CBR News will be taking a look at the animated Batman's compatriots in Batman: The Brave and the Bold for the next two weeks, starting with geek icon Wil Wheaton, who plays Silver Age Blue Beetle Ted Kord in this Friday's ominously titled episode "Fall of the Blue Beetle."

Self-described as "a lifelong comics fan," Wheaton is perhaps best known in acting circles as the man who once played teenage "Star Trek: The Next Generation" character Wesley Crusher, although today the actor carries a strong writing career, espousing on all things in geek culture from his blog and numerous books. Comics being a regular part of his geek-centric diet helped Wheaton prepare to play Kord in more ways than one.

Wheaton's take on Ted Kord appears mostly in flashback throughout the "Fall of the Blue Beetle" episode, although he teased that a mysterious figure in the modern era has Reyes thinking Kord still lives. In any event, the actor knew exactly where to look when building his voice performance. "The way that I approached creating this character, because of course I know Blue Beetle and the history of Blue Beetle, [was to look at] my first Blue Beetle -- the super wise-cracking Blue Beetle that was in 'Justice League' in the late '80s,” Wheaton explained. “I really know who this guy is and his commitment to justice. His confidence and his refusal to take things seriously, so I just portrayed him the way I remembered reading him in the comics. There are some scenes where Jaime encounters who he thinks is the same Blue Beetle. [Recording] that was kind of fun because I got to be a mentor to him and kind of embrace this character that had been put together for us."

For the entire interview, head on over to CBR.com

(Source - CBR.com)