Why Duncan From Masters Of The Universe: Revelations Sounds So Familiar

When Kevin Smith took on the project of rebooting the lucrative "Masters of the Universe" franchise, he wanted to do something true to the stories he loved — and one of the most important characters from the original series is Duncan, better known as Man-At-Arms. For most of his existence in the franchise, Duncan has been both the close confidant and ally of He-Man, and the trusted advisor of the Royal Family of Eternia. In Smith's reboot, "Masters of the Universe: Revelations," he is ostracized after He-Man sacrifices himself, and Duncan reveals that he, among others, kept the king in the dark that his son, Adam, was the hero.

Eagle-eared fans will notice a plethora of voices that bring joy to their nerdy bones when they watch "Revelations." For example, the series stars such major cult favorite actors as Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Lena Headey ("Game of Thrones"), Mark Hamill ("Star Wars"), Alicia Silverstone ("Batman and Robin"), and Tony Todd ("Candyman"). Many fans will hear Duncan's voice and know they have listened to it before, as well, but cannot place it. Who is he?

The answer: He is voiced by none other than Liam Cunningham. Here is where you have heard (and seen) him before.

One of Cunningham's earlier roles to gain acclaim from the wider public was in the 2006 film "The Wind that Shakes the Barley," directed by Ken Loach. Cunningham took on the role of Dan, a committed trade unionist joining brothers Damien (Cillian Murphy) and Teddy O'Donovan (Padraic Delaney) in the Irish's revolutionary fight against the British Empire. 

The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and took home the Palme D'or award. It did well with audiences, scoring 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 90% from the critics. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised the film for taking a heavy subject, full of "misery and bitterness and rage," and turning it into a remarkable film, calling it "a finely made, finely acted piece of work. For this, and for his remarkable and uncompromising career, Loach deserves his golden palm."

Cunningham portrayed Father Dominic Moran in the critically acclaimed independent film "Hunger" from 2008. The most impressive aspect of Cunningham's performance in the movie is not the impact he made on the overall arc, but that he did so with one scene. 

Father Moran's purpose in the story was to speak to Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and attempt to convince him to end the hunger strike he organized. The scene itself was 17 minutes long, reputed to be mostly done in one take (per The Film Stage). It proved to be a poignant section of the film — arguably the highlight of the entire movie, in fact — and it brought attention to both the actors involved and the debut directorial effort of Steve McQueen. The movie received rave reviews from critics, scoring a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critic Matthew Lucas writing that "McQueen allows us to walk away shattered, beaten, and horrified, with our own conclusions." Harry Fletcher of the Evening Standard said about the one scene with Cunningham and Fassbender, "For all the scenes of violence and harrowing conditions in the prison, this discussion has the most impact. Being unbroken, with no relief for those watching, the sequence is strange and compelling -– more like something from an art project or theatre piece than a scene from a commercial film."

"Gentleman, may our journey be long, filled with agony and torment." 

Liam Cunningham brought his charisma and comedic timing to the role of Solon in the 2010 remake of "Clash of the Titans." In a film attempting to bring the classic Greek epic to a new generation, he starred alongside Sam Worthington, Mads Mikkelsen, Gemma Arterton, and Ralph Fiennes. Cunningham's Solon was a dedicated and talented soldier in the Legion, led by Draco (Mikkelsen). He and his fellow soldiers Ixas (Hans Matheson) and Eusebios (Nicholas Hoult), accompany Draco and Perseus (Worthington) on their quest to kill Medusa and bring back her head to battle the Kraken.

While Solon didn't make it to the end of the quest — due to tumbling into a lava river beneath Medussa's lair — he spent the majority of the film delivering snarky remarks and bringing levity to a group of soldiers who've embarked on a journey they don't expect to return from. One of the benefits of perishing in the first movie, though, is that he avoided having to appear in the sequel, 2012's "Wrath of the Titans," which fell completely flat with critics. The poor reception on that film — a 26% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes – effectively killed the franchise.

Undoubtedly, Cunningham's most significant role came in the world-altering HBO series, "Game of Thrones." He appeared in 42 episodes from 2012 to 2019 as the beloved Davos Seaworth, one of the more ethical and sympathetic figures in the series. Not only did Cunningham's Davos play a prominent part in many of the happenings of the series, but he is also one of the few lucky ones to make it from beginning to end without harm.

Davos begins his journey as the right hand of Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone (Stephen Dillane), one of the many claiming his right to the Iron Throne. After Stannis' death, Davos finds himself in league with Jon Snow (Kit Harington), and he remains by his side. 

Talking about his "Game of Thrones" character to Vulture, Cunningham said that, "Davos is this straight shooter. He's an incredibly good lateral thinker, he's honest, he doesn't have that bald, addictive desire for power or leadership, and in a small way, he represents the audience's view of all this. People refer to him as one of the moral compasses of the piece, and in this madly complicated world, he's a guy who occasionally steps in and goes, 'Hold on a minute, should we not be doing this?'"