When it comes to the best Batman voice actors that fans have heard over the years, Kevin Conroy is widely thought of as the best there ever was. (And that even rings true when his work is stacked up to that of live-action Bat movies). Now, a new actor is taking on the role in the realm of animation, and it's Hamish Linklater. The star is voicing the hero on Batman: Caped Crusader, and he recently told CinemaBlend how Conroy’s legacy affected his approach to the role.

During last week’s San Diego Comic-Con, I was one of the select members of the press who had the chance to speak with Hamish Linklater. During our conversation, he shared keen insight into what it's like playing Batman/Bruce Wayne for Amazon Prime Video's new Caped Crusader series. Linklater also reflected on his audition, saying:

The Dark Knight is an 85-year-old iconic comic book hero that isn’t necessarily easy for an actor to bring a fresh approach to, especially considering there are so many other voiceover artists who have defined the part already. Linklater has a long history of working in theater and is known for his role on Netflix’s Midnight Mass. He also recently played Abraham Lincoln in Manhunt, which was released earlier this year. It's cool to hear that he's big fan of the late Kevin Conroy’s performance and interesting to know that Linklater initially found himself doing an impression of his predecessor.

Of course, Caped Crusader is a different animal compared to the revered Batman: The Animated Series. It’s been described as a “re-conception” of the hero particularly through its use of ‘40s noir aesthetics to present the Bat and his famed villains and allies. Later in our conversation, Linklater spoke to how the era in which the series is set helped him create his own voice for the beloved masked vigilante. In his words:

Batman is very much a mask that Bruce Wayne puts on when he is fighting crime. So, in terms of Caped Crusader’s era and tone, Hamish Linklater had room to do something new with the hero through imagining who this version of the hero would be inspired by. As someone who has had a chance to see all 10 episodes of the new show already, I can confirm that Linklater does something fresh and exciting with both Bruce Wayne and his costumed counterpart.

For fans of BTAS, Caped Crusader should be a treat, as it certainly shares some DNA with it. The show was developed by the ‘90s series’ head producer (and DC Animated Universe co-shepherd) Bruce Timm alongside J.J. Abrams and The Batman’s Matt Reeves. Hamish Linklater’s version of Batman helps usher in an exciting new era for an animated Batman, and it's exciting to think about what he'll bring to the show (which has already been renewed for a second season) moving forward.

You can check out the Batman: Caped Crusader trailer now and binge all ten episodes of the new series with a Prime Video subscription when it drops on Thursday, August 1 amid the 2024 TV schedule.

Warning: SPOILERS for Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three are ahead!

On November 10, 2022, longtime Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy died at the age of 66, but that didn’t mean we would never hear his take Caped Crusader ever again. Initially it was believed that the video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would be Conroy’s only posthumously-released DC project, but it was later confirmed that we would hear him as Batman one last time in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part ThreeJustice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three. That movie is now available to purchase on digital platforms, and fans have taken to social media to share their love for his big moment in the Tomorrowverse timeline-set movie.

Although Jensen Ackles still voices the Tomorrowverse’s main Batman in this flick that wraps up this continuity and the preceding DC Animated Movie Universe timeline, Kevin Conroy’s Batman gets a little time to shine on his native Earth-12 while fighting The Joker. Check it out (via @BVengeance267):

As the anti-matter wave erased Earth-12, Batman used his final moments to deal with the Clown Prince of Crime, who said he was flattered that the superhero wanted to spend the end of the world with him. Batman responded:

Gotham City’s Dark Knight threw a punch at his arch-nemesis right as they were wiped from existence, and immediately afterwards, the Justice League/Justice League Unlimited versions of Aquaman, the John Stewart Green Lantern and Hawkgirl (Wonder Woman and Superman can also be seen in the background) were erased too, with John and Hawkgirl sharing one final kiss. Looking on X (formerly known as Twitter), there’s no shortage of praise for the conclusion to Conroy’s three-decade+ Batman tenure. @AmonWarmann wrote:

@Bluenightbeyond agreed that this was a great line to bring Conroy’s Batman to a close, saying:

@Haydenbarton_39 went a step further and explained why this was a great line for Conroy’s Batman to say in the midst of his world being destroyed:

Of course, many of the people watching this moment from Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three grew up hearing Conroy as Batman in Batman: The Animated Series and various other TV shows, movies and video games. So this marking the end of an era is understandably emotional for fans like @millicay95:

As a bonus, storyboard artist Michael Borkowski chimed in to share that he artistically plotted out this scene from Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three:

You can see this scene and plenty of other action-packed moments by purchasing Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three digitally. For the physical media lovers, the Blu-ray comes out on July 23, and the movie will also likely become available to stream with a Max subscription before the year is over. Be sure to also look over where things stand with the upcoming DC movies slate.

There have a lot of actors to play Batman and Joker opposite one another over the years, and among the greatest, if not ranked at the top of the list, is Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, with the two chiefly voicing their respective characters in Batman: The Animated Series and the rest of the DC Animated Universe. Unfortunately, when Conroy passed away in November 2022, Hamill said a few months later that he would probably never voice Joker again since “Without Kevin there, there doesn't seem to be a Batman” for him. However, now it’s been reported that we’ll get to hear these versions of the Caped Crusader and Clown Prince of Crime one last time thanks to an upcoming DC movie.

Word’s come in from IGN that Conroy and Hamill respectively reprise Batman and Joker in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three, which follows the January 9 release of Part One and the forthcoming April 23 release of Part Two on the 2024 movies schedule. Additionally, the outlet unveiled all the other new cast members who will be heard in this entry on the Tomorrowverse timeline as follows:

• Corey Stoll - Lex Luthor
• Brian Bloom - Adam Strange & Sidewinter
• Elysia Rotaru - Black Canary
• Armen Taylor - Jay Garrick
• Cynthia Kaye McWilliams - Dr. Beth Chapel/Cheetah
• Dean Winters - Captain Storm
• Jason Spisak - Blue Lantern Razer, Hayseed
• Brett Halton - Batlash & Captain Atom
• Ashly Burch - Nightshade, Queen Mera
• Katee Sackhoff - Poison Ivy

This news follows nearly a month after the wide release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which features Kevin Conroy as Batman. Shortly beforehand though, it was reported that the Arkhamverse-set video game wouldn’t be the actor’s final outing in a Batman-related project had previously been assumed. Instead, Conroy’s last round of posthumous vocal performances would be in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three and Batman: Caped Crusader, the latter of which being an animated TV show that’s premiering to Amazon Prime Video subscribers at a yet-to-be-revealed date. Then Bruce Timm, one of Caped Crusader’s executive producers who worked with Conroy in the DCAU, debunked the late actor’s involvement in the upcoming TV show, but evidently Crisis Part Three is on the table, though this hasn’t been officially confirmed.

Assuming Kevin Conroy’s Batman and Mark Hamill’s Joker are in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three, this will be the first time these two performed these same characters together in a DC film/TV project since Justice League Action, which ran from 2016 to 2018. Following Justice League Unlimited wrapping up the TV side of the DCAU in 2006, among the other projects these two would play different versions of Batman and Joker in included the Batman: Arkham video games (aside from Origins), as well as the 2016 animated film adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke. Conroy and Hamill were also paired together in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode “Chill of the Night,” where they respectively voiced The Phantom Stranger and The Spectre.

As producer Butch Lukic previously revealed to CinemaBlend, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three is ending DC’s Tomorrowverse, which had been the plan since the beginning. Like its source materials, these movies see heroes and villains from various universes coming together, so throwing a Kevin Conroy-voiced Batman and Mark Hamill-voiced Joker into the mix is par for the course. What’s unclear, though, is if these two are reprising the DCAU versions of these characters or playing different incarnations. Either way, they’re the second and third actors who are reprising their DCAU-originated roles in this trilogy, as Will Friedle is voicing Terry McGinnis, a.k.a. Batman Beyond, in Part Two.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three doesn’t have a release date yet, but once the movie comes out, we’ll be sure to pass along whether Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill did indeed reprise Batman and Joker. Until then, you can revisit many of the past animated DC movies in order by subscribing to Max.

On November 10, 2022, actor Kevin Conroy died at the age of 66. He was best known for voicing Batman across various types of media, most notably Batman: The Animated Series and the rest of the DC Animated Universe franchise, but his passing didn’t mean we were done hearing him as DC Comics’ Caped Crusader. Conroy’s vocal talents are on display in the new video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and now there’s word this project might not be his last Batman performance after all, which, if true, is good news for people who aren’t liking this installment of the Arkhamverse.

Per IGN, although Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be the last time we hear Conroy as Batman in a video game, he allegedly has two more Batman-related posthumous appearances lined up. One of them is the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader, which was originally developed for Max, but will now stream exclusively to Amazon Prime Video subscribers at a yet-to-be-announced date. What’s unclear, however, is if Conroy is voicing Batman in this series or another character, like when he guest-starred in Batman: The Brave and the Bold as The Phantom Stranger.

Then there’s Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three, where Conroy is said to specifically be reprising his Batman from Batman: The Animated Series. Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part One was released earlier this month and featured Jensen Ackles reprising the Tomorrowverse timeline’s version of Batman. Although specific release dates for Part Two and Part Three haven’t been announce yet, they’re both expected to come out later in 2024, so Part Three will likely arrive sometime in the fall or early winter.

Again, none of this is official, but considering how Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been received so far, you can be sure many DC fans will be excited about this potentially not being Kevin Conroy’s final Batman outing. Although the video game is a few days away from being widely released (with the Epic Store version not arriving until March 5 for some reason), people who purchased the deluxe edition for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S have been been able to play it since January 29. So far the game has been met with overwhelmingly negative reviews, and while I won’t share any spoilers, one of the most critiqued aspects has been how it treats Batman, with this being the same version from the Batman: Arkham video games.

In other words, having Batman: Caped Crusader and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three reportedly on deck that Conroy’s tenure as Batman can come to a more satisfiable end. It’s also worth noting that outside of the inclusion of the John Constantine and Spectre from the DC Animated Movie Universe timeline, all the heroes shown in Part One were original interpretations of these characters envisioned through a Tomorrowverse lens. The prospect of the Batman from Batman: The Animated Series showing up in Part Three would indicate that characters from other animated DC movies and TV shows could appear too.

Obviously if this new information ends up being confirmed, we’ll let you know. For now, you can revisit many of Kevin Conroy’s performances as Batman with your Max subscription, and that includes his live-action performance as Bruce Wayne in the Batwoman episode of the Arrowverse’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover. Otherwise, keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news on upcoming DC movies and upcoming DC TV shows.

There have numerous iterations of Batman on the big and small screens. The question of who the best live-action Batman is has spawned a contentious debate but, for many, the definitive version doesn't hail from the live-action realm. It's the one voiced by Kevin Conroy in Batman: The Animated Series. Conroy’s performance became so iconic that he returned to the role in several other projects, including the Arkham Asylum video game and its two sequels. 2024 will see the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, a game set in the same universe. Before Conroy died in 2022, he reprised the role again, in what turned out to be his final take on the Caped Crusader, but there have been some worries on that front.

Kill the Justice League doesn’t come out until the end of January but, for a while, there's been some concern from fans that Kevin Conroy’s final performance might one day be lost. You see, the game is what’s called a “live service” title which, if you’re not familiar, is a game that among other things, requires an internet connection. A constant player base is also required to keep the game (and its economy) running. When live service offerings eventually stop being played, they are usually shut down entirely, making them impossible to play for anybody who still wants to.

Such a move would mean that the late actor's final performance could become inaccessible in the future. However, production manager Jack Hackett of the game’s developer, Rocksteady Studios, recently told Comicbook.com that the company already has plans in place to ensure that the voice actor’s final work as Batman remains available. He explained…

That certainly good news, and fans of this take on the Dark Knight are sure to feel a sense of relief. It would honestly be disappointing if folks were to eventually not be able to hear the actor's pitch-perfect pipes as time goes on.

The game centers around members of the Justice League, including Batman, going bad, due to being under Braniac's control. As a result, the Suicide Squad comes in to try and take them out. While Gotham's protector may be a “bad guy” this time around, Hackett says Kevin Conroy’s performance in the game will be special for fans, with a “poignance” that he agrees is worth persevering. He continued… 

That's certainly what the beloved performer and the character itself deserve. Kevin Smith called Conroy the "one true Batman." Mark Hamill has even said that he won't reprise his Joker role without Conroy's version of the hero. It would have been terrible if his final performance truly had been lost, which is something that, as more media of all kinds transitions to largely, if not exclusively digital platforms, we all should be concerned about.  

Those who'd like to hear Kevin Conroy's Batman work right now can play the Arkham games or grab a Max subscription and stream the various DC Animated Universe shows and some of the direct-to-video movies.

Batman and The Joker are like yin and yang, where each feeds off the other, and both are needed for either to exist. (More or less.) The same can be said about Batman: The Animated Series's iconic stars Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, who have voiced the respective archnemeses for decades. Understandably, Conroy’s untimely death shook Hamil as it did multitudes of devoted fans, and a year after the voice actor’s death, Hamill shared a heartbreaking response when asked about playing the Crown Prince of Crime again.

The Batman-Joker dream team came together in 1992 after Fox greenlit the animated superhero series, though it might have gone a wholly different route had Mark Hamill not found inspiration in Michael Keaton’s Batman to drive his audition to play The Joker. After the roles were cast, the Hamill-Conroy team-up felt like pure kismet, but playing the Bat’s biggest adversary might not be in the cards for Hamill anymore without his most familiar co-star. When asked by a fan about playing Joker again in the future during San Francisco Fan Expo (via Culture Crave), the Star Wars alum made it pretty clear he's done with that particular brand of cackling.  He mentioned at the event that he was "done playing The Joker." He reinforced his stance that he won't voice the Gotham jokester "unless it's opposite Kevin Conroy's Batman."

Understandably, the movie icon doesn’t want to play The Joker if Conroy is no longer the one bringing Batman to life. The two voice actors had a natural chemistry that came through the TV screen in each of the Batman and other DC-related properties they co-starred in. So, the Last Jedi star retiring from voicing the sinister villain in the DCAU without his late co-star’s husky voice makes quite a bit of sense.

Mark Hamill tapped into his Crown Prince of Crime bag to sum up his feelings about Kevin Conroy’s death, and reportedly used an iconic BTAS line to summarize his thoughts:

Using The Joker quote was a great way to let BTAS fans know why he’s no longer voicing the notorious Gotham supervillain. Besides voicing two of DC’s best-known characters, Hamill and Conroy forged a friendship by sharing the beloved animated series’ legacy. The two actors shared time at conferences and conventions and talked about the show’s legacy.

Outside of Batman TAS, Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy voiced the characters across several movies and TV shows, including Justice League and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The last project they acted in together was the Cartoon Network series Justice League Action. Hamill last voiced The Joker in the latest Scooby-Doo series Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, and has voiced other notable DC characters like The Spectre and Solomon Grundy.

While he’s done with The Joker, Mark Hamill isn’t done with voice work. He appeared on the 2023 movie schedule through Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar and The Boy and the Heron. Of course, TV isn’t too far behind as he appeared in hit animated series like Invincible and Futurama. If you want to reminisce about Hamill and Kevin Conroy’s time together, check out Batman: The Animated Series with an Amazon Prime subscription.

