The voice of Batman for a generation or two, Kevin Conroy, has died at the age 66 after a fight with cancer. The actor worked in theatre and television but he is most know for becoming the iconic voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League cartoon, animated movies, Batman: Arkham, Injustice video games and more. According to The Hollywood Reporter he voice the character for "60 different productions, spanning 15 films and 400 episodes of television." He was even given a chance to play Bruce Wayne in the CW crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths", a choice made specifically because of his iconic work with the character with the live action version based on the "Kingdom Come" version of Batman. The news of his death first came from Diane Pershing (voice of Poison Ivy) who wrote "Very sad news: our beloved voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, died yesterday. He's been ill for a while but he really put in a lot of time at the cons, to the joy of all of his fans. He will be sorely missed not just by the cast of the series but by his legion of fans all over the world" where she included recent pictures of the actor with her at a convention.
Another icon in the animation realm, casting and voice director Andrea Romano wrote "Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and
directing — he was a dear friend for 30-plus years whose kindness and
generous spirit knew no boundaries. Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure
love of life will be with me forever."
Mark Hamill known to some as Luke Skywalker, is also a definitive voice, this time for The Joker. He said "Kevin was perfection. He was one of my favorite people on the planet,
and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him
– his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or
spoke with him, my spirits were elevated. Kevin was a
brilliant actor. For several generations, he has been the definitive
Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact
right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His
rhythms and subtleties, tones, and delivery – that all also helped
inform my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a
complementary, creative experience. I couldn't have done it without him."
If interested in a recent long interview with the actor, watch the Inside of You podcast. Below are a few tribute videos fans created when they learned of his death. It appears the last time he voiced the role is for the video game MultiVersus. Condolences to friends and family on their loss.
