It seems the Prince of Podcasts is no match for the Dark Knight, with Joe Rogan – host of the massively successful The Joe Rogan Experience – losing his position at the top of Spotify’s podcast rankings thanks to ol’ pointy ears.
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Image: DC/Spotify
Rogan’s reign at the peak of the podcast pile has been interrupted by Batman Unburied, a new narrative podcast penned by The Dark Knight screenwriter David S. Goyer and featuring the voice talent of Black Panther star Winston Duke – the impressively imposing M’Baku.
The Caped Crusader’s new audio outing scored the top spot among Spotify podcasts in Australia, the US, Brazil, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and India with its tweaking of the Batman mythos.
As one might expect, Batman Unburied follows Bruce Wayne, except this time around he’s a forensic pathologist who has no memory of ever having donned the cape and cowl. Working in the bowels of Gotham Hospital, he’s tasked with examining the victims of the Harvester, a new serial killer terrorising Gotham City. In order to save the city’s citizens, Wayne has to navigate a series of twists and turns, encountering some classic Batman villains and facing his own mental demons (just for something a little different for the character).
For Batman’s newest adventure to take place the top spot is an impressive feat as Rogan, who signed an exclusive licensing deal with Spotify in 2020 for an estimated US$200 million, commands an estimated audience of around 11 million that has seen him consistently dominate rankings.
Rogan’s tenure on Spotify has also courted controversy at times with critics accusing him of giving a platform to those voicing scepticism around vaccines and Covid-19 lockdown measures. Then again, Batman’s a billionaire who beats up the poor and desperate in order to work through his childhood trauma, so it’s fair to say that nobody’s perfect.
The first two episodes of Batman Unburied were released on May 3 and new episodes premiere every Tuesday.