If you grew up in the 1990s or early 2000s and paid attention to Disney Channel and ABC’s TGIF block, then chances are you remember Will Friedle from his time as Eric Matthews on Boy Meets World, and Christy Carlson Romano for playing Ren Stevens on Even Stevens. That said, Friedle and Romano are also accomplished voice actors, including both of them having starred together on Kim Possible as Kim herself and Ron Stoppable, respectively. While recently chatting with CinemaBlend, the actors went over the mentors they had in the voice acting field, and that included Batman icon Kevin Conroy, who passed away last November.

Our own Erik Swann got to speak with Will Friedle and Christy Carlson Romano on behalf of the their voice acting-centric podcast I Hear Voices, so naturally it made sense to go over the actors who showed them the ropes when it came to this kind of performing. Starting off, Will Friedle, who made his first big splash in the voice acting realm playing Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond, which co-starred Kevin Conroy as the elderly Bruce Wayne. Friedle explained how helpful Conroy was to him in those early voice acting days with the following:

By the time Batman Beyond premiered, Kevin Conroy had already given a bunch of great performances as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures. So along with being well acquainted DC’s Caped Crusader, he had nearly a decade of voice acting experience under his belt, but rather than solely make sure he was effectively delivering his lines, Conroy also made sure to give pointers to Will Friedle as he was taking the first steps on his voice acting journey. Friedle and Conroy would go on to reprise Terry and Bruce together in three Justice League Unlimited episodes, the Static Shock episode “Future Shock” and the Batman Beyond short illustrated by Darwin Cooke for Batman’s 75th anniversary.

As for Christy Carlson Romano, she highlighted voice director Lisa Schaffer as her main mentor when it came to voice acting, with these two having worked together alongside Will Friedle on Kim Possible. Romano recalled her experience working with Schaffer thusly:

Kim Possible ran for five seasons, plus two TV movies, from 2002 to 2007, and it was the longest-running Disney Channel Original Series until Phineas & Ferb surpassed it in 2012. Christy Carlson Romano went on to lend her vocals to projects like Family Guy, Casper’s Scare School, The Penguins of Madagascar and Big Hero 6: The Series, and she has Lisa Schaffer to thank for getting her voice acting career off to a great start, especially at a time when the actress hadn’t even hit adulthood yet. Romano also got to revisit the world of Kim Possible a few years back by playing pop singer Poppy Blu in the live-action TV film adaptation.

Erik Swann’s conversation with Will Friedle and Christy Carlson Romano also included how they would feel about Boy Meets World and Even Stevens getting animated reboots, as well as how they “can’t get away” from the impact of Kim Possible’s legacy all these years later. If you’re interested in hearing Friedle and Romano interview fellow voice actors, take a look through I Hear Voices’ catalog of episodes from the past year.

Although Mark Hamill will arguably always be best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, in the realm of voice acting, there’s no question that his biggest role has been The Joker, Batman’s arch-nemesis. Hamill first voiced the Clown Prince of Crime in Batman: The Animated Series, taking over the role from Tim Curry before the show premiered, and the last three decades have seen him playing the cackling villain across all sorts of TV shows, movies and video games. Unfortunately, it looks like Hamill’s time as The Joker has come to an end, with the actor explaining the heartbreaking, but understandable reason why he probably won’t return to the role.

Last November, Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman opposite Mark Hamill’s Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and various other projects, passed away at the age of 66. Hamill was among the celebrities who paid tribute to Conroy, and while speaking with Empire Magazine (via ScreenRant), the Star Wars actor shared that the main reason he kept returning to play Joker was if Conroy was involved in the project. With Conroy no longer around, Hamill’s heart isn’t in the role anymore. In his words:

Considering the bond Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill shared for almost three decades, I don’t blame the latter for not being interested in playing The Joker anymore now that the former is gone. Conroy’s Batman and Hamill’s Joker went together like peanut butter and jelly, so fans should consider themselves fortunate they got so many pairings with these two across multiple continuities. Sure, it would be nice to hear Hamill continue voicing Joker, but it wouldn’t be the same without hearing Conroy’s Batman with him.

Mark Hamill has said it was a “gift” to be cast as The Joker after playing Luke Skywalker since he’d been looking for a role that was the “polar opposite” of the Jedi “in every way,” and he’s also “forever grateful” for how his Joker outings have allowed him to frighten children. Still, Hamill is indeed retiring from the role, then his last Joker appearances will include Batman: The Killing Joke, Justice League Action, an episode of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? and the video game MultiVersus, all of which Kevin Conroy lent his voice to as well. We’ll hear Conroy voice Batman one last time in the upcoming video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Should you wish to revisit Mark Hamill’s Joker and/or Kevin Conroy’s Batman, most of their film and TV appearances in the DC Comics space can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription. Hamill will next be seen starring with Bert Kresicher in the 2023 movie release The Machine, and he also has a role in the upcoming Netflix miniseries The Fall of the House of Usher.

For some, the first image that comes to mind when they picture the Dark Knight is one of the many great live-action Batman actors from over the years. However, in the eyes of other Batfans like myself, the definitive onscreen iterations of one of DC Comics’ most iconic heroes really exist in some of the best animated Batman movies and TV shows and is voiced by the likes of Will Arnett and the late Kevin Conroy.

The question is, which of the best Batman voice actors deserves to be recognized as the finest of them all for managing to represent the greatest strengths and complexities of Gotham City’s Caped Crusader with only their voice? Well, to be honest, we may have already revealed our answer, but we should still begin with our last (but not necessarily least) choice in the following ranked list of the many voices of Batman.

10. Jason O’Mara (Various Titles)

With DC Comics’ New 52 reboot came the DC Animated Universe’s reboot, featuring a Dark Knight voiced by Jason O’Mara in 11 features that include a reimagining of the Justice League’s origin story with Justice League: War in 2014 and a subsequent series of new Batman adventures — many of which would make for a great live-action remake one day. 

I personally do not believe the Irish actor (who is also, technically, part of the MCU after playing Jeffrey Mace on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) brought anything unique or memorable to the role, but his take is undeniably brooding and badass, especially in the way he tells the Court of Owls to “get the hell out of [his] cave” in 2015’s Batman vs. Robin. 

9. Troy Baker (Various Titles)

One of the few actors who can say he has played both Batman and the Joker (even in the same movie once — namely 2019’s Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is accomplished voice actor Troy Baker, who also has an innumerable amount of other DC characters under his belt. However, while his Clown Prince of Crime tends to get the most love, he makes for a great Caped Crusader, particularly in the way he captures Bruce Wayne’s inner turmoil in both movies and video games, like Batman: The Telltale Series.

8. Jensen Ackles (Batman: The Long Halloween)

Years after playing a grown-up Jason Todd in 2010’s Batman: Under the Red Hood (more on that one later), former Supernatural cast member Jensen Ackles got to play the big guy himself in 2021’s two-part adaptation of Jeph Loeb’s Batman: The Long Halloween. With his winning performance as both a diligent Caped Crusader and a Bruce Wayne burdened by his double life that made Troy Baker a fan, it is easy to see why he is returning to play Batman in the upcoming movie, Legion of Super-Heroes, in 2023.

7. Rino Romano (The Batman)

While it may share a title with Matt Reeves’ more recent take on the Dark Knight, The Batman, essentially, served as an animated counterpart to 2005’s Batman Begins as it premiered just a year before Christopher Nolan’s reboot and followed a younger Bruce Wayne taking on new, more bizarre variations of his rogues gallery. 

However, Rino Romano’s portrayal of the title hero — who also go his own underrated movie with 2005’s The Batman vs. Dracula — bears very little similarity to (and, arguably, comes close to surpassing) Christian Bale’s with a voice that never overdoes it with the gravel and a demeanor that effectively balances broodiness with levity when the moment calls for it.

6. Peter Weller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns)

My personal, all-time favorite depiction of Batman in any medium comes from Frank Miller’s seminal, revolutionary 1986 graphic novel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which follows a Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement in his mid-50s as a bolder, more brutal and unyielding warrior than ever before. 

No choice could have been better to play this version of the brooding hero in a two-part adaptation released in 2012 and 2013 than RoboCop star Peter Weller, who — at 65 — makes the concept of this senior superhero, not only believable, but fearsome, especially in the way he delivers classic, badass Batman quotes like, “This isn’t a mud hole. It’s an operating table, and I’m the surgeon.”

5. Adam West (Various Titles)

While better known as one of the earliest and most beloved portrayals of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego, the late, great Adam West also used just his unmistakable voice to play Batman in a few animated series, including The New Adventures of Batman in the late 1970s and SuperFriends the following decade. Among his final performances was a reprisal of his “Bright Knight” in two animated films that paid tribute to the 1960s Batman TV show — 2016’s Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and Batman vs. Two-Face the following year — that, even decades later, was just as lively and enigmatic as ever.

4. Diedrich Bader (Batman: The Brave And The Bold, Harley Quinn)

No Batman actor has ever managed to both pay a winning homage to Adam West’s uniquely lighthearted portrayal while incorporating many of the character’s more earnest, modern characteristics in such a smooth blend like Diedrich Bader. As the lead of Batman: The Brave and the Bold and with his recurring spot on HBO Max’s Harley Quinn, the former Drew Carey Show star’s Batman is one that demands serious attention without shying away from the chance of making you laugh.

3. Will Arnett (The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie)

When it comes to humor, however, Will Arnett’s LEGO Batman — who was first introduced in 2014’s The LEGO Movie before getting his own brilliant spin-off in 2017 — is on a whole different level entirely. In addition to the former Arrested Development cast member’s hilarious, Christian Bale-inspired voice and snarky, absurdist tone, this depiction — especially in The LEGO Batman Movie — succeeds in both honoring and parodying many of the Dark Knight’s defining characteristics in a way that elevates it above even some of the more truly earnest iterations at the time.

2. Bruce Greenwood (Various Titles)

That being said, my allegiance is still with the more earnest animated iterations of Batman and one of the strongest in recent memory has been played by Bruce Greenwood in movies like 2018’s Elseworlds tale, Gotham by Gaslight, or the hit TV show Young Justice. However, his finest hour comes from one of the best animated DC movies ever, Batman: Under the Red Hood, in which he brilliantly captures his guilt following the tragic death of Jason Todd. His nuanced, impassioned performance makes me hope we see of more of this portrayal, which may come closest to the power of our Number One choice.

1. Kevin Conroy (Various Titles)

As far as I am concerned, most of the live-action Batman movies so far have not even held a candle to how perfectly the character was represented in Batman: The Animated Series and the other TV shows and movies it is connected to. The key to its universal acclaim is Kevin Conroy, whose vigorous, commanding, and (most importantly) human performance has become the benchmark for how most Batfans tend to judge subsequent portrayals and the voice they hear when they read a Batman comic. 

Having lost Conroy to cancer at the age of 66, we may never see another depiction of Batman as definitively brooding and passionate as his, but he will thankfully live on in countless titles like the Arkham video games, the Justice League animated series, and more. 

While we certainly have our own answer for who deserves to be called the best of the Batman voice actors so far, keep in mind that he truly speaks with many different voices, is seen with many different faces, and acts with many different characteristics. There is not one defining Dark Knight, but many, so that whichever you choose to complete your admiration is part of what keeps his enduring legacy alive.

The DC media community lost a major player last month, with longtime Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy passing away at the age of 66. While Conroy voiced the Caped Crusader in all sorts of projects over the decades, he’s arguably most associated with the DC Animated Universe, which kicked off in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series (his favorite episode from that show being “Perchance to Dream”). His Batman was also a key figure in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and Conroy’s costars from those shows recently came together with some other individuals to honor the man.

Michael Rosenbaum, who voiced The Flash in both Justice League shows, organized this reunion, allowing him to reconnect with his Justice League/Justice League Unlimited costars  Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman), Phil LaMarr (Green Lantern), Carl Lumbly (Martian Manhunter) and Maria Canals-Barrera (Hawkgirl). Take a look at the pictures Rosenbaum shared on Instagram of their get-together to celebrate Kevin Conroy’s life, one of which includes special appearance from Rosenbaum’s dog Blanche. 

Other folks in attendance for this event included Will Friedle, who worked closely with Kevin Conroy on Batman Beyond and reprised Terry McGinnis for a few Justice League Unlimited episodes, as well as voice director Andrea Romano, publicist Gary Miereanu, Friedle’s wife Susan Martens and Maria Canals-Barrera’s husband David Barrera. George Newbern, who voiced Superman in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited following Tim Daly’s run as the Man of Steel in Superman: The Animated Series, was absent.

Justice League ran from 2001-2004, and Justice League Unlimited picked up just a few months afterwards and ran until 2006. Some of the actors would later voice other versions of their respective characters in projects like Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Justice League: Doom and Justice League vs. The Fatal Five, and there were also opportunities for them to reconnect at conventions and other events. So it’s good to see that all of the people mentioned above were able to enjoy each other’s company and reminisce about the good times they had with Kevin Conroy a month after we lost him.

“A Better World” and “Epilogue,” episodes that respectively came from Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, ranked on our list of Kevin Conroy’s best DCAU episodes. In addition to voicing Batman, Conroy also gave uncredited performances on Justice League Unlimited as Joe Chill, Etrigan the Demon, The Crimson Avenger, Atom Smasher and Commander Steel. Justice League Unlimited ended up being Conroy’s penultimate time voicing Batman in a leading capacity on a TV show, the final time being in Justice League Action. He also finally got the opportunity to play Bruce Wayne in live-action in 2019 thanks to the Batwoman chapter of The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event.

If you’re now in the mood to revisit Justice League and/or Justice League Unlimited, those shows can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription alongside nearly all of the movies and shows featuring Kevin Conroy’s Batman. It was recently announced that we’ll hear him posthumously as Gotham City’s Dark Knight in the video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Everyone has a favorite live-action Batman actor, but in the eyes of this BatFan and plenty others, the one who reigns above them all is Kevin Conroy, who sadly passed away on November 10, 2022, after a short battle with cancer at the age off 66. This year actually marked the 30th anniversary of the actor’s tenure voicing the Dark Knight in several hit DC TV shows, many of the best animated DC movies, and even a number of acclaimed video games — most notably Rocksteady’s Arkham series. 

It is hard to choose which of Conroy’s many performances as Batman should be deemed his crowning achievement, but I tried anyway by ranking just a few of his greatest hits in ascending order.

7. Batwoman (2019)

For years, I imagined what it would be like if Kevin Conroy leant more than just his unmistakable voice to the role of Batman and portrayed him in a live-action setting. That wish was granted with a special appearance on Batwoman, as part of the Arrowverse’s epic crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, as the Earth-99 version of the retired vigilante, who relies on a robotic suit to move, has broken his one rule to never kill (including on Superman), and refuses to help save a universe he does not believe is worth it. Conroy brings out his dark side more than ever to play a Bruce Wayne who has lost all hope, which is heartbreaking, but also completely plausible given the hero’s penchant for cynicism.

6. Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Batwoman might not actually mark the first time the actor played a version of the Dark Knight driven to his breaking point. The ambiguous ending to the animated adaptation of Alan Moore’s shocking, acclaimed one-shot, Batman: The Killing Joke, hints at Batman’s rivalry with The Joker (Mark Hamill, widely considered to be the villain’s definitive iteration) coming to the ultimate end. However, just a moment earlier, Batman shows some sympathy toward his damaged arch-nemesis and offers his help instead of his fist in a beautiful speech that Conroy delivers with authentic compassion in his voice, seemingly reflecting how much the actor cared for Hamill in real life.

5. Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)

In one of the most underrated Batman movies — in my opinion — Kevin Conroy gives what I also believe is one of the most underrated Batman performances of his career in Batman: Gotham Knight. He takes on six different interpretations of the character in six very different stories in this anthology style feature produced in part by Christopher Nolan. Yet, he nails it each time, never once feeling out of place no matter how much one segment differs from the last tonally or stylistically — providing, perhaps, the ultimate proof of Conroy’s supremacy in the role.

4. Batman Beyond (1999–2001)

Even before completing the first third of his career voicing the character, Kevin Conroy proved he was capable of playing Bruce Wayne at any age when he reprised the role as a much older man forced to hang up the cape and cowl and mentor his young successor, Terry McGinnis (former Boy Meets World cast member Will Friedle). The idea of a “teenage Batman” should have never worked, but the futuristic Batman Beyond was very close to perfection, and a good chunk of the credit goes to Conroy in the way he reinvents his flagship character as a hero fighting crime from behind the scenes, purely with the use of his intellect in lieu of physicality and intimidation.

3. Justice League And Justice League: Unlimited (2001-2006)

On the other hand, it was especially satisfying to see the star return to play the Caped Crusader in his original form — but in an, arguably, even more intimidating manner this time — as he struggles to play nice with others as the one powerless member of a powerful superhero team. What really makes Conroy’s version of Batman from Justice League and its follow-up, Justice League: Unlimited, really stand out is his determination to risk everything for the greater good, and a refreshing sense of compassion, such as when he sits with a terminally ill reality-bender named Ace (Hynden Walch) until her death in one of the series’ best episodes, “Epilogue.”

2. Justice League: Doom (2012)

However, if you do prefer your Batman to be a compassionless hard ass, look no further than the 2012 movie Justice League: Doom, in which the heroic team is threatened by a special contingency plan to successfully neutralize each member that was created by the Dark Knight himself. When Batman discovers his plans have been stolen and altered to be deadly, he is horrified to see what his creation has brought on, but does not shy away from arrogantly defending the plans when his teammates take this as a breach of trust. You get two of Batman’s most defining emotions, played to perfection by Kevin Conroy.

1. Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm, And The New Batman Adventures (1992-1999)

To really see Kevin Conroy at his best, start at the beginning with the Emmy-winning Batman: The Animated Series (later rebranded as The New Batman Adventures), which contains several moments that could be considered his peak — such as when his iconic voice utters the immortal line, “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman." 

My personal vote goes to a flashback in one of the greatest animated Batman movies of all time, 1993’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, when Bruce Wayne, having fallen in love for the first time, desperately begs his deceased parents at their grave to free him of the vengeful vow he made to them. The desperation in his voice when he says, “I didn’t count on being happy,” is the stuff that all voice actors live for.

I would go so far as to say that Kevin Conroy should be remembered as one of the greatest voice actors to ever live, even if his career is defined by one role. After all, for many, the role of Batman is defined by Conroy and will be forever, no matter who else plays him, whether that means in the cape and cowl or in a recording studio. We lost an icon who will be greatly missed, but will, fortunately, live on in these fantastic and influential performances.

Legendary Batman actor Kevin Conroy sadly died at the age of 66 last week, and fans and stars (like Kevin Smith) have been mourning the beloved performer. The actor began voicing the Dark Knight when he was cast in Batman: The Animated Series, which premiered in 1992. From there, Conroy would portray the character in shows like Superman: The Animated Series and others that would eventually make up the DC Animated Universe. To put it simply, he was downright perfect as the iconic superhero, though there are a few DCAU episodes in which he was featured that resonate with me the most. 

If I’m being honest, there are a number of installments in which the late actor proved that he just knew the key to playing Batman. However, there are just several key storylines that stand out to me the most and have really shaped my view of his overall DCAU performance. So without further ado, let’s talk out these impressive episodes:

“Nothing To Fear”

This is one of the earliest episodes of BTAS and marks the first DCAU appearance of Jonathan Crane a.k.a. the Scarecrow. The story sees the creepy villain attempting to destroy Gotham University in a fit of revenge and using his signature fear gas to help with the endeavor. While trying to thwart the baddie’s efforts, Batman is exposed to the gas and is forced to confront his guilt over his parents’ deaths. When you think of the Caped Crusader, fear may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, the legitimate anxiety he gets while under the influence of the toxin is beautifully played by Kevin Conroy and, as a result, it’s so satisfying when, during the closing battle, he conquers his insecurities and iconically declares himself to be vengeance and the night. Here, Conroy firmly proved that he could play the character not only with stoicism but with vulnerability as well. 

“I Am The Night”

Another one of the star’s most layered performances occurs in “I Am the Night,” in which the titular character has an existential crisis on the anniversary of his parent’s death. Already riddled with doubts about whether he’s truly making a difference, the hero spirals after Commissioner Gordon is gravely injured during a police operation. There are so many moments in which the Caped Crusader’s voice actor delivers, with the biggest being the emotional breakdown in the Batcave. There’s also a particularly touching moment that occurs between Bats and Gordon at the end of the show. The writers deserve a lot of credit here though, if the leading man didn't hit all the right vocal notes, the story might not pack such a potent punch.

“Perchance To Dream”

Believe it or not, Kevin Conroy actually considered this to be the finest episode of Batman: The Animated Series. The installment finds Bruce Wayne waking up in a perfect world – one in which his parents are both alive and he’s in a relationship with Selina Kyle. Of course, the ever-curious Bruce manages not to succumb to the temptations of the false reality, which was crafted by the Mad Hatter. Conroy particularly shines when it comes to the interactions between Bruce and his parents as well as the ones with Selena. He also nails the inquisitive and uneasy feelings that the character displays throughout. I’d not only agree with him that it’s one of the best episodes of BTAS but also one of his best pieces of work.

“Beware The Gray Ghost”

Die-hard fans are sure to remember this episode, which features the late, great Adam West as a washed up actor who teams up with the Dark Knight to stop “The Mad Bomber.” West’s Simon Trent was known as the Gray Ghost, a TV hero that Bruce Wayne idolized as a child. That respect and admiration leads to a tender moment in the Batcave, during which Batman shows Trent his collectibles and memorabilia from the show. It was the first time that fans ever got a sense of child-like wonder from the hardened crimefighter, and it felt organic partially due to the actor voicing him. This is a pretty sweet episode, and it hits even harder now given that both Batman actors featured in it are no longer with us.

“Over The Edge”

To put it simply, “Over the Edge” is one of the most intense stories ever told in the DCAU, as everything hits the fan. I mean, it opens with Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD storming the Batcave and shooting at Batman and Robin. Kevin Conroy’s Bat had been put through the wringer by this point, but not like he was this time around. From Bruce’s heartbreaking discussion with Gordon following his daughter Barbara’s death to the moment he tells young Tim Drake to turn himself into the police, Conroy simply nailed every emotional beat. Yes, the whole scenario only proved to be a fear toxin-induced hallucination for Batgirl, but that fact doesn’t take away from the episode, or the leading man’s performance, in the slightest.

“Old Wounds”

This is a very important episode in the grand scheme of the DCAU, as it explains just why Dick Grayson fell out with Bruce Wayne and eventually forged his own path as a hero. Fans see a pretty intense (and somewhat scary) side of Batman here, particularly when he brutally interrogates a thug in front of his wife and child. Of course, there’s also the heated discussion between Bruce and Dick, after which the latter forsakes the mantle of Robin. Kevin Conroy hits the mark when it comes to displaying the intensity associated with his role, but he also displays a warmth in Wayne, which was present in the fan-favorite episode's hopeful conclusion.

“Rebirth”

Who could forget the two-part installment that kicked off Batman Beyond? It was the first episode in which Kevin Conroy proved that he could more than play an elderly Bruce Wayne. However, even before we get to juicy scenes like Wayne’s first meeting with Terry McGinnis, Conroy shines while playing the middle-aged Dark Knight in the prologue. The scene sees the hero, who’s in his ‘50s at the time, trying to rescue a kidnapped woman and resorting to using a gun in the process. It’s an emotional moment, given Wayne’s philosophy, and I can still hear Conroy’s Bruce definitively saying, “never again,” after locking up the Batsuit for the final time. This episode set the tone for a new era in Conroy’s DCAU tenure, and he more than rose to the occasion. 

“Out Of The Past”

One of the final episodes of Batman Beyond, “Out of the Past” focuses on Bruce grappling with his mortality as he reaches another birthday. His desire for his youth is conveniently answered when his former love, Talia al Ghul, returns and offers the Lazarus Pit to him. After an incident involving muggers, Bruce accepts and regains the strength he once had. Though a tragic twist reveals that there’s more to Talia’s gift than meets the eye. It’s rare that we see desperation in Bruce Wayne (in any medium or continuity), but it’s more than present here. It’s most effectively presented during the encounter with the muggers. I never thought an actor could convey helplessness in Bruce, but the Masters of the Universe alum certainly succeeded here.

“A Better World”

“A Better World” is one of the most intriguing two-part episodes of Justice League, as it introduces the concept of alternate universes. That ushers in the arrival of the Justice Lords, versions of the Leaguers who evolved into dictators after Lex Luthor became president. Because each character (besides Flash) has a double, Kevin Conroy pulls double duty for this episode. I don’t know how, but he successfully finds a way to pull off the mainstream version of Batman alongside his slightly tyrannical counterpart. One of Conroy’s most powerfully-acted moments comes when the Lord version of Bats makes the appeal that under his team’s rule, a child doesn’t lose their parents to gun violence. The conversation the two Bruces later have about what their parents would think about such a dictatorship is also affecting. Conroy had a big task ahead of him with this one, and few actors could play that duality  like he did.

“Epilogue”

I mean, we can’t talk about the beloved performer’s most iconic turns without mentioning Justice League: Unlimited’s “Epilogue,” which was originally meant to serve as a conclusion to the series and the DCAU continuity. I won’t give too much away if you haven’t seen it, but it takes place years after the events of Batman Beyond and sees Terry McGinnis discover a major piece of information regarding his lineage. Kevin Conroy only has a few scenes here, but he makes the most of all of them. Bruce shares some emotionally-charged scenes with Terry, but it’s a flashback featuring Batman and Royal Flush Gang member Ace that really serves as a showcase for Conroy. Needless to say, the actor gives a heart wrenching performance, and it’ll surely stick with fans for years to come.

It’s sad to think that Kevin Conroy is no longer with us, but I do take comfort in knowing that he was aware of just how much the fans appreciated his body of work. And all of those projects, including the stories we’ve discussed here, will surely be enjoyed by future generations. You can stream episodes of Batman: The Animated Series alongside other DCAU shows by grabbing yourself an HBO Max subscription.

Fans are still in morning over the surprise passing of Batman: The Animated Series legend Kevin Conroy. After Conroy’s death at the age of 66, tributes continue to honor the life of the man who, to some, is the definitive Batman. Unfortunately, as was the case with new DC movies co-mastermind James Gunn’s tribute to the actor, a fan jumped in pushing the message of restoring the SnyderVerse. 

After sharing the announcement of Kevin Conroy’s death on Twitter, the chain of responses to Gunn’s tweet included someone who cursed him out. Seemingly ignoring the moment at hand, this person included a barrage of hashtags to potential SnyderVerse projects in the overall message. Blasting back, James Gunn responded with the following targeted, but polite, response: 

James Gunn’s recent DC Films promotion has obviously made him the focus of attention to fans who want to see the rest of Zack Snyder’s potential Justice League story unfold. While not everyone who’s part of the big reaction to this DC news has reacted in such an aggressive manner, this incident is quite possibly one of the most extreme. 

While this is definitely a clap back to the random interloper that decided to drop in with a pro-Zack Snyder message, you have to admit it’s a measured response. No one would think that James Gunn would lay down a tweet as spicy as the ones that saw him temporarily fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Still, in connection to the passing of Kevin Conroy, one wouldn’t be able to blame him for being a bit fiery with the response. 

The memory of Conroy’s life and work will always be celebrated, as decades of Batman voice acting have ingrained him as a pop culture icon. In this moment that loss is still freshly felt, with the world still in mourning. As such, it’s probably a good time for people who have other agendas to discuss to politely shelve them, allowing everyone the proper period of grieving. 

On the business end of the equation, the days of James Gunn’s new DC responsibilities are early, so not much can be said on what exactly to expect. Except, of course, a second season of the hit DC series Peacemaker. In the meantime, you can revisit both Gunn’s past works in the DC universe, as well as Kevin Conroy’s iconic tenure as Batman, through the power of streaming. An HBO Max subscription is all that’s required to do just that. 

The comic book community and the public as a whole lost a true titan this past week, as Kevin Conroy died at the age of 66. While he performed many roles throughout his career, the late voice actor became prolific for his performance as the titular character in Batman: The Animated Series. In the wake of his death, a number of fans and celebrities, like legendary Joker actor Mark Hamill, have paid tribute to Conroy in sweet ways. Superhero devotee Kevin Smith also took some time to honor the iconic actor. He did so by sharing a sweet story about getting to work with Conroy, and he was also candid about their final conversation.

Like so many fans, Kevin Smith was saddened to hear about the passing of Kevin Conroy, who reportedly died following a brief battle with cancer. Smith posted a tribute to Instagram and started his caption by noting that he’d “lost a hero” as “we all did.” The filmmaker went on to praise Conroy for his work as the Dark Knight and opened up about just how deeply his performance influenced him as a fan: 

Fans first heard the late actor’s take on the Caped Crusader in 1992 when BTAS premiered on Fox Kids. The series (which can be streamed using an HBO Max subscription) received critical acclaim, with the lead star’s performance also garnering much praise. The New York native would go on to reprise his superhero role in other DC Animated Universe shows, such as Batman Beyond and Justice League. He even played a version of Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse. All the while, he also didn’t mind giving advice to DC actors like Ben Affleck. Given the star’s skills and imposing body of work, Kevin Smith felt compelled to reach out to him for projects of his own: 

After discussing a sweet exchange he once had with Kevin Conroy during his podcast, the Clerks director also discussed the final time he spoke to the star. The two apparently chatted in October and were planning to get together for an event centered around episodes of Batman: The Animated Series:

Kevin Smith certainly had a relationship with the DCAU alum that very few were able to have. Like so many people, Smith is sure to miss him, but he’ll still be able to cherish the art that the two made together for years to come. Speaking of those collaborations, Smith shared a clip of the actor’s cameo in Yoga Hosers. You can check it out down below:

I’d say that Kevin Smith found a perfect way to sum up what so many fans are feeling right now. To say that Kevin Conroy’s death came as a shock would be an understatement. It’s sad that he’s no longer with us, but it’s comforting to know that he got his flowers while he was here and that his work will continue to be enjoyed for years to come. 

