Richard Armitage sharpens his skills starring in Wolverine podcast

Richard Armitage shines as Wolverine in Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail podcast. Here, he explains how he portrayed one of comics’ most iconic heroes.

Richard Armitage plays incredibly tough characters, which made him the perfect fit to portray perhaps the toughest hero in comics: Wolverine. The Berlin Station star lends his voice to Logan in Marvel’s Wolverine podcast, which is now in its second season on Stitcher Premium.

In Wolverine: The Lost Trail, Logan returns to New Orleans only to discover that several people are missing, including someone close to him. Working with a boy whose mother has also disappeared, he sets out on a quest to find them—and find out the truth about what happened to them.

It’s the first Marvel scripted podcast, and it’s an excellent role for Richard Armitage, who always commands attention whenever he steps into a role. Even though audiences can’t see him, he has so much presence that he’s just as intense and visceral and badass as Logan is supposed to be.

How did he pull it off? Armitage spoke to FanSided about returning for The Lost Trail, taking on such a well-known character, and his previous Marvel role that audiences might have forgotten about.

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FanSided: How did you originally get involved with the Wolverine podcast? Was there something in the character that appealed to you?

Richard Armitage: I was approached by Marvel to voice Wolverine. I was really intrigued about the new technology being employed—the multi-directional microphones and the physical nature of the recording— but the most appealing aspect were the absolutely brilliant scripts. It’s always about story and character for me, and these episodes reveal more and more as they move forward.

Logan is a character who’s already had many different portrayals, and years of comic history on top of that. How did you figure out your approach to playing him?

I embrace the previous iterations, but I think it helped that I wasn’t that familiar with the history and origins of this character, so it was with a clean slate that I began. From a personal perspective I looked into lycanthropy; it’s something I touched on years ago, as I’ve always had a fascination with characters who are shedding their skin, or fighting to keep something at bay within them.

In Logan’s case, the animal is clearly close to the surface. I think the connection between the human and the animal is something we can all experience particularly in moments of extremis. Because this is an audio recording this has to be found in all aspects of his voice—the struggle, the pain, the release. The inner howl.

That’s one wonderful thing you bring to the podcast—you have a lot of prior experience in audio dramas. Were there any similarities between your past audio work and this project?

This is like no other audio role. Usually in book recording or even a radio play, the movement has to be restricted to prevent and unwanted ambient sounds. With Wolverine, it’s essential. It’s actually everything—the scenes are acted out as if we were creating a film. It’s a three-dimensional audio picture. For The Lost Trail this is incredible. I knew that the required soundscape for the bayou—the heat, the water, the insects and the wildlife—would be extraordinary.

Did the format of the project impact your work? Did you have to prepare for the Wolverine podcast differently than you would a live-action role like Berlin Station or Strike Back?

To be honest, it’s exactly the same, apart from the lack of attention to what I wear to record. Although having said that, the footwear was really important to find some physical weight for Logan. And I was always in a leather jacket; I think we can hear it creaking.

I did have to slightly break my voice to get some rough depth for Logan’s; that tends to come through the extensive workload, but for day one I did work with a bit of a hangover. Then Logan was off his face out in Japan, calling Maureen after some heavy self-flagellation, manifesting itself in sinking his sorrows at the bottom of a whisky bottle so—method I guess!

Like any good second season, The Lost Trail expands Logan’s universe further, including the introduction of new characters like Gambit. What’s been the most fun for you to play with this season?

I really loved all the work with Marcus, played by Rodney Henry. We had a lot of fun and it was brilliant to see Logan challenged by a kid, who he goes from wanting to swat like an annoying fly to really caring about. There is a heartfelt journey for these two.

I loved the work with Bill Irwin also, and the concept of an augmented reality in the illusory world Wyngarde creates. We had long conversations in the studio about the state of our politics and the warping and bending of the truth. Wyngarde’s world took on a weary relevance.

I also got a kick out of working with Bill Heck, who plays Gambit, possibly my favorite character. I think there is a whole road movie with Logan and Gambit.

That’s another special thing about this podcast, is how well cast both seasons have been with people like Bill Irwin, Ato Essandoh and Tony nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger. Do you get to record with your fellow cast members and collaborate as you would on a live-action project?

Yes, every day gave a new gift in the form of a new group of great actors. It’s the best part of this process. Everyone had a great time and there were some extraordinary performances. The voodoo seance with Karna Eyestone, played by Lizan Mitchell, was spooky, electric and ancient. I slightly hyperventilated during that scene and fell truly under her spell.

Also the death of Bonnie Roach, played by Blair Brown, eaten alive by a crocodile, was something to behold in studio. Lots of incredibly committed actors doing what they love.

You’re already familiar with being part of a big property and playing a big character, with your role in the Hobbit films. So was the experience of playing Logan somewhat easier for you?

No matter how big something gets, it’s always about the details. The bigger the movie, the smaller the details that matter. With Wolverine: The Lost Trail, it’s about the heartbeat of this character. From the first series of phone calls, where we try to create an edited journey of decline to open the story, to the hallucinations of a captured animal in chains, a reality created only in the mind of the prisoner.

It threw up a lot of internal questions about the restrains and restrictions we put upon ourselves. I love the breath of this character—the tiny flutter of a growl in the back of his throat. So even when resting this man is a wolf, and if you lean in, you can hear him always ready for the kill.

You were already a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, when you appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger as an assassin. How has it been to now segue into playing not only a Marvel hero, but perhaps one of the most popular heroes in Marvel history?

It’s an honor. I was very lucky to play Heinz Kruger in Captain America, but there was always a sense of regret that he had to die so soon, when there was an interesting character to explore further. Wolverine is a gift of a role, if only to be heard for now. Maybe I’ll get the chance to expand a role for Marvel which combines all of the things I’ve gathered on my own personal journey into the field.

But I still feel one of the best moments we recorded, was in the first season when Logan is running with the wolves. I saw it and felt it as clearly as if we were making a movie. I’m very proud that we can be part of the Marvel Universe, but in a different, rather less explored sphere. I hope we get to explore some more.

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Wolverine: The Lost Trail is available now on Stitcher Premium. For more information on the Wolverine podcast, visit the official website.

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