DC's cosmic corner is about to get a lot more personal. The upcoming animated series Mister Miracle is set to bring two of Jack Kirby's most beloved Fourth World creations to the screen, and we now have fresh insight into what fans can expect. Mackenzie Davis, who voices the formidable Big Barda, recently sat down with Collider to discuss the project, offering a tantalizing glimpse into its tone and themes.
Davis, known for her roles in Halt and Catch Fire and Station Eleven, is currently promoting her new Netflix series Below, but she was happy to share details about her upcoming DC gig. The actress admitted she wasn't familiar with the source material before being cast, but she was quickly won over by the scripts and the acclaimed 2017 graphic novel by Tom King and Mitch Gerads, which serves as the series' inspiration.
“I got involved because they reached out while I was shooting in Newfoundland, and I met with them and put my voice down,” Davis explained. “I was not familiar with anything, just because I have a very limited field of focus and I just didn't know about Tom King, and I didn't know about Mister Miracle and Big Barda. And then, I read the scripts and Tom's graphic novel.”
That graphic novel is far from typical superhero fare. It's a deeply introspective story that follows Scott Free (Mister Miracle) and Barda as they navigate marriage, trauma, and the looming threat of Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation. Davis was drawn to the material's raw emotional core, describing it as “exquisite” and “painful.”
“It’s so beautiful. It’s very dark. Well, not dark, but it’s dealing with true pain and depression,” she said. “It's placed in this superhero world, but it's about a couple and a suicide attempt and a marriage and loving somebody and holding the pain that they're in. And then, there is this greater context that they're in. But Tom has just written the most exquisite, painful, grounded show that happens to be about these two superheroes. It's kind of crazy.”
Davis will be joined by Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) as Mister Miracle, and the two have been recording their lines together in the same booth—a rarity in animation. This collaborative approach was essential, given the intimate nature of the story. “I'm recording with Josh, always. I think it would be hard. It's such a two-hander of this couple dealing with a traumatic event and trying to navigate the healing of that and their marriage continuing,” Davis noted. “It's quite a dense thing. I can't imagine doing it, just saying the lines out into a void. I got to record with Josh, and he was incredible.”
The casting of Davis and Hutcherson, who share a notable height difference that mirrors their characters, has sparked speculation about a potential live-action appearance. James Gunn's “Gods and Monsters” slate has already seen actors like Viola Davis and Frank Grillo reprise their roles in both animation and live-action. While Davis couldn't confirm any live-action plans, she expressed enthusiasm for the possibility. “Yeah, she's really cool. I think it would be really fun to explore in live action,” she said. “She’s really funny and strong and angry and has a very traumatic childhood. There's lots of interesting stuff about her. Coming from complete unfamiliarity, and now knowing her quite well, I think she's incredible.”
For fans of the source material, the series promises to be a faithful adaptation of King and Gerads' work, which brought these characters to a wider audience. “I believe Big Barda and Mister Miracle were less prominent characters in the DC world, and then Tom King wrote this extraordinary graphic novel a few years ago that really brought a lot of attention to them. And that's what we're using for our show,” Davis said.
Mister Miracle is currently in development and is slated for a 2028 release. While we wait, you can catch Davis in Below, now streaming on Netflix, and check out our previous coverage of the series' casting news. For more on the DC Universe, stay tuned to Collider.
