As someone who got into the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by listening to the audiobooks, I'm not even remotely surprised to see so many positive reactions to the news out of Comic-Con this week that Jeff Hays would be voicing the role of Princess Donut for the book-to-screen adaptation.
As the narrator of all eight (so far) Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobooks, Hays does an outstanding job, particularly in the way he shifts from one voice to the next. I think it would've been a bit of a challenge to adjust to a new voice behind the beloved feline when the TV adaptation debuts, so I'm glad we won't have to. From her tone to her style of speaking and huffy reactions, Hays brings so much personality to Donut. It's a good sign that he's being included for the Dungeon Crawler Carl TV show, which will be available at some point for people with a Peacock subscription.
Can He Voice The AI Too?
Beyond the excited reactions I've seen around social media about Hays voicing Donut, I've also seen people mentioning another role they hope he'll voice. To be clear, no other roles have been cast for Dungeon Crawler Carl, but there are some fans still holding out hope that Hays will also voice the role of the system AI. This "character' in the book is responsible for announcing Neewww Achievements, loot boxes, warnings and other rules Carl and the other characters need to be aware of throughout the "game" they're playing. Like so many other characters in the DCC audiobooks, the AI's voice is distinct and full of personality (for better or cringy worse), and it'd be hard to get used to another voice behind it.
Seth MacFarlane And Alan Tudyk Are Other Great Suggestions I've Seen
Jeff Hays isn't the only name I've seen mentioned by fans online when talking about voicing the AI. With Seth MacFarlane on board as a producer, it's not a stretch to wonder if he'll provide a voice or appear on screen, and some fans think he'd be a great option for the AI. Alan Tudyk is another fantastic suggestion, given how many of his best performances involve his skill at voice acting. I've seen fans bring his name up when discussing casting for Mordecai too. Really, there are a lot of fun character options for Tudyk, if he's interested and in consideration for the series.
Obviously, fans have a lot of ideas and hopes for these roles, but as I said, nothing official has been announced for anyone, apart from Hays voicing Donut.
WARNING: We Don't Even Know How AI Will Appear In The DCC Series
I just want to throw this out there because I've been thinking about it, and it occurred to me that the AI is a DCC character with a bit more wiggle room for the adaptation than most. The AI appears primarily as text in the book, but is that how the show plans to depict it? They could include flashes of text boxes with audio to deliver the AI's updates and warnings, but is it possible that they'll develop the character to be an actual on-screen presence? Someone who pops in to provide updates rather than having them be text only?
I'm not saying this would be a better option than text on screen with a voice reading it, but how to bring the AI to the screen is presumably among the creative decisions that need to be made. Cost could factor in, especially when we consider the likely abundance of visual effects that will be necessary to bring this wild story to life.
At the end of the day, I just hope they do whatever works best to bring the character into the TV show and ideally maintain all of its personality and weirdness. Yes, that includes the creepy way it talks about Carl's feet.
We'll have to wait and see what updates come out. Fans are obviously excited to know who will be playing Donut's co-lead, Carl in the TV series, and there are so many other roles that need to be cast. It's going to be exciting to see what updates pop up as the series continues to be developed.
