Dans cet épisode de *Harley Quinn*, Brainiac se lance dans une mission musicale pour alerter Metropolis, avec Harley et son équipe mettant en scène un spectacle improvisé sur son passé tumultueux. Le showrunner Dean Lorey révèle comment Brainiac a été choisi comme méchant principal et discute de son développement de personnage, offrant une profondeur inattendue. Avec des éléments humoristiques et une performance musicale élaborée, cet épisode explore les origines de Brainiac tout en intégrant des personnages emblématiques comme Clayface.
Brainiac’s Musical Mission in Harley Quinn
In this week’s episode of Harley Quinn on Max, Brainiac embarks on a rather « insane-iac » mission, aiming to turn the intelligent Coluan cyborg into a singing sensation to alert the citizens of Metropolis. Harley (voiced by Kaley Cuoco) and her crew will stage an improvised musical that delves into the villain’s tumultuous backstory and nefarious plans, featuring the spotlight-hungry Clayface (voiced by Alan Tudyk) and Frank the Plant (J.B. Smoove) in the role of the hapless Koko. Spoiler alert: things don’t exactly go as planned.
Exploring Brainiac’s Depth and Character Development
Showrunner Dean Lorey shared insights into the adult animated series’ take on Brainiac (voiced by Stephen Fry), discussing the cast member who was initially hesitant about diving into musical territory and the storyline that was unexpectedly discarded from season 4, which still has five episodes left to air. « Once we decided to shift the action of season 5 to Metropolis, we began searching for our main villain and landed on Brainiac as the ideal choice, » Lorey explained. « He represents order, while Harley embodies chaos, which sparked a lot of fascinating discussions about his character’s motivations. » As they explored Brainiac’s largely invented backstory, they discovered a more profound and tragic character than previously depicted, reminiscent of how they handled Mr. Freeze in season 1 with empathy.
The decision to include Koko was driven by humor, and as they delved deeper into Brainiac’s character, Lorey and his team found themselves captivated. After considering various actors, they concluded that a British voice would lend Brainiac an air of authority and intelligence. « Choosing Stephen Fry was a perfect fit, as he brings both gravitas and warmth to the character, » Lorey noted.
While there have been musical moments in the past, like their rendition of « Under the Sea » from The Little Mermaid, this episode is essentially a full-fledged musical extravaganza. « It was such a delight to write, and I was eager to get to this episode. It offered a fun way to reveal Brainiac’s origins without resorting to standard flashbacks, » Lorey added.
Despite initial reservations, Alan Tudyk ultimately embraced the challenge of portraying Clayface, especially as he pretends to be another established character. « He found himself questioning: ‘Who am I? Am I Brainiac? Am I Clayface?' » Lorey remarked. « But, as usual, he figured it out. » The team faced a pivotal decision regarding the narrative direction: whether to pursue a season focused on the Gotham City Sirens or one centered in Metropolis. Ultimately, they chose to explore Metropolis, excited about the change of scenery while honoring their commitment to the audience from season 4.
In a classic Harley fashion, they opted to address the transition in a humorous cold opening, indicating that things had taken a turn. « I’ve always believed there could be a significant time jump between the end of season 4 and the beginning of season 5, allowing for future storytelling possibilities, such as revisiting the Gotham City Sirens in a flashback or as an extended special, » Lorey teased. « But I’m not announcing anything—just sharing what could potentially happen! »