Zeno Robinson Breaks Down His Roles in Spider-Man, My Hero Academia, and Demon Slayer (Exclusive)

Zeno Robinson, a celebrated voice actor, has had a successful career in both American animation and Japanese anime. He recently discussed some of his most famous roles in an interview with TopMob. Fans will recognize his work in popular series like My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Attack on Titan. More recently, he voiced the well-known character Harry Osborn in Disney+’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Robinson recently shared with TopMob how his various projects have been instrumental in building his successful and varied career.

He was well-known for voicing Cyborg on Young Justice, but sadly, he doesn’t have any good news about whether the show will get a fifth season.

Robinson will be back for the second season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, set to launch on Disney+ this fall.

He really enjoyed working on the Marvel animated series and expressed interest in playing the same character in a live-action film. He specifically suggested that if Coleman Domingo were cast as Norman Osborn, he’d be happy to audition for the role of Harry Osborn, since he already provides the character’s voice.

Besides his work with Marvel, Robinson discussed his well-known anime roles – Hawks from My Hero Academia and Genya from Demon Slayer – and shared some of the subtle details he considered when portraying each character.

Genya seems tough and even a bit harsh on the surface, but underneath he’s actually very sensitive and deeply emotional.

Fans will see more of Genya soon as the story continues in Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 2.

Robinson continues to add to his voice acting roles in anime, most recently as Kashimo in the current season of Jujutsu Kaisen. New episodes are being released weekly on Crunchyroll.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Harry Osborn

“I was kind of scared it wasn’t going to come out…”

TopMob: “What was the recording process like for your take on Harry Osborn in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and how did it feel to finally see the show release and fans react to this new version of the character?”

I was a little worried for a moment there that I wouldn’t get the part! I’ve been a huge Spider-Man fan my whole life, so I’ve watched pretty much every Spider-Man cartoon. I actually played Randy Robertson – Robbie Robertson’s son who works at the Daily Bugle – in the previous cartoon, which I think was Marvel’s Spider-Man on Disney XD.

I recall auditioning for the role without knowing much about it. It had a really strong Spider-Man vibe, so I initially thought it might be another superhero project. Then I got the email with the contract, and I was shocked to learn I’d been cast as Harry Osborn!

Being a big Marvel and MCU fan, my first thought was that I felt like I was now a part of that universe. It’s a bit unexpected, but it’s really cool to me.

We’re trying something fresh with Harry Osborn. He’s been portrayed in a lot of different ways over the years, with various interpretations of who he is. But at the heart of it, all those versions share the same central idea: a deeply complex and difficult relationship with his father.

TopMob asked fans, considering the Osborn family has mostly shown up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe through multiverse storylines, whether they’d like to see a version of Harry Osborn or the family as a whole become part of a main Marvel Studios live-action project.

Our universe is a bit separate from the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, but we still have direct connections and references to it. Because of that, I’d really like to see Harry Osborn and Norman Osborn appear in our stories.

I publicly offered to audition for the role of Harry Osborn if Coleman plays Norman Osborn. I’m already providing the voice for the character and would be happy to appear on screen as well, as long as it fits the project’s direction and the team is interested.

So yes, for multiple reasons, I’d love to see them on screen. That would be super awesome.

The Nuanced Approach to Hawks on My Hera Academia

“The balance of what you give and what you want to receive…”

TopMob: “As a Crunchyroll Anime Awards for your portrayal of Hawks, how does your approach to navigating the nuances of a dual-sided ‘double agent’ character differ from a more traditional voice acting role?”

Zeno Robinson believes the character of Hawks is quite complex and has many subtle layers. He feels that a key part of acting, in general, is finding the right balance between expressing emotions and reacting to what you get from other actors.

Hawks spent a couple of seasons acting as a sort of double agent, and while the manga was still being published, it was genuinely unclear whose side he was on.

I didn’t want to portray the character as purely a villain or a hero, because I was uncertain about his true nature at that point. I didn’t have all the information I needed to make a clear decision about how to play him.

I needed to explain why he made the choices he did, both within the story and based on his background. A big part of that involved figuring out what could push him towards becoming a villain – specifically, what emotions or feelings about the world might lead him down that path.

Understanding a character means learning about their experiences and truly grasping their world. It also means understanding the reasons behind their actions and what makes them heroic.

Genya’s Emotional Layers in Demon Slayer

“He has this really deep emotional core…”

TopMob: “Given the unique nature of Genya’s ability to consume demons and take on their traits, how do you approach the specific vocal and physical challenges of portraying that half-human, half-demon?

Zeno Robinson believes what makes Genya so compelling is the contrast between his tough, sometimes harsh, outer shell and his surprisingly sensitive and emotional heart.

I’ve always felt like this character is incredibly complex. He’s clearly carrying a lot of pain and insecurity – almost like he doesn’t think he’s good enough. But what really motivates him, I think, is his relationship with his brother. He’s desperately trying to make things right and get his brother’s forgiveness, and that’s what pushes him to do everything he does. It’s the core of who he is, honestly.

I need to create a few different voices for this character. There’s his normal, loud voice – he’s usually shouting – but also a softer, more vulnerable side. I especially focus on that softer side when he’s talking to people, or when he’s nervous around girls, as that’s a really important part of who he is.

When he transforms into the demon, his voice becomes much more aggressive and intense, even compared to his usual harshness. My main focus when portraying him is to clearly show that shift and make the difference obvious.

TopMob: “Since Genya’s presence was limited in the first Infinity Castle film, can you tease whether the upcoming sequel will follow the manga’s trajectory and offer a significantly larger role for your character?”

Zeno Robinson believes the movie will likely follow the manga’s storyline. If it does, we can expect to see a lot more of his character, Genya, in the next film compared to the first one.

The first film was fantastic, and I’m really looking forward to working on the sequel.

2026-03-25 06:40