Since the Dragon Ball franchise roared back to life in 2013 with Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, one character has remained at the center of Goku and friends' story: the God of Destruction, Beerus. Introduced as the main foe for the Saiyan in the feature film, he and his attendant, Whis, have become much more than many of his past antagonists, sticking around to enjoy Earth's food, witness how Goku and Vegeta evolve once they awaken to the power of the gods, and become fan favorites along the way. The Dragon Ball Super anime and movies have even seen him increasingly grow to care for the people of Earth and its protectors, even if the anthropomorphic cat doesn't show it. In English, Jason Douglas has been a part of that ride for over a decade now, and soon, he'll return to the character's destructive beginning.
This fall, Toei Animation will debut Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, the third animated rendition of the God of Destruction Beerus Saga. It's been described as an "enhanced" version of the arc from the Dragon Ball Super anime that more faithfully adapts the story as the late series creator Akira Toriyama envisioned, with improved visuals, reworked and all-new scenes, and more. Dubbing and audio will also be re-recorded for the occasion to give a fresh feel to the moment Beerus awakens from his long slumber and sets his sights on Earth. Once again, fans will see Goku awaken to the power of Super Saiyan God and stand toe-to-toe with the destroyer, and Douglas will be back in the booth for the occasion.
In a panel hosted by Collider's Maggie Lovitt at Big Lick Comic Con in Roanoke, Virginia, over the weekend, Douglas confirmed that he'll return to the role of Beerus to retell his entrance into the Dragon Ball world once more. With the new series coming so long after he brought the wrathful, playful, and often lazy god to life for the first time, he was asked about how his approach to the character has evolved in the years since. He described how he still always tries to recapture that initial intimidating air to the character, even as he's mellowed out and "whimsical."
"When I do Beerus, I still try to find that original kind of spark. There's that thing that we discovered, really doing the first scene from Dragon Ball: Battle of the Gods. And it's Beerus that he's in his kind of lair, right? He kind of wakes up from the nap, and they did a really great job of painting the picture of who Beerus is, who is his core, what's he about? And so, I have always tried to find that. I think when we did Dragon Ball Super, it began to take on a little more whimsical character, but I always felt like that core guy, that dangerous entity, was still there and still present. And so I never wanted him to lose that edge," Douglas said.
'Dragon Ball Super: Beerus' Will Bring Some Edge Back to the God of Destruction
Considering Beerus is going back to his first appearance when he was still more interested in destroying Goku and Earth, the scarier side of the god will be back on full display. Douglas fully believes that genuine fear that he could erase just about anyone at any time, combined with his sillier side, is what has made him a fan favorite, and he believes the new series will tip the balance back towards intimidation. "But what's been interesting, and I think fun for not only me, but also for the fans, is to see that contrast of knowing how dangerous this character can be to everyone else, in the frame, and yet he's finding himself babysitting or fighting over who gets the next bite of something or whatever," he continued. "It's like, this contrast, this kind of silliness that I think actually fans enjoy, but I think it's left us wanting a little more of that dangerous Beerus, which is what I think we're gonna get this fall, with the return to Dragon Ball Super."
Although the actor has been involved in other major franchises like The Walking Dead and other colossal anime like the modern darling Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, he's still surprised at how critical a role Beerus has played in taking Dragon Ball to new ground. Goku has fought plenty of powerful foes before, yet, unlike them, Beerus has been the catalyst for exploring other universes and unlocking unfathomable new heights for the Saiyans. Douglas credited Toriyama for thinking bigger than just another villain to build an arc around and instead formulating lasting mysteries, longer-term goals for the heroes, and a much wider world that begs to be explored.
"I mean, we knew that he was going to be a big, important character when we started, but you could say that about Cell, you could say that about Broly, you can say that about Frieza, of course. I think of Frieza as kind of. And at least in my mind, I feel like Frieza, Frieza Force, King Cold, I feel like that's, to me, they're the big baddies, and a lot of it is just because I think Chris Ayers did such a great job and Daman Mills has done a great job continuing that character. He's so distinctive. But to your question, I think most of us thought that Beerus would be a character like that, and not, as you've pointed out, a kind of anchor point for the expansion of the show. And I think part of that is because when they decided to relaunch the series and Akira Toriyama had this big idea, it wasn't to just stay in the universe of the show that you knew, but it was like that multiverse idea and kind of expanding the idea of what Dragon Ball is and can be. And so, obviously, it's been a huge part of the show's continued success," Douglas reflected.
Fans of the franchise can look forward to a fresh take on Beerus's debut arc, with Douglas's performance promising to recapture the god's terrifying essence. As the series prepares to launch this fall, anticipation is high among the Dragon Ball community. For more on the expanding world of anime, check out our coverage of MGM+ horror hit 'From' and Stephen King's 'Carrie' returning as a Prime Video series.
