Boy did they undersell him. From his first moments on screen Coran was an explosion of energy and comedy the series has reveled in. No longer a stuffy advisor, Coran is now more of a semi-tech expert that pilots the Castle of Lions ship and is an active player in combat. He also once was infected with a parasite that made him put on an out of this world Voltron stage show. Legendary Defender’s Coran is, to quote the character, a “gorgeous man” in both body and spirit. Much of that is thanks to Coran’s voice actor, Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords), for bringing so much zany energy to the role. Story editor Josh Hamilton says they specifically wanted Darby’s voice for Coran. Darby himself was surprised to get the role. “I was like, am I worthy to be a part of this?” Darby had seen the original series and wasn’t sure he could play “the boring guy that puts the coat on Allura and says, ‘look after yourself!’ As time went on though he realized it was important to the series for this version of Coran to be more interesting and to give it life, “especially for kids!” Darby quickly filled the role of Coran with so much humor that the writers actually started writing way more Coran in the scripts. Hamilton remembers that the scripts were so full of Coran moments they ended up having to cut many of them out. With all that comedy though it could be very easy for the character to completely lose any credibility. Coran is still an important cast member who plays a vital part and if he was just a clown he wouldn’t work in the greater ensemble. Darby believes it’s the mix of comic relief, saving the day multiple times, and also being “sexy as hell” that keeps the character credible and so unique. He also sees Coran’s sense of humor as standing out against the more serious sci-fi out there, making Coran more realistic than some might give him credit for. Even with his funnier side, Darby would love to delve more into Coran’s backstory. Coran is hundreds of years old and had a much sketchier youth than his later life with Allura’s father, Alfor. Other bits like Coran dreaming of being a sort of superhero, thinking he can fly, and being into fashion are sides of the character Darby wants to play with. Read the latest Den of Geek Special Edition Magazine Here! Darby is quick to give praise to the writers of Voltron for crafting not just his character but also the entire story. “That’s why this thing is so successful.” It’s especially successful in the eyes of Darby’s two sons who love the series and are proud,” of the idea that their dad is this weird space wizard.” Darby even found a way to work his kids into the series in the season 2 premiere when they were cast as younger versions of Coran when he was flying through a wormhole that constantly made him younger and younger. Over the six seasons of Voltron, Rhys Darby has made the part of Coran his own, transforming it from the one note portrayal of the original series to a character beloved by fans across the world. He’s filled it with humor, heart, history, and even some of his own life. No wonder, when Rhys Darby took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con, you could hear fans shouting Coran’s catchphrase at him. Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter!