We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our condolences to the family and loved ones of Kevin Conroy during this time.

Throughout the multiverse of DC movies and TV shows, the heroes of the Justice League have taken on many forms and faces. One of the most powerful examples of was someone whose face wasn't seen through his work: Batman: The Animated Series star Kevin Conroy. Through his roles of Bruce Wayne and Batman, the actor established an animated incarnation of a well-known hero that rose above many or all others, depending on who you ask. It’s a legacy that’s remembered bittersweetly today, as it’s been reported the actor has passed away at the age of 66, and former co-star Mark Hamill is among those who are mourning. 

While initial reports had circulated for a while without confirmation, it was eventually confirmed by a collection of statements issued by Warner Bros Home Entertainment. The reported cause of death was “a short battle with cancer,” per the press release.

Included were statements from director Andrea Romano, series co-creator Paul Dini, and Mark Hamill, who voiced The Joker in many appearances during Conroy’s run as the character. Hamill’s statement reads as follows: 

Known for his portrayal of the iconic DC Comics character, and his millionaire alter ego, Kevin Conroy first started playing the role of Batman and Bruce Wayne when Batman: The Animated Series debuted in 1992. Periodically, Conroy would return to the role, through projects like the Batman: Arkham video games and even in live-action form for the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. Most recently, he lent his voice to Batman for the Warner Bros’ fighting game Multiversus. 

The friendship between Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy is something that was always beautiful to see. It was especially nice when the actors would express that fondness through wanting to work together again. Hamill was always game for playing the Joker, so long as Conroy’s Batman was involved; and Kevin even showed interest in bringing Mark’s joker into his Arrow-verse appearance as well.  

For as iconic as he was in the role, Kevin Conroy celebrated all Batman performances in the DC Comics family. Like the noble hero he played, the actor was never shy about accepting that he was part of a greater good, contributing his best to keep things going. It’s through memories like the one shared above, and the legacy of the work he leaves behind, that will define him as time moves on.

There have been others before and after him, but to a loyal group of people, Kevin Conroy will always be the Batman. We here at CinemaBlend would like to extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Conroy’s friends and family. May they find peace as they navigate this time of grief and remembrance. 

In 1997, two years after Batman: The Animated Series was canceled by Fox Kids!, DC fans young and old were able to return to this continuity through Kids WB’s The New Batman Adventures. In addition to boasting a radically new animation style, this follow-up also brought in a handful of new voice actors, including Tara Strong taking over as Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, from Melissa Gilbert. This provided her the opportunity to work alongside folks like Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, a.k.a. the DC Animated Universe’s Batman and Joker, respectively, and Strong reflected on that period in her career while speaking with CinemaBlend.

These days, Tara Strong voices a comedic version of Batgirl in the DC TV show DC Super Hero Girls, but while chatting with me about the recently-released tie-in movie Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse (as well as sharing her thoughts on the upcoming Batgirl movie), the actress expressed interest in someday reprising a more serious version of the superheroine. She then talked about what it was like working on The New Batman Adventures, saying:

Following The New Batman Adventures concluding in 1999, Tara Strong reprised the DCAU’s version of Barbara Gordon in the Gotham Girls web series. Then, as the actress pointed out, she played a different version of Barbara in the 2016 animated movie Batman: The Killing Joke, which faithfully adapted the same-named storyline by Alan Moore and Bolland that saw Barbara being shot and paralyzed by The Joker. While Strong made it clear to me that she’s been having a blast playing DC Super Hero Girls’ version of Batgirl, she’s also game to revisit serious territory with the character, particularly if it meant reuniting with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill.

Like Tara Strong, those two have been able to keep their respective Batman and Joker runs going in various DC projects over the years, including joining the actress in Batman: The Killing Joke. As far as the DCAU goes, although the continuity has been revisited in the animated movies Batman and Harley Quinn and Justice League vs. The Fatal Five (as well as multiple comic book tie-ins and an upcoming podcast starring Conroy and John Glover), its TV run wrapped up in 2006 with the conclusion of Justice League Unlimited. Alas, it doesn’t appear that there are any plans to launch another DCAU series, despite what Strong wants. Still, just like how she, Conroy and Hamill all starred in The Killing Joke, there may be another opportunity down the road for these three to reunite for a DC project set in a different continuity. Personally, even if they’re not playing Batgirl, Batman and Joker again, I’d like to see Strong, Conroy and Hamill be looped into the upcoming HBO Max series Batman: Caped Crusader somehow.

For those of you wanting to take a stroll down memory lane with The New Batman Adventures, it can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription along with all the other DCAU shows and tie-in movies. HBO Max will also be the streaming home for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse starting June 28, although you can purchase it now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.

Batman: The Animated Series stands as one of the most beloved superhero TV shows, and the original voice actors are iconic to their roles. The stars have popped in other DC animated projects throughout the last three decades, and now, devoted fans’ wish for a return is coming true. A follow-up to the beloved series is in the works with original BTAS voice actor Kevin Conroy on board.

According to THR, original series Batman Kevin Conroy and Riddler voice actor John Glover announced the big news while at Los Angeles Comic Con. The Batman: The Animated Series follow-up will be a podcast, not another animated series as many fans hoped for. Along with the return of Conroy and Glover, original BTAS writer Alan Burnett is currently developing and writing the audio sequel. Conroy was enthusiastic about the progress by saying:

Kevin Conroy seemed just as hyped for the original cast’s return as OG fans will be. LA Comic Con was filled with more exciting news as Conroy revealed original theme composer Danny Elfman is returning as well. So, it appears viewers will get to relive the series with familiar voices and other aspects from the original series.

The BTAS audio drama will have some competition from other Gotham City podcasts. There’s the HBO Max podcast Batman: The Audio Adventures with The Batman’s Jeffrey Wright voicing the Caped Crusader. Spotify is launching the podcast Batman Unburied with Black Panther’s Winston Duke as the Dark Knight. At least, the BTAS follow-up has the nostalgia factor on its side with the original voice actors attached.

While the podcast just entered development, it wouldn’t be the first series to tap into the Batman: The Animated Series legacy. BTAS creator Bruce Timm is currently working with J.J. Abrams and The Batman director Matt Reeves to develop the new animated series Batman: Caped Crusader. The animated series has been described as a “reimagining” of the DC superhero, much like the 1990s animated series. So, Batman will be ruling the television world once again.

These projects are just the tip of the Batman media blitz about to unfold. Of course, there’s Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which will be released on Mar. 4, 2022. There are several Batman-oriented projects in the works or filming, including Batgirl and a Gotham City PD television series. 1990s Batman film star Michael Keaton as well as Ben Affleck will pop up in The Flash, which arrives on Nov. 4, 2022. The next few years will give the Dark Knight the most visibility viewers have witnessed since the 1990s.

It is unknown if any other BTAS voice veterans like Mark Hamill and Adrienne Barbeau will return for the podcast series. As more information on the audio series comes out, check back with CinemaBlend for the latest developments.

Before he was cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight, the late Oscar winner Heath Ledger actually screen-tested for the title role of Batman Begins when it was still in development - which is a bit odd to imagine, I will admit. However, an actor playing both the Caped Crusader and the Clown Prince of Crime is not so far fetched, and has happened before, believe it or not. 

In fact, there are quite a few Batman actors who have also filled the shoes of other Gotham City residents in additional (or even the same) DC movies, TV shows, and other forms of media. Just as Batman would, let’s further investigate this surprisingly common phenomenon one actor at a time, starting with the beloved “Bright Knight.” 

Adam West (Batman on Batman, The Gray Ghost on Batman: The Animated Series, And More)

The campy and cartoonish 1960s Batman TV show bares very little resemblance to how the character was originally visualized for DC Comics, but the late Adam West’s rich and lively performance continues to be idolized to this day and would earn him several cameos in subsequent DC TV shows. For instance, he voiced Gotham City’s mayor on the mid-2000s animated series The Batman, and Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas, on the 2008-2011 animated hit Batman: The Brave and the Bold. 

However, my favorite is his memorably meta guest spot on Batman: The Animated Series as an out-of-work actor whose TV persona “The Gray Ghost” served as a huge inspiration to young Bruce (Kevin Conroy).

Kevin Conroy (Batman In Various Titles, John Grayson On The Batman, Thomas Wayne In Batman Vs. Robin)

Speaking of, after voicing the Dark Knight in countless DC animated movies, TV shows, and video games since 1992 (when he was cast in Batman: The Animated Series), Kevin Conroy has become just as iconic as Adam West, and also has a couple of exciting cameos as other Gothamites to prove it. In addition to also appearing on The Batman as Dick Grayson’s late father, he also filled the role of Bruce Wayne’s late father in the 2015 movie Batman vs. Robin, which was inspired by Scott Snyder’s “The Court of Owls” story line.

Ben McKenzie (Batman In Batman: Year One, James Gordon on Gotham)

Despite spending most of his life without a father, Bruce Wayne was at least blessed with a number of people who acted as father figures in life, such as his crimefighting ally James Gordon. Years after leaving The O.C. cast, Ben McKenzie would lead the Gotham cast as a younger version of the future Gotham City police commissioner from 2014 to 2019. Coincidentally, the actor previously voiced a younger version of the Dark Knight in 2011’s Batman: Year One - an animated adaptation of an acclaimed reinvention of Batman’s origin story by Frank Miller.

Jeffrey Wright (Batman On Batman: The Audio Adventures, James Gordon In The Batman)

Ben McKenzie is actually not the only actor play to both Jim Gordon and Batman, either. In 2019, Emmy winner Jeffrey Wright joined the cast of Matt Reeves’ DC reboot, The Batman, as the legendary Gotham cop, followed by news that he would also reprise the character in an upcoming HBO Max exclusive spin-off series. In 2021, the streaming platform debuted an original, comedic podcast called Batman: The Audio Adventures featuring the voice of Wright in the title role.

Troy Baker (Batman And Joker In Various Titles)

Troy Baker is the kind of voice actor who is so prolific, especially in superhero movies and other related media, that I could do an entire article on all of the Gothamites he has played in Batman movies, shows, and video games, including heroes like Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, or villains like Two-Face and the Mad Hatter. 

So, for this section, I decided to focus just on his two most famous roles: Batman (usually in video games like Batman: The Telltale Series or ones of the LEGO variety) and The Joker (also in various games, TV shows, and plenty of movies, as recently as Batman: The Long Halloween). He even tackled both characters at once in the crossover film Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from 2019.

Jensen Ackles (Batman in Batman: The Long Halloween, The Red Hood In Batman: Under the Red Hood)

In both halves of 2021’s Batman: The Long Halloween adaptation, the Batman to Troy Baker’s Joker is voiced by Jensen Ackles, who is otherwise best known for playing Dean Winchester in the Supernatural cast for 15 seasons. However, I personally remember him best from 2010's Batman: Under the Red Hood (widely considered to be one of the best animated Batman movies of all time) in which he played the latest generation of title villain who carries a shocking secret related to Bruce Wayne's past.

Diedrich Bader (Batman, Solomon Grundy, And More On Batman: The Brave And The Bold) 

In addition to a some other notable DC characters, fellow prolific voice actor Diedrich Bader has played the Dark Knight on a few different DC TV shows - namely HBO’s Harley Quinn series more recently, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold as a less-brooding, Adam West-style Batman. During the series’ run, the former The Drew Carey Show cast member also voices a few other Gotham City staples, including anti-heroic zombie Solomon Grundy, Matches Malone (actually a persona Bruce Wayne crafts to infiltrate the criminal underworld), and a grown-up version of Wayne’s son, Damian, in a futuristic episode.

Will Arnett (Batman In The LEGO Batman Movie, Slade In Teen Titans GO! To The Movies)

Of the lighter and funnier iterations of the Dark Knight, my favorite as of late would have to be Will Arnett’s spot-on performance as LEGO Batman, whom he has played in three movies (and even a couple of video games) so far - including his own solo spin-off, The LEGO Batman Movie, in 2017. The former Arrested Development and Bojack Horseman star has also voiced a lighter and funnier iteration of the Batman villain Deathstroke, who is referred to as the more kid-friendly “Slade” (his real first name) for his appearance in Teen Titans GO! To The Movies in 2018. 

Will Friedle (Batman On Batman Beyond, Nightwing In Various Titles, And More)

Some know him as Eric Matthews from the Boy Meets World cast, but others recognize Will Friedle from Batman Beyond as an aging Bruce Wayne’s young successor, Terry McGinnis. 

The role would see the beginning of a remarkable voice acting career spanning countless iconic characters from the DC Universe (and elsewhere), including villain Gearhead on a 2005 The Batman episode, a Japanese-anime style Tim "Red Robin" Drake in 2018’s Batman: Ninja, and the animated anthology movie Batman: Gotham Knight as various characters. I would not be surprised if he holds a record for the number of times playing Nightwing, such as on the Batman Unlimited series and in a few straight-to-video LEGO movies.

If you look at the cast lists for all of the Batman movies in order (and TV shows, too), it is pretty astounding to see how many actors are given dual roles. For instance, before Mark Hamill even debuted as The Joker on Batman: The Animated Series, he played Ferris Boyle - a slimy businessman indirectly responsible for creating Mister Freeze in the seminal “Heart of Ice” episode, and later played Tony Zucco on The Batman. 

The different shades of all the different characters, as distinguished by their performers, is one of the most fascinating things about the DC Multiverse, if you ask me.

In 1997, a year after Superman: The Animated Series premiered on Kids’ WB, The New Batman Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series’ continuation, followed on the same programming block. Because these two shows boasted the same animation style, it was easy enough to bring the Caped Crusader over to the Man of Steel’s series for the three-parter called “World’s Finest.” Nearly 25 years after those episodes aired, Tim Daly, who voiced Superman, recently recalled how much fun he had teaming up with Kevin Conroy’s Batman for the first time.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Tim Daly on behalf of Superman: The Animated Series’ Blu-ray release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and during the interview, I asked whether he and Kevin Conroy recorded their lines together for that three-part crossover, and if they had, what that experience was like. Daly responded with the following:

Although the Batman of The New Batman Adventures was animated differently from the one in Batman: The Animated Series, this was the same version of the character that Kevin Conroy originated in 1992 on Fox Kids. Now, though, the pieces had fallen into place for the DC Animated Universe’s Bruce Wayne to team up with Clark Kent in Metropolis on Superman: The Animated Series. Batman had to go to Superman’s neck of the woods after learning that Joker and Harley Quinn had stolen a statue made of Kryptonite. From there, the Clown Prince of Crime struck a deal with Lex Luthor to kill Superman for $1 billion.

As Tim Daly noted, when his version of Superman met Kevin Conroy’s Batman, the two initially didn’t get along, with the former giving the latter some grief about his dark personality. You can enjoy the moment the two superheroes first came face to face below:

Eventually Tim Daly’s Superman and Kevin Conroy’s Batman came to an understanding and properly joined forces to defeat Batman and The Joker. Batman would later be featured in the Superman: The Animated Series episodes “Knight Time” and “The Demon Reborn.” While Superman never appeared on The New Batman Adventures, his future self, voiced by Christopher McDonald, was present for the Batman Beyond two-parter “The Call.” Then the DCAU’s present-day versions of Superman and Batman teamed up frequently in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, where George Newbern inherited Man of Steel vocal duties. Daly and Conroy would later co-star in the non-DCAU movies Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse and Justice League Doom.

