Kevin Conroy was an American actor who first voiced Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman: The Animated Series which served as the beginning of what would eventually become the DC Animated Universe. After several auditions, the team behind Batman: The Animated Series heard Conroy's Bruce Wayne and Batman voices and realized that "they had their Batman". On the third episode of Batman: The Animated Series, "Nothing To Fear" (though it was the tenth to air), Conroy delivered the line "I am Vengeance. I am The Night. I am BATMAN!", which became a iconic signature line for both himself and the Batman character in general.
Conroy voiced Batman in every other series within the DC Animated Universe (as well in every movie and video game linked to the shows), making him the only voice actor to appear in every DCAU project. He voiced him in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, The New Batman Adventures, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, Batman Beyond, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, The Zeta Project, Static Shock, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. Since the DCAU's conclusion, Conroy reprised the role for several animated movies and video games, as well as for guest appearances in other animated Batman shows (usually alongside Mark Hamill, who has also voiced the Joker on many occasions).
In the "DC Universe Original Animated Movies" franchise, Conroy voiced Batman in Batman: Gotham Knight (a movie between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight), and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and its sequel Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (both of which are based on early storylines from the Superman/Batman comic series). In the hit Batman: Arkham series (particularly Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Knight, and the spin-off Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League), the Injustice fighting games series by NetherRealm Studios and the MMORPG video game DC Universe Online, Conroy voiced Batman to help players feel they are getting the real experience. He also voiced Thomas Elliot/Hush in Arkham City and Arkham Knight, as well as a clone of Batman in Kill the Justice League.
In the season four premiere of The Batman, "A Matter Of Family", he voiced Nightwing's father, John Grayson. In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, he voiced the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh in the episode "The Super-Batman Of Planet X", and the Phantom Stranger in the episode "Chill of the Night!". In 2019, Conroy was involved in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover from the CW television network, appearing in live-action for the first time as a version of Bruce Wayne from Earth-99 in the Batwoman episode of the event of the same name, before his untimely death on November 10, 2022.
Trivia[]
- Conroy was one of six voice actors to reprise their role from the DCAU in the Arkhamverse, the other five being: Mark Hamill as the Joker, Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn, Robert Costanzo as Harvey Bullock, CCH Pounder as Amanda Waller and Adam Baldwin as Rick Flag.
- Jennifer Hale also reprised her role from the DCAU as Killer Frost in Batman: Assault on Arkham, however the film would be rendered non-canon.
- Conroy recorded lines for the animated film Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three before his passing. Ironically, the final lines he ever recorded were appropriate for himself as well as for his history of voicing Batman:
- "If it has to end, at least I go out like this. Being Batman."
- On Michael Rosenbaum's "Inside of You" podcast, Conroy revealed that he had originally auditioned for the role of Harvey Bullock, saying "I thought that'd be a really fun character."