When it comes to Batman, there have been many men who have worn the iconic Bat cowl over the years. Everyone from Adam West and Michael Keaton to Ben Affleck and Christian Bale have taken up the identity of the Caped Crusader.
But for a lot of fans, there is only one iconic Batman, and that is Kevin Conroy.
Conroy first started his journey into Gotham in the 90s, taking on the titular character in Fox’s Batman The Animated Series. He later went on to reprise the role in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoon shows. Conroy would return as The Bat in a number of DC animated films, including Batman/Superman Public Enemies and The Flashpoint Paradox.
But perhaps Conroy’s most famous foray into the Bat Cave comes from the Arkham series. Conroy voiced Batman in three out of the four games, appearing in Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and the most recent addition to the Arkham universe, Arkham Knight.
With a lot of information circulating as to the future of this adored franchise, fans looked to Conroy for some clarity. Rumors are swirling of a forthcoming announcement out of developer WB Games Montreal concerning an Arkham game that is rumored to be called Arkham Legacy. However, it appears that if the rumors of this game turn out to be true, it will not feature the most iconic Batman voice of this generation.
When asked in a recent interview whether he would be returning for the upcoming game, Conroy simply responded, “I’m not.”
The interviewer expressed disappointment over that news, to which Conroy echoed the sentiment saying, “I know. I don’t know why.”
It should be noted that WB Games Montreal’s only Arkham title to date was a prequel called Arkham Origins. Set in Gotham on Christmas Eve, Arkham Origins tells the story of a relatively young Batman in his first few years on the job encountering iconic villains for the first time. This was also the only Arkham game where Conroy was not featured as The Dark Knight.
Conroy is also best known for playing Batman opposite veteran Star Wars actor Mark Hammil, who voices Batman’s arch-nemesis The Joker in Arkham Asylum, City, and Knight. Hammil was also not in Arkham Origins. Batman and The Joker were voiced by Craig Smith and Troy Baker, respectively. Hammil has noted in several interviews that he and Conroy have an agreement, wherein they will never play Batman or The Joker with anyone but each other.
That means if Conroy is out, it stands to reason that Hammil is out too.
There is no word yet on if Smith and Baker would be reprising their roles from Arkham Origins.
