WATCH: Batman star Burt Ward tells us about his Superboy fandom

To several generations of fans, Burt Ward is the first and best Boy Wonder. For three seasons, Ward co-starred on the Batman TV series in the '60s and instantly became a cultural icon as Dick Grayson/Robin. Ward has never really left that role behind and he even voiced Robin as recently as 2017 in the Batman vs. Two-Face animated film. However, if Ward had his way, he would have portrayed another hero. 

As part of SYFY WIRE's Batman at 80 celebration, Ward told us that the superhero he admired the most growing up wasn't Batman or Robin. Instead, it was Superboy who captured his imagination.

"When I was a kid, I really wanted to be a superhero," said Ward. "Now, where I lived, they didn't have Batman comic books. They had Superman and Superboy. So I kind of envisioned myself being like Superboy and thought about it all of the time."

While there are currently two Superboys running around in the DC Universe, Ward's childhood hero was simply Superman when he was a boy. Superboy's adventures primarily took place in Smallville, and added new layers to Superman's mythology.  

In the video, Ward noted that his fandom for Superboy began when he was only three years old and he often imagined himself as his favorite comic book hero. Naturally, fate had a different path in mind for him. Regardless, Ward shared his belief that "thoughts are things" and credited his Superboy obsession with paving the way for his role as Robin.

Ward isn't all about the superheroes though, he's also similarly obsessed with dogs, which has turned into his own Gentle Giants dog food and product line.

For more details about Ward's Superboy adoration, check out the entire video!