The recent release of The Boy and the Heron put a spotlight on how often Studio Ghibli casts regular celebrities rather than voice actors to play the roles. For the titular grey heron, Robert Pattinson provided his talents and gave a fantastically weird performance none of us expected from him.

Robert Pattinson’s role in The Boy and the Heron is a far cry from his previous movie, Matt Reeves’ The Batman, where he once again plays the titular character. However, there’s something more curious about his casting that doesn’t involve how diverse his acting is.

Pattinson isn’t the first actor Studio Ghibli has cast who has played the DC superhero, Batman. One of them played arguably the most iconic Ghibli character, while the other was in a more underrated movie.

Howl’s Moving Castle might not hold a candle to Spirited Away’s fame, but the titular character, Howl Pendragon, has stolen hearts all over the world. From his handsome looks to the way he treats Sophie, there’s no way to hate Howl.

Surprisingly, he was voiced by Christian Bale. None of us could’ve ever guessed it was him in the studio, recording that charming, gentle voice. He also played Batman, but in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy.

A Studio Ghibli movie that doesn’t get nearly enough attention is Porco Rosso. It features yet another eponymous character, who is cursed to have a pig’s head. It’s also one of the darkest yet endearing movies Hayao Miyazaki has directed.

Who did Studio Ghibli bring in to play Porco Rosso? Michael Keaton voiced the protagonist, and he did a fantastic job of portraying how complex he is. It’s one of Miyazaki’s most underrated movies. What’s more coincidental, however, is that he was Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman.

It’s quite the coincidence that two actors who have played Batman were cast as the protagonists in Studio Ghibli movies. However, Robert Pattinson makes it more of an unintentional crossover between the studio and DC. Even fans of Studio Ghibli on Reddit have noticed this.

Studio Ghibli collecting Batman actors as their voice actors like Pokemon always thrills me
byu/aishika_das inghibli

This comment also added a fun little trivia point that Will Arnett, who played Batman in The Lego Batman Movie, also voiced the protagonist’s father in The Secret World of Arrietty. That adds a fourth one.

Comment
byu/aishika_das from discussion
inghibli

It’s more of a surprise because of how different these Ghibli characters are from Batman. It goes to show how talented these actors are to be able to do such different genres.

Being an actor is all about portraying a range of emotions and people, and not limiting your talent to one type of character. Some actors might fall victim to being typecast, but certainly not Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, or Michael Keaton.

We all know Robert Pattinson from the Twilight series, but ever since then, he’s made a name for himself away from it. Mickey 17 was his most recent role, and while it got mixed reactions, his performance was stellar and very different. He can do a variety of genres, from romance to horror.

Christian Bale needs absolutely no introduction. His performance as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is iconic, although he warns fans not to emulate that character. He’s also done several biographical movies, but isn’t a stranger to other gentler genres, as he was also in the 1994 Little Women.

Michael Keaton might be the most diverse of the lot with his vast career. He’s known for playing Beetlejuice, Vulture, and Birdman. He’s known for comedy, horror, crime, and many other genres.

Overall, Studio Ghibli made the best decision with these actors. They were chosen for their talent and because they don’t solely exist to play the brooding superhero.