Superman: The Animated Series is now available to purchase on Blu-ray, and the show can also be streamed on HBO Max. Looking to the future, keep checking back with CinemaBlend for the biggest news concerning upcoming DC Comics movies and TV shows.

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There are many beloved stars within Hollywood, and Mark Hamill is absolutely one of them. For decades now, the veteran actor has delighted audiences with his iconic roles, from the heroic Luke Skywalker to the diabolic Joker. This year, Hamill hit a major milestone, as he’s officially reached the age of 70. With this, fans and stars like James Gunn and Kevin Smith took to the web to pay tribute and wish him well.

Mark Hamill has worked with and met quite a few celebrities in his time, so it’s no surprise that so many were eager to reach out and honor him when he turned 70 on Saturday. James Gunn, a lifelong Star Wars fan, took to Twitter to send Hamill a short and sweet message. He also included a nice photo that him alongside the Luke Skywalker actor:

Like James Gunn, Kevin Smith also grew up with George Lucas’ galactic franchise, and he has plenty of memories to go along with his fandom. He shared some of them in the touching post he penned for Mark Hamill’s special day:

As you would expect, the actor also got some love from members of his Star Wars family. One of these franchise alums was Joonas Suotamo, who currently plays the role of Chewbacca. The actor posted an ominous still of Luke Skywalker from The Last Jedi and included sweet caption:

Ming-Na Wen is one of the newer stars to join the franchise, and Luke Skywalker is a particular favorite of hers. Since she joined The Mandalorian, she and Mark Hamill have shared some sweet social media exchanges and, now she’s posted a nice birthday tribute to the former lightsaber wielder. On Twitter, she shared a loving message and some cool photos in his honor:

And of course, Mark Hamill’s DC Animated Universe family also took some time to show him some love. Among them was none other than the Batman to Hamill’s Joker -- Kevin Conroy. In his own post, Conroy shared a loving photo of him and his frequent co-star, which proves that the Clown Prince of Crime can make the Dark Knight smile:

Few actors manage to create such a varied body of work like Mark Hamill has. His art has been a gift to so many over the years and will surely be enjoyed for years to come. His work in the Star Wars films can be streamed on Disney+, which you can sign up for using this link.

But above all, what fans and stars seem to be praising the actor for the most is his kindness and generosity. And that is what makes him a true national treasure. Here’s to many more excellent birthdays for Mark Hamill!

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As far as comic book heroes go, Batman is arguably the most popular. As such, the Dark Knight has been adapted for film and TV countless times since Bruce Wayne was introduced on the page. The latest of these will come with Matt Reeves' The Batman, which will introduce Robert Pattinson's version of the beloved DC character. The first trailer revealed Pattinson uttering the iconic phrase "I am vengeance," and now beloved Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy has responded to that particular line of dialogue.

While a variety of actors have played Batman over the years, Kevin Conroy has arguably the longest tenure as Gotham's Protector. He voiced Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the Arkham video games, the Arrowverse's "Crisis on Infinite Earths", and a ton of animated movies. He clearly knows the character well, and had a strong reaction when Robert Pattinson used "I am vengeance." The iconic voice actor said:

That's a great attitude. Because while Kevin Conroy is the actor with the longest tenure playing Batman, he understands that the wildly popular DC hero doesn't actually belong to him. As such, plenty of other actors have stepped into the cape and cowl, each with their own take on the character. Or in this case, their own take on the iconic line previously spoken by Conroy in various media.

Kevin Conroy's comments Geek House Show shows how the 64 year-old actor approaches his legacy with Batman, especially as countless other actors portray the character in live-action. Because while he originally thought Michael Keaton was going to be the definitive Bruce Wayne actor, he's seen a variety of other actors take on the mantle over the years. And for that reason he can't have ownership over Bats.

After The Batman arrives in theaters, Matt Reeves will bring a prequel series to HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

As a reminder, you can re-watch the first trailer for The Batman below, complete with the iconic "I am vengeance" line.

As Kevin Conroy mentioned, a variety of actors have portrayed Batman over the years. In fact, the next few years will see two different version of the character on the big screen. Because in addition to Robert Pattinson's highly anticipated role in The Batman, Ben Affleck is also coming out of retirement to wear the cape and cowl in Ezra Miller's Flash movie. So it's a good thing that Conroy doesn't feel ownership over the wildly popular hero.

The first trailer for The Batman highlighted Matt Reeves' unique director's vision for Gotham City. The upcoming movie will focus on a Bruce Wayne that is only two years into his experience as a crime fighter, and he'll face off against a trio of iconic villains. Namely, Penguin (Colin Farrell), Riddler (Paul Dano) and Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz).

The Batman is currently set to arrive in theaters on March 4th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation just took a ginormous step forward! Netflix has revealed the star-studded vocal cast for Kevin Smith’s upcoming animated series. In exciting fandom news, the cartoon will reunite Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. Fans will recall that Hamill and Conroy both lent their voices to the beloved Batman show, Batman: The Animated Series.

Recent Arrow-verse guest star Kevin Conroy took on the role of Batman, while Mark Hamill played The Joker. This was a part that Hamill has expressed being “forever grateful” for, in light of it allowing him to frighten children. He kids! Let the good times continue as Conroy and Hamill reunite for Netflix’s ambitious Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Check out the full cast list below:

Still a little dazed by the blinding star-power of Masters of the Universe: Revelation? It is okay to feel overwhelmed and need a moment to sift through it. Twenty-one names were announced! As you can tell from scanning the list, Mark Hamill (Skeletor) and Kevin Conroy (Mer-Man) are not the cast’s sole connection to Batman. Diedrich Bader will also be part of the ensemble as King Randor/Trap Jaw.

Diedrich Bader voices Batman in DC Universe’s Kaley Cuoco-led Harley Quinn series, while Kevin Michael Richardson (Beast Man) voiced The Joker in The Batman. So, the cast for Masters of the Universe: Revelation is a revelatory list of pop culture mainstays. Also co-starring with Mark Hamill will be Game of Thrones stars Lena Headey and Liam Cunningham. Headey is playing Evil-Lyn, while Cunningham will voice Man-At-Arms.

Check out Kevin Smith’s Instagram post celebrating the casting announcement:

Yes, that is Mark Hamill and Kevin Smith striking a pose! Lena Headey can also be seen with Smith, three pictures to the right. Smith looks super excited, which makes sense, because he has the plum job of showrunner for Masters of the Universe: Revelation, which will be a continuation of the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation is jam-packed with stars! Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar will voice Teela, while Clueless’ Alicia Silverstone is also on-board as Queen Marlena. Other familiar names include Supergirl’s Chris Wood, who recently reprised his role as The Vampire Diaries’ Kai Parker for the series’ spinoff, Legacies. Wood will play our Prince Adam/He-Man in the Netflix series.

Aside from Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy, there are some other well-known and long-standing members of the voice acting community helping to bring our favorite Masters of the Universe characters to life. These include Office Space’s Stephen Root (Cringer), DC Super Hero Girls’ Cree Summer (Priestess), BoJack Horseman’s Phil LaMarr (He-Ro), and vocal legend Tony Todd (Scare Glow) of Candyman fame. In a casting coup that fans will absolutely adore, Toy Story 4’s Alan Oppenheimer (Moss Man) is also stepping up to the mic, and he just so happens to have been the original voice behind Skeletor.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation will not only reunite Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy with respect to their days on Batman: The Animated Series. The two have also taken part in the Arrow-verse. Conroy played Batman in the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, while Hamill has portrayed The Trickster on The Flash. But, Hamill and Conroy’s reunion for the Netflix series is no trick and all treat.

A premiere date has not been revealed for Masters of the Universe: Revelation yet, but it will arrive on Netflix at some point. In the meantime, there is plenty of 2020 content and television premieres throughout this winter and spring to keep you busy.

While “Crisis on Infinite Earths” isn’t the first time Kevin Conroy will be playing Batman, it does mark the first time he’ll portray the Dark Knight in live-action. For many, Conroy is the definitive Batman, having voiced the character for years in Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, among other projects. While there are no plans for Conroy to return to the Arrow-verse after “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” the actor says that he “would love” to play Batman again.

Since “Crisis on Infinite Earths" is set to merge the multiverse, Kevin Conroy, who says playing live-action Bruce Wayne was challenging, was asked whether he’d be willing to return to play the Arrow-verse’s Batman. Here’s what he had to say about it:

Although it’s unclear whether this Batman hails from the future or another earth, Kevin Conroy’s Bruce seems to be struggling in his exoskeleton and is no longer Batman in his prime. That’s why the actor’s vision of inhabiting Old Man Bruce from Batman Beyond isn’t a bad one.

Speaking of Batman Beyond, what about Will Friedle’s Terry McGinnis? In an interview with ComicBook.com, Kevin Conroy admits that it would be harder to have Will Friedle play Terry McGinnis in live-action because of the age difference, but he wouldn’t be opposed to an animated reunion.

The full trailer for the Arrow-verse’s five-episode crossover offered fans a more detailed look at Kevin Conroy’s live-action Batman. Wearing an exoskeleton suit, he’s surprised to see Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) and Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) entering his home. They're likely there to recruit him for "Crisis" and the exchange seems a bit tense. For Batwoman, Bruce has been gone for three years, so getting to see her cousin again after so long will likely add another dimension to their relationship.

In addition to Batman, “Crisis on Infinite Earths” is also bringing fans multiple versions of Superman, including Smallville's Tom Welling and Legends of Tomorrow's Brandon Routh and Kingdom Come's Man of Steel. And if Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman could get his own spinoff show, aptly titled Superman & Lois, then it’s not a stretch to believe that Kevin Conroy could come back to the Arrow-verse in some capacity. The possibilities are endless.

For now, though, Kevin Conroy will only be playing Batman in the crossover and he’ll be joining the entirety of the Arrow-verse in their fight against the Anti-Monitor, who’s trying to destroy the multiverse. One of the casualties of “Crisis” is already shaping up to be Supergirl’s earth, so prepare for a lot of death.

“Crisis on Infinite Earths” kicks off with Supergirl on Sunday, December 8 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Parts 2 and 3 on Batwoman and The Flash on December 9 and 10, respectively. Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow will conclude the five-part crossover on January 14, 2020. Be sure to check out what else is returning midseason with our handy TV guide.

The Arrow-verse spectacular Crisis on Infinite Earths is almost upon us, and we've been given a lot of information about some of the wonderful things that are coming once we can actually sit down and feast our eyes on the newest installment of The CW crossover. Fans were already pleasantly surprised as news of some very important, and fitting, cameos came out, but reaction to the reveal that Kevin Conroy (who's voiced Batman in several DC animated projects for 27 years) would be playing Bruce Wayne in live action was perhaps the most positive.

While Kevin Conroy was thrilled to finally get the opportunity to take his version of the iconic character(s) to the small screen, it turns out that this shift from voicing Bruce / Bats to playing him in real life wasn't quite as easy as he was expecting it to be. Here's what he had to say about the experience:

Well, of course this was surprising for Kevin Conroy. You don't play a character, even one as complicated as Bruce Wayne, for as long as he has and not think that you've nailed down everything there is to know about the dude. As he told Entertainment Weekly, though, because he had never played Bruce with anything other than his voice before, bringing that into real life and onto a set, with everything that goes into that experience, turned out to throw Conroy a bit of a learning curve.

It's probably shocking to hear for fans, too, especially because Kevin Conroy is our longest-running and, some would say, our greatest version of The Dark Knight. I mean, the man has voiced the famed superhero in over 50 animated TV shows (beginning with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992), movies and video games; there's a reason that the good folks at DC animation keep going back to Conroy when they need someone to give voice to the potentially deadly and determined detective.

But, it makes a lot of sense that Kevin Conroy had to make some adjustments when stepping onto the set of Batwoman (which is where his cameo will appear). As he noted in his interview, he had never given much thought to the physical aspects of the character, whether he was playing him young and relatively fit as he did for his first go-round, or as a much older man, as can be heard in Batman Beyond.

Feeding off of other actors in the very controlled environment of a recording studio (with your eyes closed, no less) is very different from interacting with them on camera. And, from what we can see of Kevin Conroy as the character in the above photo, he looks to be wearing some kind of exoskeleton, which would take even more getting used to. Luckily, Conroy said he had a lot of help from his main scene partners, recovered Batwoman star Ruby Rose and Supergirl's Melissa Benoist, so he was able to adjust before too long.

Fans can revel in Kevin Conroy's first time playing Bruce Wayne / Batman in live action for the hotly anticipated crossover, Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part 2, on Batwoman, which airs on The CW, December 9 at 8 p.m. EST.

This fall will bring us two momentous events when it comes to the DC comics-based shows on The CW. In just a few months time, we'll be treated to the very last episode of Arrow, the series that started the interconnected DC universe on the network, once it completes its shortened Season 8. And, fans will also be treated to the sixth, and largest, crossover between the Arrow-verse shows, the now much-hyped Crisis on Infinite Earths event.

Now, if you had been of the opinion that fans such as yourself were the only ones who were getting all riled up and excited at the thought of the many treats and surprises that are sure to come out of Crisis on Infinite Earths this season, well, take comfort in the fact that you are very wrong, indeed. Arrow star Stephen Amell has finally gotten a hold of the synopsis that spells out just how the major event will shake out this year, and...He. Is. Pumped. Here's what he had to say:

Oh, my! Look at Stephen Amell, getting a little salty in the language department, there, sir. But, I have to say, fans everywhere really appreciate his enthusiasm, as well as this hint at how cool and potentially mind-blowing Crisis on Infinite Earths will be. Curse away, Stephen Amell. Curse away!

We've been getting some great information on some of what we can expect to see from this season's crossover, and we already know that there are plenty of cool things on the way. For starters, as I mentioned earlier, Crisis on Infinite Earths will be the largest crossover yet. Taking place across five shows, Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman will all play a big part this year. The event will also start before winter hiatus and wrap up once the shows return in early 2020.

We also know that the foundation for Crisis on Infinite Earths was set up in last season's Elseworlds crossover, and this year will finally see Monitor join forces with his chosen heroes to stop the event which might destroy the multiverse, courtesy of his anti-matter arch-nemesis Anti-Monitor. LaMonica Garrett is returning for 10 episodes this year (playing both roles this time) to help get things rolling and, probably finish off Arrow and Oliver Queen's storyline to boot.

There will also be fancy-pants guest stars aplenty in the crossover episodes, with many giving us visions of DC heroes past, or versions of some popular characters who've never been in live action before. Along for the ride will be Burt Ward (who played Robin in the original Batman series), legendary Batman / Bruce Wayne voice actor Kevin Conroy (who's never played the character in live action until now), at least two versions of Superman (add Tom Welling, please!) and some of the heroes from Black Lightning (previously unconnected to the Arrow-verse even though it's another DC show) are also confirmed to appear.

