One of the most prolific and iconic voice actors for the DC superhero Batman, Kevin Conroy, has sadly passed at age 66. While he had a varied career, most fans would come to know him as the voice actor of Batman starting in the 1990s in Batman: The Animated Series. He would become the quintessential, if not the defining, voice of the caped crusader that captured the dark aspects of Batman and some of his more nuanced moments as Bruce Wayne. Conroy would then go on to reprise the role of Batman for a number of DC Comics animated properties such as Justice League, movies like Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and more.
Kevin Conroy's passing was shared in a heartfelt Facebook post by Diane Pershin, the voice of Poison Ivy, which was confirmed by multiple sources that he had passed after a "short battle with cancer." Pershing's post said that he had been ill "for a while" but noted he was still making time to go to various conventions and events. Obituaries were shared by some of Conroy's costars like Mark Hamill, where they all noted the amount of kindness and respect that he had. This legacy of his cemented him as the voice of Batman for a generation, especially in the video games that featured him.
Batman Games From the DC Animated Universe
Conroy would begin voicing the caped crusader in a couple of Batman video games based on the aforementioned animated series that was airing at the time. The very first of these was The Adventures of Batman and Robin on the Sega CD. While this game would also be released on the SNES, Genesis, and Game Gear, the Sega CD version featured a number of animated cutscenes that were produced by Warner Bros. Animation itself. These cutscenes would have Conroy reprise the role of Batman, as well as a number of other actors from the show such as Mark Hamill, Arleen Sorkin, Diane Pershing, and more. These animated segments are sometimes called "The Lost Episode" as well.
From there, Conroy would continue voicing the character in two other Batman video games, since they were also based on the canon of the animated show. Those two would be Batman: Vengeance and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, both developed by Ubisoft Montreal. While these games received mixed reviews, some fondly remember these games for the voice acting, with Conroy delivering a consistent performance that fans have been used to during the show's run. Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, however, would mark the last game explicitly based on the animated series.
Kevin Conroy in the Batman Arkham Series
While other Batman games would continue being produced, they were less ambitious and made to capitalize on the brand. That would change with Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, being one of the first big-budget games for the modern platform at the time, the PS3. Seeing that the first Arkham game was influenced by Batman: The Animated Series, the developer also brought back several voice actors from the show, including Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in their iconic roles as Batman and Joker respectively.
Conroy's performance in the first game sounds almost exactly how he did in animated TV shows like Justice League Unlimited. This voice would continue to evolve as the years went by, growing more gruff and guttural in the Arkham games to follow. Much like Conroy's performance in the animated shows, these games would continue to mark him as the definitive voice of the character for many gamers. The highlights of these games are both Joker and Batman's interactions and how they affect each other, with lines and dialogue that make these characters feel genuine and alive to many fans.
The only exception to Conroy voicing Batman in the Arkham series would be Arkham Origins, where he was replaced by Roger Craig Smith. The game was a prequel developed by WB Games Montreal instead of Rocksteady, with other characters like the Joker being replaced with a different actor. Conroy, however, would reprise the role again for the grand finale of the saga, Batman: Arkham Knight. While this would be the last Arkham game developed by Rocksteady, there were a few other games in the series that were released post-Arkham Knight such as Arkham Underworld and Arkham VR, with Conroy again reprising the role.
Other Games That Feature Conroy's Batman
After the release of the Arkham games, Conroy would continue to voice the character in a number of animated shows and video games whenever he could. One of the first games to feature Conroy was DC Universe Online, an MMO revolving around the DC Universe that was released in 2011 and was one of the few actors to reprise their role from a past show. While the character would get differing actors depending on the game, Conroy was still appearing regularly as the voice of Batman.
NetherRealm Studio's fighting game duology Injustice would also see Conroy reprising Batman in both games, alongside other DC Animated Universe alumni like George Newbern and Susan Eisenberg who reprised their roles as Superman and Wonder Woman respectively. He would voice the character a few more times throughout the year in games like Lego DC Super-Villains.
The last time that Conroy would reprise the role of Batman before his passing would be in the multiplayer crossover game Multiversus. He is joined by other iconic voice actors that have played the characters in the game, such as the aforementioned Newbern as Superman, Eric Bauza as Bugs Bunny, and Matthew Illiard as Shaggy. With so many performances as DC's Dark Knight, fans will forever remember an actor who defined the character, but also an inspiration for future performers or current talent in the industry. He is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy.