While there have been many recognizable stars who have played Batman on screen, the credit for the distinctive voice of the character in various animated series and video games goes to the late Kevin Conroy. Beginning his stint in 1992, Conroy went on to voice the iconic superhero in many television series and video games for over 3 decades.
While the actor is now synonymous with the famous DC superhero, he was cast following an extremely extensive process that led to Warner Brothers almost giving up on the search after auditioning hundreds of voices for the role. Finally, it was a distinctive feature in Conroy’s repertoire that ultimately made him the perfect choice.
How Kevin Conroy Became The Voice Of Batman
The world of animation lost a major player in 2022 with Kevin Conroy’s unfortunate death. The actor who voiced Batman for over three decades beginning with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, became one with the character over multiple television series and video games.
Conroy’s biggest skill involved nailing the distinctive raspy voice of the Caped Crusader to perfection. But Warner Brothers did not have an easy task to find the perfect fit for Batman before the voice artist came along.
The production house auditioned over 500 actors to find the right person who could bring the DC superhero to life. In an interview with Crazy Jacks Museum 3 years ago, Conroy elaborated on his experience with theater which was the X-factor that ultimately sealed the deal for him.
“I was a New York stage actor. I had a real classical background doing Shakespeare, Greek broadway, that kind of stuff, and I happened to be in Los Angeles doing a pilot television series, and my agent said, they’re looking for voices for a new show Batman. They decided to look at theatrical people and that’s when they brought me in.”
The voice expert added that he felt no pressure to live up to the lofty legacy of Batman as his only reference point for the superhero until then was Adam West’s version of the character. This lack of knowledge worked in his favor as he was able to bring his skill set into play without being restricted in his experimentation.
Kevin Conroy’s Emotional Farewell To Batman
Popular voice actor and Batman veteran Kevin Conroy passed away in 2022 after a short battle with cancer. Having made his name for immortalizing the Caped Crusader in multiple animated series and video games for many years, Conroy became a cult figure among gaming buffs and DC fans. His final role before his death also ironically heralded the demise of the superhero in the video game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
The game which is a spinoff of the Batman: Arkham series, received a few complaints from gaming buffs who felt that the DC icon’s death hit too close to home for Conroy who was suffering from cancer at the time. But reports from his camp indicate that the actor knew exactly what he was getting into, and was fully on board to bring the character a full circle.
The actor’s representative was all praise for him and his wholehearted commitment to Batman’s fate in the video game. Speaking to TMZ, he stated that Conroy gave his 200 percent to the role despite his failing health.
With his unfortunate death, Kevin Conroy has left behind a legacy of memorable performances and will go down in history as one of the most successful voice artists in the industry.
