, and fans wanting the villain to be Lizard, Carnage or Mysterio. What do you think of those choices?
Josh: I don't think enough set-up had been done in the previous Spider-Man films for any Black Cat storyline - it would have felt like an incomplete "romance." The character needs a better introduction. I'm not a huge fan of Carnage or the multitude of symbiote characters that made up a lot of 90's Spider-M-an. Mysterio might be cool, but I think there's a much more personal story to tell with Curt Connors/The Lizard.
TGF: How did you get into doing voice acting for comic book adaptations?
Josh: It pretty much began as an outgrowth of a standard acting career. I was initially sent out on voice-over auditions by my on-camera agent and it wasn't until I was hired to voice Young Hercules in Disney's Hercules that I got a dedicated voic-eover agent and began pursuing that with a bit more focus.
TGF: Which role have you enjoyed most?
Josh: Spider-Man, without a doubt. I even have a Spider-Man poster painted on top of my car. (See image below)
TGF: There's a long wait for a third season of the Spectacular Spider-Man, with some fans speculating it has been canceled. Do you know what's happening?
Josh: If it's canceled, that would be news to me. I haven't heard anything regarding the status of the show.
TGF: Are there any great stories regarding over-zealous fans of your projects?
Josh: Well, I was in a boy band back in the day so I definitely have some crazy fan stories with regard to that but as far as my voice-over projects I haven't really encountered much craziness.
TGF: Are you a comic book fan - if so, which are your favorite comics?
Josh: I am. Aside from the obvious (Spider-Man) I've always enjoyed Wolverine, and Punisher.
TGF: So give your verdict on the previous Spider-Man films, The Dark Knight, the X-Men films and any others you want to mention.
Josh: I enjoyed aspects of the Spider-Man films, but there were others that I wasn't so fond of - like organic web-shooters, Sandman being Uncle Ben's killer, and the emo Peter Parker in the third film. The Dark Knight was great, but part of me still prefers Batman Begins. I've enjoyed the X-Men films that have come out so far. I'm also a fan of the Hulk films, BOTH the newer one and the Ang Lee one. I also loved Iron Man and Sin City.
TGF: Which upcoming comic book movies are you looking forward to seeing the most?
Josh: Iron Man 2 and Green Lantern.
TGF: Some comic book film adaptations get it so right, some are mixed, and some get it very wrong. What do you think are the key factors in making a successful comic book movie?
Josh: The most important thing is to focus on making a good movie. Don't dumb it down, don't assume that it will have a limited audience without destroying the canon to try and make it appeal to every single demographic, just focus on making a good movie. Many of these properties have been around for decades; the story's world and characters have usually been developed extensively. There are plenty of compelling, fleshed-out narratives that would be fantastic stories to tell without screwing with the franchise.
TGF: What are your top five favorite comic movies?
Josh: Superman, Akira (Manga counts, right?), Iron Man, Watchmen - mainly for James Earl Haley's Rorschach, and Batman Begins.
TGF: Apart from your stated desire to play a live-action Spider-Man, what other superhero role would you most like to portray?
Josh: Perhaps Wolverine when I'm a bit older.
TGF: What projects do you have lined up next?
Josh: I have a few video games lined up as well as a series regular on a new animated show, although due to confidentiality agreements I'm not allowed to discuss any of those projects yet. Aside from that, I voice the role of the Flash in the upcoming Justice League DVD Crisis on Two Earths.
TGF: What other sci-fi or fantasy films or TV series are you a fan?
Josh: There's not a lot that I don't like. From 'Lord of the Rings' to 'The X-Files' and everything in between. As for recent releases I thought that 'Avatar' was perhaps the first film to get 3D right. It didn't feel gimmicky and force me to say "oooh look! This is in 3D! That (insert object here) just flew out at me." It simply made everything more life-like. I'll probably lose some cred for this, but I haven't seen any of the recent 'Battlestar Galactica' yet. I've been meaning to start watching it since it came out on DVD, and even more so after working with the lovely Tricia Helfer on 'Spectacular Spider-Man.'
TGF: Would you consider yourself a "geek" and why?
Josh: Without a doubt. Aside from the superpowers, I pretty much was Peter Parker in high school: I couldn't get a date to save my life, I was pretty much exclusively into science, computers, and video games. I'm still that guy and proud of it. The only difference is, it's cool to be a geek now.
TGF: Many thanks for sharing your views with me Josh. Good luck with all your future projects.
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Ryden- This guy seems to be pretty much on the ball when it comes to CBM and other geek related material, I wouldn't be surprised if he posted on CBM! :)