Batman News
By von Florian
July 22, 2026
As Peter Flechtner (the regular German voice of Ben Affleck) announced on his Instagram channel, his mentor—actor and dubbing legend Joachim Kerzel—passed away on July 20 at the age of 84.
Joachim Kerzel began his acting training in 1963 at the University of Music, Drama and Media in Hanover, graduating in 1965. Following a career on various theater stages and in television productions, Kerzel increasingly shifted his artistic focus toward voice dubbing starting in the 1970s.
Throughout his extensive dubbing career, his distinctive voice became inextricably linked with acting greats such as Dennis Hopper, Dustin Hoffman, Jean Reno, and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Following the death of Manfred Schott, Kerzel established himself as Jack Nicholson’s regular German voice, beginning with “The Witches of Eastwick” (1987). Consequently, he naturally provided the German voice for Jack Napier/the Joker in Tim Burton’s “Batman”.
But his contribution to the Batman films didn't end there: in 1992, he provided the German voiceover for the *Batman Returns* trailer—you can listen to it here.
In addition to his work as a voice actor, Joachim Kerzel was also in high demand behind the scenes of the dubbing industry. For instance, he wrote the German dialogue for the film “The Grifters” and served as dialogue director for the first and second seasons of David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks’.
He also left a lasting mark as an audiobook narrator, captivating a vast audience with his readings of Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth”, William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist”, and Stephen King’s “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” and the short story collection ‘Night Shift’.
The Batman-News team extends its deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones. As fans of Batman, film, and television series, we will always remember him for his body of work as a voice actor and audiobook narrator.
KERZEL, Joachim
Born: 12/10/1941, Hindenburg, Upper Silesia, Germany
Died: 7/20/2026, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Joachim Kerzel’s western – voice actor:
Return of Frank James – 1940 [1972 German voice of Louis Mason]
The Lone Ranger (TV) – 1956 [German voice of John Beradino]
Ghost Town – 1956 [1986 German voice of Kent Taylor]
Gunsmoke (TV) – 1955, 1961-1975 [German voice of Charles Wagenheim, Mayf Nutter, Ted Jordan, Larry Delaney, Ed Asner]
Bonanza (TV) – 1964, 1968, [German voice of John Vernon, Hal Baylor]
The Wild Wild West (TV) - 1965[German voice of Harold Gould]
The Legend of Custer (TV) – 1967 [German voice of Rory Calhoun]
Ace High – 1968 [German voice of bank employee]
Return of Sabata – 1971 [German voice of Luciano Rossi]
Alias Smith and Jones (TV) – 1971-1973 [German voice of John Russell]
Westworld – 1973 [German voice of Steve Franken]
The Crazy Bunch – 1974 [German voice of Oscar Giustini, Veriano Ginesi]
Mad Dog Morgan – 1976 [German voice of Dennis Hopper]
Centennial (TV) – 1978 [German voice of Clint Ritchie]
Wanda Nevada – 1979 [German voice of Ted Markland]
Chisolms (TV) – 1979-1980 [German voice of Michael Swan, Robert Barton,
Thunder 2 – 1987 [German voice of Bo Svenson]
Last of the Mohicans – 1992 [German voice of Mac Andrews]
Silent Tongue – 1996 [German voice of Alan Bates]
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (TV) – 2003 [German voice of Alan Arkin]
Gods and Generals – 2003 [German voice of narrator]
Westworld (TV) – 2016-2022 [German voice of Anthony Hopkins]
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