Why Groundhawk From The Boys Presents: Diabolical Episode 3 Sounds So Familiar
Unlike the worlds of Marvel and DC, which generally show superheroes as platonic ideals of virtue and heroism, the world that Amazon has broadcast through "The Boys" focuses on the dark underbelly of that concept. At their best, the supes have their hearts in the right place but are still profoundly violent in how they achieve their results. At their worst — such as in the case of Antony Starr's Homelander – they are depraved fascists who could take over the world if they wanted to do so. That world is poised to get even larger as fans wait for Season 3 of "The Boys" to debut, because a new series, "The Boys Presents: Diabolical" is set to premiere on Amazon Prime on March 4. An animated interpretation of the world of "The Boys," it will hand the universe off to different creatives to allow them to put their own spins on it. This also means that characters who have yet to debut in live action will get a chance to show up, such as Episode 3's Groundhawk.
Groundhawk is a very unique-looking character, even by the standard of "The Boys," but he likely will sound familiar to many fans. That's because he is voiced by none other than voice acting legend John DiMaggio, whose IMDb page is practically a directory of fan-favorite animated shows and movies. With that in mind, it's time to dive in and take a look at some of DiMaggio's most notable roles to date.
John DiMaggio voiced Bender in Futurama
The first entry on this list may, in fact, be the defining role of John DiMaggio's long and successful career as a voice actor in Hollywood. Specifically, the actor voiced Bender in the hit Fox series, "Futurama." The best friend and roommate of Philip J. Fry (Billy West), Bender is one of the first individuals that Fry meets when he wakes up in the distant future, and the two quickly become friends, roommates, and co-workers. DiMaggio had a massive impact on "Futurama" over the course of its run and numerous revivals, playing Bender consistently from 1999 to 2013, in addition to other notable "Futurama" roles such as Sal, Ignar, and Robot Santa.
Despite the acclaim that John DiMaggio received for portraying Bender, his future in the role remains uncertain: A Hulu revival of "Futurama" was recently announced, with the entire voice cast returning, except for DiMaggio. The source of the voice actor's refusal to return reportedly (per Deadline) boiled down to fair compensation, and as of now, it seems that the role of Bender will be recast when "Futurama" makes its jump to the streaming service.
John DiMaggio gave vocal performances on numerous hit Cartoon Network series
For kids who grew up with some of the most beloved Cartoon Network series ever produced, John DiMaggio's voice will likely sound quite familiar. That is because his voice was all over the network during the early 2000s, with a variety of small and supporting roles on some of the most enduring series Cartoon Network aired during that period. Arguably the most notable of the bunch is his role as The Scotsman in "Samurai Jack." An ally of the titular warrior, The Scotsman is a major recurring character through the bulk of the "Samurai Jack" run.
Not only was "The Scotsman" a major presence on the main "Samurai Jack" series, but DiMaggio also went on to voice him in tie-in media such as two "Samurai Jack" video games. However, beyond his role as The Scotsman in "Samurai Jack," John DiMaggio also played roles in other major Cartoon Network series as well. These include smaller roles on shows such as "Johnny Bravo," and "What's New Scooby-Doo," as well as "The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy."
John DiMaggio voiced Dr. Drakken on Kim Possible
In 2002, John DiMaggio brought his talents to the Disney Channel to take on one of many legendary bad guys that he would portray throughout his career. This time, the role would come in the form of Dr. Drakken from the hit series "Kim Possible." A mad scientist with aspirations for taking over the world, Drakken served as the central villain of the show, frequently being thwarted by Kim and Team Possible.
Over the course of the 87-episode run of "Kim Possible," DiMaggio's Dr. Drakken appeared in a total of 53 -– making him a presence on the show for more than half of its run. Like many of the characters that John DiMaggio has made beloved during his career as a voice actor, his portrayal of Dr. Drakken did not end with the mainline "Kim Possible" series. Drakken would go on to appear in multiple "Kim Possible" movies and video games, and even cross over with other Disney properties such as "Lilo & Stitch: The Series."
John DiMaggio was the Joker in one of the darker animated Batman movies
As superheroes and supervillains have increasingly jumped from the page to the screen in animation, John DiMaggio has found himself cast as several of these beloved characters. He has played characters in the Marvel and DC worlds, but he has arguably done some of his most substantial and well-regarded comic book work in the latter. One of his most notable comic book adaptation roles came with his performance as The Joker in "Batman: Under the Red Hood," which debuted in 2009.
Voicing the Joker is a big deal: even aside from the acclaim that live-action actors such as Heath Ledger have received, the definitive Joker voice has always been (and continues to be) Mark Hamill, who first took on the role in "Batman: The Animated Series." However, rather than try to replicate what Hammill did, DiMaggio made the character his own. He brought an appropriate amount of menace to a version of the Joker who visibly kills Jason Todd (Jensen Ackles) on-screen, only to be targeted for death by a vigilante known as the Red Hood, years later.
Beyond his performance as the Joker, John DiMaggio's comic book voices have also include Darkseid, Gorilla Grodd, and Toyman, among many others. On the Marvel side of the aisle, he has provided his voice to characters such as Spider-Man villains Rhino and The Jackal, as well as X-Men villain Juggernaut. Now, with his addition to the universe of "The Boys," it seems that DiMaggio has one more comic book universe under his belt.
John DiMaggio voiced Jake from Adventure Time
As if being the voice of Bender was not enough, John DiMaggio's career has seen him take on yet another fan-favorite sidekick in the form of Jake the Dog from "Adventure Time." Very much the show's second lead after Finn (though he actually worked on more episodes than Finn voice actor Jeremy Shada), Jake is Finn's loyal companion and best friend. A "magical dog" obsessed with food, Jake has "Stretchy Powers" that allow him to alter the size and shape of his body in any way that he needs to for a given situation.
Jake has become a major fan-favorite "Adventure Time" character, as well as a frequent subject of cosplay and fan art. Not only has his portrayal been highly praised by viewers, but he has become a notable presence in the online community as an easy-to-meme character. Few elements of his portrayal epitomize this better than his ravenous appetite and penchant for bacon pancakes.
John DiMaggio is a video game voice acting legend
In addition to his work in animated films and television series, John DiMaggio has also become a well-known voice actor across a wide range of video game genres and franchises. Though he has appeared in numerous properties over the years, arguably the biggest role he has taken in the video game medium to date has been his recurring role as "Gears of War" hero Marcus Fenix. Debuting with the first game back in 2006, DiMaggio's Fenix has been a consistent presence in the franchise for the entirety of its run -– though in recent years, admittedly, his character has become more of a supporting player and less of the central focus of the narrative.
In addition to his "Gears of War" role as Marcus Fenix, John DiMaggio has appeared in several other major gaming franchises. These parts have ranged from games such as "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," to various Brute roles in the "Halo" franchise. He has also, of course, voiced some of his popular TV characters (such as Bender) in video games, as well.