Kevin Conroy not returning to in Batman: Arkham Origins

A new Batman game will rise this October, but unfortunately for fans of the Caped Crusader, somebody else will be voicing the character.

 

The May issue of South African gaming magazine NAG hinted that legendary Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy won’t be reprising his role as The Dark Knight in the new Batman: Arkham video game “Batman: Arkham Origins”. 

No mention or hints have been given as to who will be replacing Conroy, however.  

According to NAG, game developer WB Games Montreal wants to hire a younger actor to voice Batman/ Bruce Wayne, because Arkham Origins is a prequel and is set during the superhero’s early years.

 

Having gotten his start and playing the titular character of Batman in the highly acclaimed 1992 TV Show “Batman: The Animated Series”, Kevin Conroy has affectionately been called the “Voice of Batman” by fans worldwide. Even after the series ended, he continued to voice-play the character in other DC Animated spin-off shows such as “The New Batman Adventures, “Batman Beyond”, and “Justice League/ Justice League Animated”. Conroy is the first person in animation to use two different tones in playing Batman and Bruce Wayne, to further distinguish the two faces of the same character. Conroy has also earned the honor of playing the role longer than any other actor in history, besting out both live-action and animation Batmen by playing the role for over 20 years.

 

In addition to his work for the DC Animated Universe, Kevin Conroy has also played Batman in several DC Universe Animated Original Movies and video games. He voiced Batman in the Superman/ Batman movies, Batman: Gotham Knight, and Justice League Doom. He also lent his voice to video game adaptations of the animated series, such as Batman: Vengeance and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu. However, it wasn’t until the 2009 WB Games and Rocksteady release of Batman: Arkham Asylum that he earned additional accolades and praise for reprising the role he made famous since the 90’s. Conroy would return again in the 2011 sequel Batman: Arkham City, and would also lend his voice in this year’s DC Universe fighting, Injustice: Gods Among Us.

 

Much like losing Paul Dini as Writer and Mark Hamill retiring his voice talents as The Joker, It certainly won’t be the same without Kevin Conroy as Batman in the next Arkham game. Time will tell if the new guy will be able to deliver, but here’s hoping that the “Voice of Batman” will return again someday. Batman: Arkham Origins comes out on October 25 for PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U. — TJD, GMA News