Phew! We don't even know everything yet, and that's a LOT to be VERY excited about. No wonder Stephen Amell pulled out all the stops in his short Twitter post to tell us just how awesome the crossover will be this year, and he hasn't even seen the full scripts yet!

Stephen Amell will begin his last Arrow journey this fall when Season 8 hits The CW on Tuesday, October 15 at 9 p.m. EST and we can all experience the (basically guaranteed) ultimate badassness of Crisis on Infinite Earths when that event kicks off on Sunday, December 8 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

The Arrow-verse mega-crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths" has announced some pretty surprising additions in recent weeks, with the casting of voice actor Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne the most surprising yet. Now that Conroy is officially appearing as Wayne in live-action, fans are already clamoring for another iconic voice actor from the Batman franchise to join in on the fun. The question is, will Mark Hamill appear as Joker to go head-to-head against Conroy's Bruce?

That we don't know, but Kevin Conroy seems to be a big fan of it happening. The former Batman: The Animated Series star reached out to his friend on Twitter to see what he thought of the idea.

So now we have Kevin Conroy in on the "let's bring Mark Hamill into Crisis as Joker," train which may actually be helpful provided he's worked with the voice actor on several projects over the years. With that being said, Hamill playing Joker had to be something the Arrow-verse big wigs thought of the minute they locked down Conroy, so fingers crossed something's already in the works and Conroy is just playing "Con-coy."

After all, Mark Hamill has worked within the Arrow-verse before as The Trickster, so it tracks that he could be the Joker of another world. We also know that The Flash tried to lock down Hamill to appear in an episode in Season 5, but things ultimately fell through due to scheduling conflicts with his work on History's Knightfall. Could Hamill have another more time in his schedule for a cameo this year?

That remains to be seen, although one has to imagine the back half of his year will be busy with any promotion he may be doing for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Take that plus the litany of voice acting projects he's taken on, and unfortunately, there may not be time in his schedule at the moment for even a scene or two.

One does have to wonder though, if Mark Hamill's Joker did appear, what would that look like? After all, Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne is going to be from the future, so would the Arrow-verse introduce a future Joker to serve as a foil to him? It doesn't seem likely he'd play a present-day Joker given his age, but who can really predict what kind of craziness will happen in this ground-breaking crossover?

Arrow's Stephen Amell Reveals His Top Pick For 'Crisis On Infinite Earth,' And Fans Will Approve

Do you think Mark Hamill should appear in the Arrow-verse as Joker? Share your thoughts in the poll below, and be sure to stick with CinemaBlend as we continue to count down the days until fall television is back in full swing!

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Welcome to HeroBlend #66! This week, Eric, Adrienne and Gabe will talk about Venom 2 updates and give full reviews of Amazon's The Boys and Swamp Thing on DC Universe! Up first, though, we have some pressing superhero news to get into. We'll be discussing Hobbs & Shaw box office results, how X-Men: Dark Phoenix has changed the course of other former Fox properties in the new Disney era, talk over the exciting new plans that have been revealed about The CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths Arrow-verse crossover, dive into all the exciting Venom 2 news, and more!

Next up, Swamp Thing has finally wrapped up its first and (unfortunately) final season on DC Universe, so we'll give our full, spoiler-filled reviews of the ambitious horror / superhero hybrid. We will be getting into everything from the pace of the show, how the horror elements work, our favorite performances, that teased surprise at the very end and many of our remaining questions.

Then, we'll go into detail about the new Amazon hit The Boys, as promised last week. We've all watched the entirety of the twisted superhero show, and we've got lots to say! So, we will talk bout the ending, what we hope to see in the already confirmed Season 2, the biggest / best surprises, why one particular character arc is throwing us for a bit of a loop and a lot more. Also, be sure to listen through the very end of the show for a special announcement!

Now, sit back and relax, folks, because this is one chat you're not going to want to miss. Ready to dive in? Great! Listen for yourself above!

1:35 - News

6:21 - Venom 2 Updates

19:07 - Swamp Thing Full Season Spoiler Reviews

40:14 - The Boys Full Season Spoiler Reviews

58:12 - HeroBlend Announcement

Now, get in on the superhero-filled fun and have a listen to the HeroBlend Podcast #66! And, be sure to subscribe to the HeroBlend Podcast on iTunes, right here, follow us on Twitter @HeroBlend and follow our hosts @eeisenberg, @HeyAJ74 and @gabeKovacs.

For the first time ever, Kevin Conroy will appear as Batman in a live-action DC television series. Now that the initial shock of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" getting one of the biggest superhero castings of the decade has worn off, however, it's time to start asking the questions none of us were equipped to care about when we first learned the news.

Frankly, there's a lot to consider now that we know "future Bruce Wayne" will be a part of what looks to be the most ambitious crossover the Arrow-verse has done to date. Here's a few of the major things I'm thinking about as each day brings us closer to the debut of Kevin Conroy's live-action Batman.

What Earth Is He From?

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is going to feature a lot of different DC heroes from a lot of different worlds. Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne could potentially be from any world, including worlds we've seen before. For all we know, this could be the Earth-1 Batman who is currently missing from Gotham City. Black Lightning has referenced Batman as well, so perhaps he's from that world's future?

It would be far more interesting to the story if Kevin Conroy's future Bruce Wayne is from one of the existing Arrow-verse shows. With that said, it feels unlikely considering establishing the existence of a future Bruce Wayne in any show's Earth then puts the pressure of revealing the younger Bruce Wayne on the series. Unless the point of bringing him in for "Crisis" is to do exactly that, then chances are this Bruce is just from some random Earth.

Will Bruce Travel Back In Time, Or Will Heroes Travel To The Future?

At this time, all we know is that Bruce Wayne from the future will be featured in the five-part "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Whether he's traveling to the past to kick some ass, or he'll be found in some future remains to be seen. With Legends of Tomorrow being centered on time travel, it isn't so crazy to think they could've snagged him from somewhere and brought him into the fray.

Of course, it's also possible some heroes jump into the future and enlist future Bruce Wayne to help gather intel on what happened in the past. The easiest way to combat a plan is to know exactly what's going to happen, so it seems like a great idea to hop ahead and attempt to anticipate what the plan in the present will be. Bruce would know exactly what happened, and may have even developed a plan to prevent it.

Will Bruce Be Terry McGinnis' Mentor?

One of the most exciting things about seeing a Bruce Wayne from the future is that it may mean Kevin Conroy is portraying the same Batman seen in the iconic animated series Batman Beyond. If this is the same Bruce, then there's a solid chance he'd be mentoring the Batman of the future: Terry McGinnis. This would mean there's a chance at a McGinnis appearance, which is incredibly exciting to imagine.

Especially when considering The CW is hoping to kick off a new Arrow-verse series in the 2020-2021 television season. Imagine if a live-action Batman Beyond series is on the way, and that "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is the backdoor pilot of sorts that will usher in another new Batman series to television! That would be insanely thrilling, especially if Kevin Conroy got a regular gig as the live-action Bruce Wayne.

Will Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne Suit Up As Batman?

If a younger actor were portraying Bruce Wayne during "Crisis on Infinite Earths," there'd be almost immediate speculation whether he'd suit up as The Dark Knight. In the case of the 63-year-old Kevin Conroy, obviously there's less of an assumption he'd suit up. In Batman Beyond, Bruce developed a heart condition, which made effectively continuing as Batman impossible. He did suit up on rare occasions, but was far from his prime.

Then there's the future Bruce Wayne from the acclaimed Kingdom Come in which Bruce maintained his strength and agility through the use of an exoskeleton. If Kevin Conroy's Batman is like that Bruce, then suiting up as Batman would be possible, but he'd definitely look different. So for anyone who's thinking there's no chance in hell Conroy won't wear the cape and cowl during the mega-crossover, don't be so sure!

Will Any Future Batman Villains Appear?

Now that it's known a future Bruce Wayne will appear during "Crisis on Infinite Earths," we have to wonder if that means older versions of villains will appear as well. For example, what about one of Batman's biggest enemies, or his greatest enemy? Imagine Kevin Conroy as a live-action Batman, and Mark Hamill playing the Joker of another Earth to oppose him!

If ever there was a time to do it, this is it. Especially with the future angle in play as Mark Hamill would fit the bill as an elderly Joker at 67-years-old. Plus we've already seen him on The Flash as Trickster, so it wouldn't be a huge stretch for the Arrow-verse to have him play another prank-based villain with bad intentions. Other Bat-villains would be acceptable as well, but obviously having the "definitive voice" of Batman take on the "definitive voice" of Joker would be a fantastic thing to see.

Will Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne Return After "Crisis"?

The Arrow-verse finally has an actor to play Bruce Wayne, and that's a wonderful thing. It could be short-lived, however, as Kevin Conroy's tenure may be over as soon as the end-credits roll for "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Is that what the Arrow-verse is planning, or is there any chance Conroy could reprise his role on a show post-Crisis?

Never say never, especially when the Arrow-verse has welcomed back its past actors to play different, past, imagined, or resurrected versions of their characters. If fan response to Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne performance is great enough, it seems likely that The CW will try to find ways to work him into other heroes stories.

7 Actors Who Have Played The Joker In Their Own Unique Way

The "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event kicks off on The CW with Supergirl Sunday, December 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for more news on things happening in the world of television and movies.

There's been a slow drip of information on the Arrow-verse's "Crisis On Infinite Earths" crossover since San Diego Comic-Con, but now the floodgates appear to be open. The CW showed up at the Television Critics Association summer press tour with big news for CinemaBlend and others that confirmed two big things audiences have wanted to see for a long time. For the first time ever, the Arrow-verse crossovers will feature the cast of Black Lightning, and Kevin Conroy as future Bruce Wayne.

This will mark the first time that Kevin Conroy has played Bruce Wayne in an official live-action capacity, but he's long been known as the voice of Batman for decades. Conroy first voiced The Dark Knight in Batman: The Animated Series, and has consistently voiced the character in a steady stream of animated DC television and movies ever since.

In "Crisis on Infinite Earths," The CW said Kevin Conroy will play "future" Bruce Wayne, which may mean he's portraying the elderly Batman Beyond version of the hero. If that's the case, is it possible the future Batman Terry McGinnis will accompany him? Hey, after some of the announcements so far, we're ready to speculate on anything.

There's also the news that Black Lightning which, to this point, The CW had been pretty adamant about remaining separate from the rest of the Arrow-verse, will finally be a part of a crossover. No specific names were mentioned to appear, but Jefferson Pierce star Cress Williams seemed to confirm his involvement through Instagram, with a "Hell yes" reply from The Flash star Grant Gustin. How exactly will these Black Lightning newcomers react to the other heroes?

It's hard to say how much interaction any of these folks will really have, as "Crisis On Infinite Earths" is becoming quite the loaded event. There's all the usual suspects from The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, LaMonica Garrett will return to play The Monitor, and Burt Ward recently signed on for an unknown role. Even with five episodes, it's hard to imagine how all these folks and the Batwoman cast fit into the crossover. And to think, there could still be more guest appearances!

In another interesting bit of news, CinemaBlend learned during the TCA summer press tour that "Crisis on Infinite Earths" will be split between two quarters. The first three episodes (technically episodes of Supergirl, Batwoman, and The Flash) will air on December 8, 9, and 10. As for parts 4 (Arrow) and 5 (Legends of Tomorrow), those won't air until Tuesday, January 14. The Arrow-verse fall shows tend to go on winter break between that, so why space Crisis out like that?

8 Classic DC Actors We'd Love To See Appear In 'Crisis On Infinite Earths'

We have more questions than answers at the moment, but we do know "Crisis on Infinite Earths" kicks off on The CW Sunday, December 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for more Arrow-verse updates as they come, and to stay up to date on the latest and greatest news in television and movies.

The long awaited second trailer for Shazam! debuted last week, and in it there is a fun moment where Shazam throws a large Batman doll at Mark Strong’s Doctor Sivana. The toy delivers the Dark Knight’s trademark line “I’m Batman!”, and some fans excitedly thought that it was Batman: The Animated Series actor Kevin Conroy whose voice they were hearing. Sorry, but sadly, that is not the case, as director David F. Sandberg explained:

In his response to a fan’s query on Reddit, David F. Sandberg cleared up the issue of who is voicing the Batman doll in the Shazam! trailer, revealing that despite fan speculation, it is not Kevin Conroy, the iconic voice of the Caped Crusader throughout numerous television shows, animated movies and video games. Instead, Shazam! sound designer and supervising sound editor Bill R. Dean got to lend his own dulcet tones to the character.

By the sound of it, Bill Dean has long dreamt of being Batman (who hasn’t?), and this gave him the opportunity to forever have his voice attached to the superhero, albeit a toy version of him. It is also perhaps the highest compliment you could give someone doing a Batman voice to mistake them for Kevin Conroy.

So on top of living out his dream of being Batman in this small way, Bill Dean should be quite proud of himself, knowing that his “I’m Batman!” sounded like the most iconic voice ever attached to the character. It’s also quite cool of David F. Sandberg to let him have some fun and deliver this line.

Admittedly, it would have been awesome to have Kevin Conroy lend his voice to the Batman toy as a fun Easter egg in Shazam!, but this is presumably the only time the Batman voice is used in the film, so it would have been unnecessary.

Although, it’s a pity that Matt Reeves hasn’t cast his Batman yet, because one fun idea would have been to have the new actor playing Batman in his film say the iconic line and let audiences spend the next couple of years trying to figure out who it was.

While Kevin Conroy isn’t voicing the Batman toy in Shazam!, you can still hear his Bruce Wayne in a movie this year. Justice League vs The Fatal Five is the latest DC animated universe film and it reunites Kevin Conroy’s Caped Crusader with some other voices from the beloved Justice League animated series, George Newbern’s Superman and Susan Eisenberg’s Wonder Woman. Justice League vs The Fatal Five releases digitally on March 30 and on home video on April 16.

Shazam! bolts into theaters on April 5 and the early reactions to the film are very positive. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies headed to theaters this year.

Batman: The Animated Series is one of the most highly regarded animated superhero shows of all time. Plenty of episodes have been placed on the bat-pedestal over the years as epitomes of the program's brilliance, and Batman: TAS voice actor Kevin Conroy recently revealed his favorite installment. It's one that many Batman fans will agree with, and will possibly seek out for a future viewing.

"Perchance To Dream" starts with Batman chasing some criminals into a warehouse, and it then takes an abrupt turn as the hero's world goes dark. He awakens the next morning as Bruce Wayne, but in a new reality in which he isn't Batman. There's no Robin, his parents are alive, and he's engaged to Selina Kyle. Basically, he has the perfect life, or so the audience would think. As Conroy teased in his statement, things get way deeper.

Bruce should be happy, but instead, he's troubled by the fact no one remembers him as Batman. In fact, there's another Batman running around Gotham, and he's doing a phenomenal job. Bruce ultimately realizes this isn't his actual life and confronts the real Batman in a fight that leads to him waking up back in the warehouse, a victim of the Mad Hatter, who organized the dream. With that handled, Bruce got to return to live his much more depressing life. Unsurprisingly, Conroy was superb throughout.

