DreamWorks Animation’s Voltron Legendary Defender came to an end this past December with the release of its eighth and final season on Netflix, and during an interview with Flickering Myth’s Red Stewart to discuss his new film Escape Room, voice actor Tyler Labine (Hunk) has shared a few words about his casting in the reboot of the classic 80s anime series, as well as addressing some of the show’s more toxic fandom.
“It’s been an honor and a privlege,” said LaBine. “You know, Voltron was my jam growing up, that was like my favorite cartoon growing up. That, He-Man, and M.A.S.K. were my favorite cartoons. And it was something that I jumped at when I found out that they were auditioning for it. I pushed my way into that because they wanted a 17-year-old kid [laughs]. But I went at it pretty hard and they put me through the ringer to get it. I had to jump through a lot of hoops and come in and re-audition and re-audition and go off probation and do like a three episode trial run- all this stuff. And I was just like there was no way I was not going to get it.
“But I went at it pretty hard and they put me through the ringer to get it. I had to jump through a lot of hoops and come in and re-audition and re-audition and go off probation and do like a three episode trial run- all this stuff. And I was just like there was no way I was not going to get it. So I was ecstatic and I really loved the product that we put out. The final product of the show is, I think, unparalleled in animation these days. The voice cast have all become good friends of mine. It’s just been amazing.
“The only thing that has been pretty weird about it is it’s gotten a bit of a toxic fandom. Things that go really well are very well-received, and the things that don’t go exactly the way that our fans want them to go they get really angry and agro and send threatening messages and all kinds of things. So, if I had one message for the fans, I’d say ease up. It’s supposed to be fun, it’s a cartoon [laughs].”
Be sure to check back at Flickering Myth tomorrow for our full interview with Tyler Labine as he discusses his role in Escape Room. Meanwhile, Voltron Legendary Defender is available to watch now on Netflix.
