All 10 Star Trek Stars Who Appeared In Batman: The Animated Series

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Many famous actors from Star Trek played important roles in the beloved Batman: The Animated Series. The show is renowned for having an exceptionally talented voice cast. With its distinctive dark style, definitive portrayals of DC Comics characters, and memorable performances, Batman: The Animated Series attracted a lot of well-known Hollywood voices.

The cast included several actors who had appeared in various Star Trek shows and movies – a franchise famous for its memorable characters and strong performances. It might seem surprising to connect Batman with Star Trek, but this overlap highlights the wealth of talented actors working on television in the 1990s.

Many actors found they could play more complex and unusual characters in Batman: The Animated Series than they did on Star Trek. They voiced everyone from minor Gotham citizens to famous villains. Interestingly, the timing of these roles varied – some actors played Batman characters after becoming known for Star Trek, while others hadn’t even joined Starfleet yet.

Kate Mulgrew

Just a few months before landing the role of Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager, Kate Mulgrew played a dangerous villain in Gotham City. In Batman: The Animated Series, she provided the voice for Red Claw, a fierce eco-terrorist who used both strong beliefs and physical force to get what she wanted.

Red Claw differed from many of Batman’s flamboyant enemies by being rooted in realistic, dangerous ideologies. Actress Kate Mulgrew brought a powerful presence to the role, similar to her later portrayal of Janeway, but with a much darker, more threatening edge. She wasn’t a typical one-off villain; Red Claw was a serious and believable threat with the potential to cause widespread chaos.

Kate Mulgrew’s role in both Star Trek and Red Claw is particularly noteworthy because it showcases her versatility as an actress. While Captain Janeway is known for being calm and having strong morals, Red Claw is unpredictable and merciless. This dramatic difference proves why Mulgrew is so highly regarded in both series.

LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton, famous for playing Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, later took on a very different role in Batman: The Animated Series. In the episode “The Worry Men,” he provided the voice for Hayden Sloan, a financial manager who gets tangled up in a criminal plot with some of Gotham City’s most powerful people.

Sloan first came under suspicion for stealing money from his clients, but the situation soon became much more dangerous. Actor LeVar Burton portrays Sloan with a sense of subtle worry and increasing panic, a significant departure from his famously self-assured and capable portrayal of Geordi La Forge on Star Trek.

Burton also quickly lent his voice to a minor character in that same episode – one of the Mad Hatter’s assistants. While it wasn’t a prominent role, it was notable for feeling surprisingly realistic. Burton showed he could add nuance and depth even to a character with a small part in the wild world of Gotham.

Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols is famous for playing Lieutenant Uhura on the original Star Trek, where she broke ground for diversity in science fiction. But her voice work as a character in Batman: The Animated Series explored a different, more mysterious and atmospheric side of storytelling.

I was absolutely fascinated by Nichelle Nichols’ role in the Star Trek episode “Avatar.” She played Thoth Khepera, this incredible ancient Egyptian queen who basically had control over life and death – a truly godlike figure! It was such a departure from her usual role as Uhura, who always felt so practical and diplomatic. Thoth Khepera was…otherworldly. Apparently, she’d ruled for over a thousand years, and people worshipped her, but she wasn’t exactly gentle – she was a really powerful, authoritative ruler. The coolest part? Even Ra’s al Ghul was after the secret to her power for centuries!

The story shifts into a more supernatural direction when Batman meets her. The actress playing Thoth Khepera, Nichols, delivers a performance that is both powerfully majestic and genuinely frightening.

Brock Peters

Brock Peters is notable for playing reliable and ethical characters in both the Star Trek and Gunsmoke universes. He appeared as Admiral Cartwright in the Star Trek films and as Joseph Sisko, Benjamin Sisko’s father, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

In Batman: The Animated Series, Cecil Peters provided the voice for Lucius Fox throughout several episodes. Fox is a key character in Gotham City, managing the day-to-day operations of Wayne Enterprises without knowing Bruce Wayne is Batman. Peters brought a sense of warmth, intelligence, and calm strength to the role, making Fox feel essential to the story without taking attention away from Batman himself.

His portrayal makes the business side of Batman’s world feel believable and helps balance out the show’s more unbelievable parts. Like Joseph Sisko, his character provides a sense of morality and stability amidst all the chaos.

Diana Muldaur

Diana Muldaur has been a part of science fiction and animation history for decades. She first appeared on Star Trek as a guest star in the original series and later became a main cast member as Dr. Katherine Pulaski on The Next Generation. She’s also known for voicing Dr. Leslie Thompkins in Batman: The Animated Series, a character admired for her kindness and practicality in the often-chaotic world of Gotham.