As Kevin Conroy told Coming Soon, the episode takes a deep dive into Batman's headspace. As much as Bruce would love to accept the dream state and live comfortably in his comfortable life, his Batman sensibilities woke him up to the notion that his most blissful existence wasn't real. The end of the episode shows he'd rather face reality than live in a dream, which is great, since he might not have escaped his encounter with the Mad Hatter otherwise.

Kevin Conroy is not alone in his adoration for this episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Fellow caped crusader-in-voice-acting Troy Baker revealed he's also a big fan of "Perchance To Dream," even if his wasn't the voice coming from the cowl.

Other voice actors from Batman: The Animated Series had different episodes they highlighted as personal favorites, which may just be evidence of the program's overall quality. For further proof of that excellence, there's this video, which could convince anyone who missed back then out to tune in now.

Those looking to stream Batman: The Animated Series can do so immediately via the DC Universe streaming service. For a look at what else is on television or on the way, be sure to head on over to our fall premiere guide.

As far as superheroes go, there's few characters quite as popular as DC's Batman. The Dark Knight is one of the most iconic heroes in comic history, and there have been plenty of versions of the character throughout the years. While moviegoers might be most concerned with the state of Ben Affleck's Batman in the DCEU, DC consistently releases animated features as well. One of the most recent was 2016's Batman: The Killing Joke, which adapted the iconic comic plot of the same name. But there were also liberal changes made to the story, especially when it came to the characterization of Batgirl. Many fans took umbrage with Batgirl's role in the movie, and the violence and sex depicted in the project, and now Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy has addressed the controversy, saying:

While Kevin Conroy doesn't take issue with the events of The Killing Joke, the long running Batman voice actor is cognizant of audience reaction. Batman is a character beloved by children and adults alike, and animated films are often presumed to be appropriate for kids. Unfortunately, The Joker's terrifying mission to break the minds of Jim Gordon and Batman is not one of those stories.

Kevin Conroy's comments make a great deal of sense, especially considering his tenure as the animated Dark Knight. Conroy first began voicing Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Animated Series, which was a project aimed toward a more adult audience. But the show was still made somewhat kid friendly, a move that wasn't repeated when it came to The Killing Joke.

During his same conversation with Red Carpet News, Kevin Conroy discussed the dichotomy of Batman's fanbase, and the challenge that comes with adapting stories in animated features, saying:

Much like Batman: The Animated Series, The Killing Joke wasn't exactly made for kids watching cartoons in the morning. The movie tackled heavy issues, and there are almost no kid-friendly moments.

Another controversy that surrounded Batman: The Killing Joke was the new storyline crafted for Batgirl. While fleshing out the character before she's eventually shot down and paralyzed by The Joker seems like a logical choice, she still functioned more as a proxy for Batman and Jim Gordon's stories. Additionally, the sexual relationship between Bruce and Barbara was controversial, as it's not a common aspect of their dynamic.

You can own a copy of Batman: The Killing Joke now. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

If you are wondering why the highly acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series was cancelled, the actor who voiced the Caped Crusader has your answer. The series ran for three years, beginning in 1992 and ending in 1995. When it ended, the animated series had 85 episodes under its utility belt. The show was not shy on success, so why did it end? According to Kevin Conroy, this is the answer:

There you have it. Creative integrity was at the core of the decision. Kevin Conroy made the disclosure at the MCM Comic Con London on May 26, and that's not the only tidbit from Conroy that ComicBook.com reported on. The actor said he we would "love to" play Batman if there was a reboot of the series. Such a move would certainly not be a stretch for him. The actor currently voices Bruce Wayne/Batman in the animated series Justice League Action.

Kevin Conroy went on to explain that the creators chose to "re-imagine the characters" in Batman Beyond and later, Justice League, in a bid to create new storylines. It sounds a bit similar to the game plan used by anthology series.

To this day and beyond, Batman: The Animated Series is held in high regard, including by critics. Since it ended, the show's fan following has only grown. While fans were probably frustrated that the series ended after such a relatively brief time on the air, they are probably happy it did not mire its legacy by polluting it with stories that were not up to par with the ones it became revered for during its run. If there is anything worse for fans than premature cancellation, it is a series' notable creative decline.

Batman: The Animated Series did give rise to three feature-length films, one of which made it to theaters. As for the television show, its story continued with The New Batman Adventures. That series premiered in 1997 and lasted two years, ending in 1999 with 24 episodes. With fan interest in a reboot apparently present, a few questions remain.

Have the creators of Batman: The Animated Series truly run out of ideas? Or could they launch a reboot of the show? There is certainly no lack of interest from fans, but with 23 years having passed since the end of the series, you have to believe that the expectations for a potential reboot would be hard to satisfy. Of course, that is no reason not to try.

If you want more superhero series, we have you covered with CinemaBlend's guide to all of the new and returning super series set to air in 2018. If you want to know what other new television to expect, then check out our guide to TV's summer premieres.

It's been over a decade since the superhero ensemble animated series Justice League went off the air, but the fans are wanting more. A little over a week following a tweet on social media that got close to 5,000 retweets asking WB to make a Justice League animated film with the cast from the early 2000s series, one star is sharing her thoughts on what such a movie could be about. Wonder Woman voice actress Susan Eisenberg said this about what she'd like to see for her character as well as for the League as a whole:

Susan Eisenberg, whose words prompted the social media movement for an animated Justice League reunion film (#JLReunion), touches on a subject the show never quite hit in its original 52-episode run. While there was certainly some romantic tension hinted at between Bruce and Diana during Justice League, the two never had an official relationship like what Hawkgirl and Green Lantern John Stewart shared. With a reunion film, perhaps the "Wonderbat" fans can finally get their wish?

While Susan Eisenberg seems fully on board with the idea of a fully united Justice League in her comment to THR, Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy might be a bit harder to sell on the idea. Conroy, who has been the voice of Batman in several animated incarnations of the character, remarked on the big challenge of his role in Justice League as Batman:

For that reason, Kevin Conroy stated that he always preferred stories that focused on Bruce's outsider status. If a Justice League reunion film did happen, there's a chance both Conroy and Susan Eisenberg could get their wish, as the original project managed to tell some pretty interesting tales throughout its run. There actually was at one time an animated film planned for the series to bridge the gap between it and the successor series Justice League Unlimited, but the project was scrapped. Years later, the plot for the film was used for Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths and featured no connection to the animated show.

The animated Cartoon Network run of Justice League is available to purchase via Amazon. For more on upcoming programming, our fall premiere guide and midseason premiere guide are both loaded with shows that are coming up that may be worth a watch. For a look at a list of shows that didn't escape 2017 without cancellation, visit our cancellation guide.

If you've been paying any attention to the world of TV and film, you'll notice one trend that is ruling the day: nostalgia. And with nostalgic properties proving to be extremely profitable, it seems like just about any show could return for a revival. But could this also extend into the animated world? Fans of the DC series Justice League Unlimited have been campaigning for the show to return by tweeting #JLReunion, and now legendary voice actor Kevin Conroy has voiced his interest in playing Batman in a possibly revival. When asked about it via social media, he responded with,

Per his tweet, it looks like the most prolific Batman ever is down for playing the role in a Justice League Unlimited revival. And with the titular team finally making its live-action debut with Zack Snyder's Justice League, it may be the perfect time to bring the animated series back through a TV movie or straight to DVD animated feature.

Justice League ran for six years on Cartoon Network the early 2000s, starting with a smaller team and eventually expanding to include all of DC's most famous heroes. It spawned endless merchandise and comics, once again providing a win for DC's animated studio. Following a team of seven heroes, we saw as the motley crew attempted to unite and work together in order to save Earth from villains like The Joker, Lex Luthor, and Gorilla Grodd. The series is also known for its serialized storytelling. Rather than focusing on one villain per episode like a procedural, the plot of each season moved forward, and allowed the group of heroes to grow in front of the audience's eyes.

Kevin Coroy was given star billing in Justice League Unlimited, playing Bruce Wayne/Batman after his fantastic tenure as the character on Batman: The Animated Series. Conroy hasn't stopped voicing the character since, playing the character in a shopping 12 animated movies, in addition to his TV work. Conroy also voiced the Dark Night in games, including the Arkham and Injustice series. This guy IS Batman, so his interest in a possible Justice League Unlimited reunion speaks volumes.

It would definitely be interesting to see if Justice League Unlimited returns for a revival or TV movie. There's already currently a Justice League show on television: Justice League Action, with Kevin Conroy once again reprising his role. The season included in November, and it's unclear if there will be more episodes next year. But whenever Batman does show up on the small screen, you can be sure that Conroy will be playing the role.

Be sure to check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch, and our cancellation list to see if your favorite show got the chop.

While audiences are on the receiving end of a constant flux of superhero movies and TV shows, there are certain characters that are truly beloved. Batman is at the top of most's list, as he's a complex character who doesn't have any superpowers of his own. And despite being a somewhat cold and calculated badass, Bruce Wayne operates through a specific moral code: Batman is a hero who is opposed to killing of any kind, and will deploy a variety of non lethal methods to apprehend the psychotic criminals of Gotham City. He was most famously voiced by Kevin Conroy in animated media and video games, and now the voice of Bruce Wayne has revealed why he thinks this choice works, logistically.

That's certainly a legitimate upside to Batman's no killing policy. Because since the Caped Crusader sends his foes to Arkham Asylum, they're able to escape or be released, and therefore re-enter the narrative for another adventure.

It's probably for this reason that Batman has some of DC's most beloved villains. The Rogues gallery like The Joker, Poison Ivy, The Riddler, etc. have all been able to return to the comics and media time and time again. This just helps add to Batman's overall popularity, as even his bad guys have massive followings and fans who will dress up as them every Halloween.

Kevin Conroy's comments to Den Of Geek also reference how beneficial it is to have Batman's villains develop their own dynamics and relationships from their shared time at Arkham Asylum. Rather than act independently, Batman villains are often seen teaming up in attempt to finally kill the Dark Knight. Or even more exciting is the possibility of a mass breakout, where Batman has to track down and apprehend a mass of villains in a night from hell.

This guy knows his Batman. And after voicing the character for the massively popular Arkham video game series, he should know how effective it is to lean on the character's villains. So while Batman's typical stance against killing helps to motivate the way he fights crime, it also opens up the character and property to a variety story possibilities.

Kevin Conroy is once again voicing Batman/Bruce Wayne in Justice League Action on Cartoon Network, and Batman can be seen on the silver screen in Justice League November 17th.

A brief survey of the fan base will tell any outsider that there are many opinions on what is the best episode of Batman: The Animated Series. That said, there are few who can speak on this show and its finest moments better than Batman himself, Kevin Conroy. The legendary voice actor recently shared that his favorite episode of the series is "Perchance to Dream," and gave the following reason for his choice:

"Perchance To Dream," which is a phrase taken from the famous soliloquy of Hamlet, follows Batman after he is knocked unconscious after pursuing a group of criminals. He awakens as Bruce Wayne and finds himself in a world where his parents have never died, he's engaged to Selina Kyle (Catwoman), and he is not Batman. Bruce eventually works out that the entire world is a fantasy, and frees himself from the dream after a battle with an imposter Batman. The whole encounter turns out to be a scheme of the Mad Hatter, who blames Batman for ruining his life.

As there are plenty of great episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, THR notes that Kevin Conroy enjoyed the emotional depth of "Perchance To Dream," as well as how it showcased the series could feature very dark villains. That Season 1 episode would set the tone for a series that would span 85 episodes and lead to multiple Batman related spinoffs.

Kevin Conroy also mentioned Mask of the Phantasm in his response, which was an animated feature film set within the universe of Batman: The Animated Series. The film starts as a tale of love, but overall devolves into a story revolving Bruce's decision to forego a normal life and dedicate his life to fighting crime as Batman. Once again, it appears Conroy's passion for getting into the mind of what makes Batman who he is reign supreme when it comes to stories that stand out for the voice actor.

Select episodes of Batman: The Animated Series are currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. For more on the series, be sure to read up on Mark Hamill's note he was given when he took the role of Joker for the show, and how he ended up getting the job from Tim Curry. Those looking for shows to watch as we head into a new season of television would do well to visit and bookmark our fall premiere guide to keep track of all new and returning shows.

Although the comic book movie genre has arguably been a relatively male-dominated landscape for quite some time, there are certainly female characters who have managed to break into the mainstream. One of the most famous of the bunch is Dr. Harleen "Harley Quinn" Quinzel, who came to life in animation before becoming a silver screen icon in Suicide Squad. She has become widely regarded as a symbol of female empowerment, and while promoting the release of Batman and Harley Quinn, Dark Knight legend Kevin Conroy even admitted that he thinks she's superior to Wonder Woman's Diana Prince, saying:

At her core, Harley Quinn is the poster child for persistence in the face of adversity. Although she's often portrayed as a villain, her status as a victim of Joker's mind games has consistently endowed her with a more sympathetic nature than most other DC characters. Beyond that, her struggles to break free from Joker's control (coupled with her more female-centric adventures with Poison Ivy and the Gotham City Sirens team) have evolved her into one of DC's best "multidimensional" characters. To put it bluntly: she's got issues.

Kevin Conroy's comments to HeyUGuys about Harley Quinn's status as feminine icon also seem to echo recent remarks made by James Cameron last week about Wonder Woman. Similarly giving his take on the character, explaining how her the apparent perfection arguably makes her less compelling than a grittier heroine like Sarah Connor from The Terminator franchise.

It's worth noting that there's technically no right answer to this situation. Harley Quinn is arguably more complicated than Wonder Woman in the same way that Batman is arguably more complex than Superman. One is a human character dealing with complex emotional turmoil, while the other is specifically meant to embody the idea of humanity's perfection and the idealization of moral goodness. Kevin Conroy's take on Harley Quinn's perceived superiority to Wonder Woman is neither right nor wrong; it's simply his own opinion and personal preference about a set of characters that he has come to know intimately over the course of the last three decades.

Batman and Harley Quinn is now available on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. As for the rest of this year's theatrical releases, check out our comprehensive 2017 movie premiere guide.

For many, Mark Hamill is the quintessential Joker. He has become inextricable from the role - which is now arguably as iconic as his work as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars). Some have even suggested that he could one day make his way into the white makeup and purple suit in live-action. Now, with a Joker origin movie on the way, Batman legend Kevin Conroy seems to think that project is a perfect opportunity for Hamill to bring his Joker in front of the cameras. The Dark Knight voice actor addressed this possibility while promoting the release of Batman and Harley Quinn, saying:

As noted by Kevin Conroy: Mark Hamill has delved into the origin of Joker before. The character took ample inspiration from the "Jack Napier" origin in Batman: The Animated Series, and he has also provided his voice for the character in last year's adaptation of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke. Hamill pretty much knows the character inside and out at this point, so by Conroy's assessment, why not let him take a crack one of the more interesting Joker movies on the horizon?

Although Mark Hamill has primarily become known for his voice work as the legendary DC villain, he has proven that he has what it takes to step into the role in a live-action capacity. The actor has played Flash villain The Trickster on and off since the 1990s, and he even recently reprised the role as an Earth-3 version of the character -- who seems to share a striking resemblance with everyone's favorite clown-themed baddie.

