Rocksteady’s Arkhamverse canon is one of the most revered superhero franchises in gaming, and for good reason. Rocksteady’s Batman games weave an interconnected history of rich lore between each installment, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a continuation of it that is picked back up five years after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight. Much has obviously changed, such as why Batman is back as a public figure, and a Justice League affiliate no less. But with the tragic news of actor Kevin Conroy’s passing, the future of Rocksteady’s Arkhamverse will never be the same.
Conroy is synonymous with Batman, and his take on the character in Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy was superb. Batman was then hidden from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League marketing, perhaps in an attempt to surprise players with his reveal whenever the game releases. It was great for Rocksteady to reveal the character with a touching sentiment of thanks to Conroy, and that will undoubtedly make his part in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League poignant as a result. As for where Rocksteady can take the franchise, the Bat Family could have the torch passed from Batman to them.
Kill the Justice League is Rocksteady’s Last Kevin Conroy Appearance
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be Kevin Conroy’s final reprisal of Batman due to the actor’s passing, and fans are likely delighted to see that he will have returned for one last outing in the Arkhamverse. It will be fun to see Conroy’s performance as a Brainiac-corrupted Batman rather than a stoic do-gooder, but it is also upsetting to know that this will be the last performance fans see of him.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been delayed once more, likely into the latter half of 2023 at this point, but it is probably too late in development for any narratively significant beats to be changed. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what happens to the character by the end.
It is entirely possible that Rocksteady could recast Batman if it wanted to continue using the character in the future, whether it was a prequel or sequel installment to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. In fact, Roger Craig Smith has previously played the role of Batman within the Arkhamverse canon in Batman: Arkham Origins’ prequel installment, meaning it has been done before already.
That said, out of respect to Conroy, it would also not be surprising if Rocksteady decided to hang up that particular cape and cowl so long as it continues developing entries for that particular canon. If Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League truly does kill off its corrupted League members, then that would be a bittersweet yet logical explanation as to why a sequel featuring Batman would be impractical anyway.
Future Arkham Games Can Feature the Bat Family Instead
If Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is unable to break the mold of its live-service trappings and surprise doubtful fans, there is a chance that Rocksteady could instantly pivot back to single-player action-adventure games. Fortunately, Rocksteady has already built a Bat Family foundation that could carry its own series of games if Rocksteady felt inclined to take that route.
Tim Drake’s Robin is still seemingly on active duty alongside Barbara Gordon’s Oracle and possibly Alfred, for example, and Dick Grayson’s Nightwing was already his own vigilante in Bludhaven by the events of Batman: Arkham Knight. Otherwise, it would make a lot of sense to include Jason Todd’s Red Hood in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
It was already confirmed that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s post-launch DLC plans include new playable characters, and Red Hood’s penchant for firearms would make him a shoo-in for third-person shooter action with all the guns and gadgets that Task Force X gets access to. There are many options Rocksteady has here, and with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League being part of the Arkhamverse canon it would seem as if the studio already has plans for where the franchise could go in the future. Unfortunately, that future will not include Conroy’s role as Batman.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