Leslie has been a close friend of Thomas Wayne for many years and is one of the few people aware of Bruce Wayne’s double life. Actress Muldaur beautifully portrays Leslie as a wise and caring figure, acting as both a motherly support and a moral compass for Bruce.

She perfectly captures the straightforward but caring personality of the character, making her ideal for the part. Amidst a show full of dramatic villains, Leslie provides a welcome reminder of the goodness still present in Gotham.

Michael Ansara

Michael Ansara’s portrayal of Mr. Freeze in Batman: The Animated Series is truly memorable. He brought a quiet sadness to the role, transforming Freeze from a silly villain into one of Batman’s most heartbreaking enemies.

Victor Fries’ sorrow and single-minded focus were powerfully conveyed by Ansara’s calm, measured, and emotionally controlled voice, particularly in the acclaimed episode “Heart of Ice.” Before this, Ansara was already a familiar face in science fiction, known for playing Commander Kang in the original Star Trek series, and later reprising the role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager.

Similar to Kang, Mr. Freeze is a character driven by a strong code of honor and intense emotions, though his motivations stem from deep personal loss. Paul Ansara’s portrayal of the character is still considered the best and has shaped almost every version of Mr. Freeze since.

René Auberjonois

René Auberjonois is widely recognized for his role as Odo, the security chief who could change his shape, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But he also played a very different kind of character in Batman: The Animated Series, portraying Dr. March, a scientist whose work led to the creation of the villain Man-Bat.

Dr. March, featured in the episodes “On Leather Wings” and “Terror in the Sky,” embodies the risks of letting scientific goals run wild. Actor René Auberjonois portrays him with a cold, emotionless demeanor, which stands in stark contrast to Odo’s strict, yet caring, sense of right and wrong.

Though not a major villain, Dr. March is important in establishing one of the show’s first big problems. Actor René Auberjonois portrays the character with subtlety, making him feel believable and enhancing the show’s themes of change and what it means to be yourself.

Ron Perlman

Ron Perlman’s distinctive, rough voice was perfect for Batman: The Animated Series. He gave a compelling performance as Clayface, bringing both frightening power and deep sadness to the character of Matt Hagen, a disfigured actor who becomes a shape-shifting monster. This made Clayface one of the most memorable and tragically scary villains in Batman: TAS.

Perlman demonstrated his range as an actor in the episode “POV” by also voicing the villain Driller. This ability to convincingly portray both weakness and threat is similar to the complex nature of the character Clayface.

Perlman played the Reman Viceroy in Star Trek: Nemesis, bringing the same powerful and commanding energy to the role as he did with his portrayal of the Joker. Whether it’s in Gotham City or the far reaches of space, Perlman is skilled at playing characters who are both powerful and tormented, and he’s left a lasting impression on fans of both Star Trek and Batman.

David Warner

David Warner played several memorable characters in Star Trek, including Gul Madred in The Next Generation, Chancellor Gorkon in The Undiscovered Country, and St. John Talbot in The Final Frontier. He also brought a similar sense of authority and weight to his role as Ra’s al Ghul in Batman: The Animated Series.

Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul is a complex villain – intelligent, strategic, and unsettlingly composed. He doesn’t see himself as someone who wants to take over the world, but as someone who believes he’s saving it. Neeson’s polished performance makes Ra’s more than just a typical bad guy; he becomes a character who challenges Batman’s own beliefs.

The performance stands out because of its understated nature. Instead of dramatic displays, Warner uses nuance and subtlety, which actually makes his character, Ra’s, even more frightening. Similar to his work in Star Trek, Warner captures attention through careful control and intelligence, demonstrating that a quiet presence can be incredibly powerful.

Jeffrey Combs

Jeffrey Combs is a well-known actor, especially among fans of Star Trek. He’s famous for playing several different characters throughout the series, including Weyoun and Brunt on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Shran on Star Trek: Enterprise. He also voiced the Scarecrow in The New Batman Adventures, giving the villain a particularly frightening portrayal.

Combs portrays Scarecrow as a colder, more calculating villain than we’ve seen before, focusing on the psychological terror he inflicts. His controlled and distant performance makes Jonathan Crane seem less like someone who’s lost his mind and more like a dangerous, thinking hunter.

Combs delivers a truly chilling performance as Scarecrow, making him a deeply disturbing villain in Gotham. He has a knack for completely becoming his characters – a talent he also showed in Star Trek – and his portrayal of Scarecrow is one of the most memorable and frightening villains in Batman: The Animated Series.

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2026-04-18 15:20