Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood lands first mo-cap role in Batman: Arkham Shadow as iconic villain

Elijah Wood is set to star as Dr Jonathan Crane (aka Scarecrow) in Camouflaj's upcoming VR game, Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Wood, who among many roles is perhaps best known for starring as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, shared news of his casting with a video message to fans.

"When Camouflaj initially approached me about joining the cast for this, I was super intrigued for a few reasons," Wood said. "I'm a massive Batman fan - the films, games, comics, I collected the toys when I was young - and I was super intrigued at the notion that this next chapter in the Arkham series would be done entirely in VR."

Wood added this was his first experience with motion capture, and the prospect of that "excited" him.

"And then, obviously, playing such an iconic character was a delicious request," Wood closed. I'm very excited to see all of your reactions to this game. I am excited myself to experience it and play it, but until then, remember: Just like fear, the shadow exists within us all."

In a Q&A with the developers, Camouflaj studio head and game director Ryan Payton and director of production at Camouflaj Matt Walker said they had Wood in mind for the role from the very start, with "no backup plan" in place if the actor said no.

"So, thank God when we prepared all the materials and the whole pitch, he responded very favourably to the offer," the developers shared.

Batman: Arkham Shadow is set to release tomorrow, 22nd October, on Meta Quest 3.

The game is set prior to Arkham Asylum (though after Warner Bros. Montreal's own prequel entry, Batman Arkham Origins). The decision to set the game during this time was a deliberate move by Camouflaj, as it would allow Shadow to feature a younger, less experienced Bat that could be put under pressure without an array of allies.

For more, our Tom spoke with Camouflaj boss Ryan Payton about Batman: Arkham Shadow earlier this year. Meanwhile, Eurogamer's VR connoisseur Ian has already been hands (and eyes) on with the game. You can check out his thoughts in the video above.