As much as we love what Kevin Conroy had to say to HeyUGuys about this possibility, it remains to be seen whether or not Mark Hamill's flamboyant and theatrical Joker is the type of direction that Todd Phillips' Joker origin movie will require. All of the rumors associated with the project have suggested something with a more grounded and gritty atmosphere than the current DCEU, which could potentially indicate something more in-line with Heath Ledger's now iconic Joker from The Dark Knight. At this point, we will just have to wait and see what happens.

CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to the future of The Joker (in all of his forms) as new details become available to us. For now, take a look at our comprehensive movie premiere guide and check out Batman and Harley Quinn on Digital HD, DVD, and Blu-ray.

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Calling Kevin Conroy the best Batman of all time feels like an understatement. In fact, I would argue that such an assessment is probably the exact opposite of a hot take. The guy can take any Caped Crusader line and make it gold -- even lines uttered by other Batman actors. On that note, Conroy recently made an appearance on Talkin' Toons with Rob Paulsen, and expertly delivered Christian Bale's epic speech from the final scene of The Dark Knight. Check out the audio dubbed over the actual scene below.

If you need a moment, I completely understand. I got chills the first time that I heard it as well. Dubbing the audio in over the original cut of the climactic scene from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, Conroy and Paulsen (voicing Commissioner Gordon) treat the sequence as a radio play -- delivering the lines in one take. The sequence clearly doesn't have the well-rehearsed atmosphere of Conroy's tenures on properties like Batman: The Animated Series or the Arkham game series, but the fact that he delivers the speech so perfectly in one sitting is impressive in its own right.

Of course, that video is even more impressive when we consider the Batman that Kevin Conroy is going up against. Christian Bale was undoubtedly one of the better actors to ever step into the cape and cowl, but most people generally seem to have come to a consensus that his voice was one of the worst aspects of the charter. When compared to the original cut of this scene, Conroy enunciates better than Bale's more animalistic growls, and the speech is far clearer in tone and quality. In many ways, it feels like it could easily belong in a darker entry in DC Animation's long line of films and TV shows -- it potentially even rivals the climactic speech from last year's The Killing Joke.

Kevin Conroy has not given up the role of The Dark Knight just yet. His latest work on Batman and Harley Quinn will be available digitally on August 14, and the Blu-ray and DVD copies of the film will hit shelves two weeks later on August 28. The animated film takes place within the reality established by Batman: The Animated Series, and centers on Batman and Loren Lester's Nightwing as they team up with a seemingly reformed Harleen Quinzel to prevent Poison Ivy from unleashing a deadly virus upon the planet. Conroy continues to have a passion for The Dark Knight almost 30 years after his initial introduction, and we cannot wait to see what he does with the role next.

As for the silver screen version of The Dark Knight, Batfleck will make his next appearance when Justice League debuts in theaters on November 17.

While not as popular as "Who is the best Batman?" the debate over who is the best Bruce Wayne is one that will rage on for eternity. There are those that believe Adam West is the definitive incarnation, while others have a soft spot for Michael Keaton, in recent years Christian Bale has become a firm front-runner. Kevin Conroy knows a thing or two about portraying Bruce Wayne, having provided the voice for the animated version of the character since the early 1990s. And he's decided that his favorite incarnation of the billionaire playboy is Christian Bale. Case closed.

Kevin Conroy made this admission while at Stan Lee's LA Comic Con, via Screen Geek, but he also insisted that while he adored Christian Bale's performance as Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, he did have a slight issue with how he portrayed Batman. Mainly because of his voice. Conroy explained:

Like Conroy, plenty of people have mocked and commented upon Christian Bale's voice in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight series, with some insisting that it's so deep and noticeable that it actually takes away from his performance as the superhero. But that's just one minor quibble from what, overall, is a truly astounding and impressive performance as the Caped Crusader.

Kevin Conroy also commented upon the current incarnation of Batman, defending Ben Affleck and insisting that his performance in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice was actually impressive. Kevin Conroy, who has previously criticized Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as he believes that it should never have shown Batman killing so many people, even went as far as to call Ben Affleck's performance "wonderful" before adding, "He does really well on both Batman and Bruce Wayne."

Luckily for Kevin Conroy Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice was just the beginning of Ben Affleck's tenure as both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not only did he already reappear as the iconic character in Suicide Squad, but he will obviously play a huge role in Justice League and he's currently working very hard on his very own solo Batman film, too, which he will also write and direct. All of which made just give him the edge in future discussions regarding the best incarnation of the character.

DC Comics may just be getting their live action cinematic universe underway, but many will agree that when it comes to animation, the comic book company reigns supreme. Not only have most of their TV shows been well-received, but since 2007, they've released a steady stream of animated movies, many of which have starred Batman. Not counting involvement in team-up movies (of which there are plenty), the Caped Crusader has led 10 movies so far, and you can be sure many more will follow. Now longtime Batman voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are hinting that Batman: Hush and Batman: A Death in the Family may be the next storylines to get the animated treatment.

This past weekend at Canada's 2016 Fan Expo (via Screen Geek), Conroy and Hamill reunited for a panel, and during the Q&A segment, one fan asked them if either of them were done voicing Batman and The Joker, respectively, as well as what kind of projects they would like to work on next. After answering 'no' to the first question, Conroy turned to Hamill and slyly asked him, "What do you think about doing Hush?" That led to Hamill asking in return, "What do you think about doing A Death In The Family?" Needless to say, the audience cheered at the prospect of seeing these storylines being made into animated movies, but it's unclear whether the actors were merely having some fun or truly hinting at projects coming down the pipeline.

From Batman: The Animated Series to most recently reuniting for Batman: The Killing Joke, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are two of the most beloved Batman talents, being the definitive voices of Batman and Joker, respectively, for a whole generation of fans. To hear that they won't be leaving the Batman mythos anytime soon is great by itself, but the idea of them providing their voices for two of the most iconic Batman storylines ever is another level of excitement.

Batman: A Death in the Family, written by Jim Starlin and illustrated by Jim Aparo, is notorious for killing off Jason Todd, the second Robin, at the hands of The Joker, leaving Batman with enormous guilt even after Jason was revived years later. The story was partially adapted in 2010's Batman: Under the Red Hood when fans watched Joker kill Jason Todd at the beginning of the movie, but it's has never been fully adapted outside of the printed page.

Batman: Hush, written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Jim Lee, introduced the super villain Hush, manipulated most of Batman's most notorious enemies against him in an elaborate conspiracy, including The Joker. Hush has appeared in two of the Arkham video games and made a minor appearance in Gotham, but a Hush animated movie would arguably be his biggest appearance outside the comic yet.

Which storyline sounds more appealing to see translated into an animated movie: Batman: A Death in the Family or Batman: Hush? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

When it comes to superheroes, no character has received more thorough exploration than The Dark Knight. Batman has become one of the most reliable sources for box office gold over the years, and each actor to play him has brought something wholly new and unique. However, true Bat-Fans know that there's one actor who stands above the rest: Kevin Conroy. The legendary voice actor has a method to his portrayal of The Bat, and it's all about restraint -- which is something he thinks Ben Affleck should take note of when he once again dons the cape and cowl in Justice League. He said:

It's simple advice, but it's effective nonetheless. While speaking with IGN to promote the recent release of Batman: The Killing Joke, Kevin Conroy explained the importance of restraint in playing Batman properly. When a character becomes part of an ensemble there's a certain impulse to make the most of the lines you're given, but Conroy insists that one should avoid such a compulsion. Don't try to steal the stage; simply tap into the spirit of the character. In true Batman fashion, it's all about combining subtlety with theatricality.

Although they exist within the same universe, the Batman from Batman: The Animated Series and the Batman from the animated Justice League often felt incredibly distinct from one another. In Batman: TAS, Kevin Conroy had far more room to emote and give audiences insight into the mentality of his version of The Dark Knight. However, when he became part of a team in Justice League (and Justice League Unlimited), Conroy used the diminished screen time to emphasize the terse nature of the character. He never stole a scene by overacting, and that made his version of Batman feel like the stoic badass of few words that we all know and love.

Just check out this compilation of awesome Batman moments from Justice League below to get a better sense of what Kevin Conroy is talking about:

Ultimately, it already seems like Ben Affleck has taken this sort of advice to heart. His work in Batman V Superman, and (perhaps more importantly) his small role in Suicide Squad showed that he has no trouble sharing the screen. Affleck's Batman is intense and brooding, but he very firmly remains a man of few words who commands the screen with little more than a 1,000-yard stare. In short: he makes fans of Kevin Conroy's work very proud.

It looks like Affleck is on the right track, but we will know for certain once Justice League hits theaters on November 17, 2017. We will bring you more details as they become available to us.

It's no secret that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice polarized fans when it hit theaters in March. Some audiences adored Zack Snyder's creative vision for the DCEU, while others felt that many of the choices seemed out of character for these heroes. One of the single most divisive issues came in Batfleck's willingness to kill during his crime fighting outings, and even iconic Batman actor Kevin Conroy recently spoke out against such a decision.

The legendary Dark Knight voice actor recently spoke to IGN and voiced his concern over Batman's lethal tendencies in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Kevin Conroy refers to the act of killing criminals as a "line" that Batman crosses multiple times throughout the course of the film, and it's a creative choice that doesn't sit well with him. He elaborated:

Kevin Conroy preceded this comment by admitting that he believes there's certainly ample room for creative license with the iconic DC vigilante, but he remains resolute in the opinion that murder simply shouldn't appear on his resume. Many fans consider Conroy the definitive Batman, so it's hard to argue against his own take on the hero; the man simply knows what he's talking about.

Some fans stand by Zack Snyder's decision by citing the idea that Batman did at one point kill in his publication history, and the Batman in Batman V Superman has utterly lost his way. We watch him kill in this film, but by the time he realizes that Superman (Henry Cavill) is not his enemy, he reforms his ways and finds redemption. They also take it upon themselves to point out that almost every other silver screen Batman has (directly or indirectly) killed during their on-screen tenures, and as such this shouldn't necessarily matter.

With that in mind, we present you with a supercut of the Bat murders caused by pre-Affleck Batmen:

However, other fans have noted that Batman should never, and under no circumstances, take a life. He may have killed in his earliest stories, but his refusal to permanently put down criminals has become a central facet of the character's modern identity. Even at his darkest, most Frank Miller self in the comics, he still never went all the way and killed anyone. Sure, he may have snapped Joker's neck in The Dark Knight Returns, but the clown finished himself off in the end. There's a difference.

Like so many fanboy arguments, there's simply no right or wrong answer in this debate. Some fans enjoyed Snyder's more extreme take on the character, while others (Kevin Conroy included) found his willingness to kill far too out of character. Let us know what you think in the comments section below to keep this conversation alive!

One of the most popular superheroes of all time isn't actually super powered at all. Batman aka Bruce Wayne has captivated audiences for decades, with his mixture of martial arts, detective work, and those wonderful toys. Since Batman is so universally popular, there have been a shit ton of adaptations and actors who have stepped into his cape and cowl to kick some ass and scare the hell out of the criminals of Gotham City. The myriad Batmen have had various levels of success, so what exactly is the secret of a good Batman? We may now have the answer.

Kevin Conroy is a rather successful voice actor who has been voicing both Batman and Bruce Wayne for years. He is perhaps best known for his work on Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the Arkham games and the recently released Batman: The Killing Joke. Having been the voice of Batman for so long, Conroy believes he has cracked the code to a proper performance as the Bats. Here's what he said in a recent interview with IGN:

This is a pretty dark take on the character, and might be exactly what some of those less successful Batman portrayals had been missing.

Kevin Conroy has clearly taken a rather deep look into the psyche of Batman. Although he hasn't portrayed him in live-action, Conroy has been playing the character for longer than any one actor has. As such, he's had the time to really examine and dissect Bat's brain, and discovered that Batman is his true self while Bruce Wayne is more of the character. Batman has been emotionally closed off since his youth. In addition to witnessing his parents' murder, he's also seen and done so many things as a crimefighter than he can't really come back from. As such, wearing the cowl is when Bruce Wayne can truly be himself, rather than the faux playboy billionaire that plays for the Gotham public.

This is a stark transition for how we usually think of Batman. Traditionally, Bruce is the person and The Dark Knight is the alter-ego. But similar to Superman, it seems that it's the norma civilian half of his life that is truly the farce. Perhaps this is another reason the two come to blows in Batman v Superman, they're just too similar.

What do you think of Kevin Conroy's assessment of Batman? Do you agree, or is Bruce Wayne a more important entity in the vigilante's mind? Sound off in the comments below.

After all of the talk surrounding the grit and shock of Batman: The Killing Joke's film adaptation, our first full look at the film has finally arrived. Be prepared for one hell of a laugh, as you watch the trailer below.

The trailer broke through JoBlo's YouTube channel, and the more we look at it, the more we can't help but see a dead-on adaptation of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke being played out on the screen. Better still, having Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprising their roles as Batman and The Joker makes this R-rated animated film all the more anticipated. Thankfully, this first trailer has proven that the DC Universe is still on top of its animated game, and ready to take it to the next level.

Batman: The Killing Joke follows the same basic plot of the 1988 Alan Moore scripted comic of the same name. The story sees Batman trying to save Commissioner Gordon, after he's been kidnapped by The Joker and forced to face torture beyond any measure he could dream of. With Barbara Gordon wounded, and Jim Gordon's resolve wearing thin, it's up to the Caped Crusader to save his friends, as we learn about the origin of the Clown Prince of Crime.

With their first foray into R-rated content, the DC Universe has taken a story with as prestigious a name as Batman: The Killing Joke and made it into a cinematic reality. Perhaps the greatest reason to make this film an animated project is because of the controversial subject matter it deals with, as well as the fact that The Joker's twisted trap of madness can be fully realized through an animated medium with greater accuracy. Not to mention, you can get very specific with the imagery used, as well as execute exact replicas of iconic images from the comic such as this shot from the 1988 original, replicated in the trailer above.

Everyone from the fans to Mark Hamill himself have found the allure of Batman: The Killing Joke's existence too wonderful to ignore, and it's thanks to that tenacity that we have the film shown in the trailer above. Unfortunately, we still don't have an exact release date for the project, just the standard and cryptic promise of "this summer." But considering how the film looks in the trailer we just watched, we can safely say we'll wait as long as it takes.

With its reputation as one of the most iconic and brutal stories in the Batman canon, Batman: The Killing Joke has been on the adaptation wish list of any comic fan worth their ink. So when Warner Bros and DC Comics announced an animated version of Alan Moore's seminal story, fans wondered how loyal the film would be to the rather graphic and brutal material Moore had crafted. Prepare for a lack of surprise, as the film has been officially classified as an R-rated film.

The good news has come down from EW, who recently spoke with the president of Warner Bros Animation & Warner Digital Sales, Sam Register. On the subject of Batman: The Killing Joke's R-rating, as well as its level of authenticity when it comes to adaption the harsh story, Register offered the following reasoning for why the studio was finally going all in on an adult rating:

The biggest moment of brutality from the 48-page one-shot is, of course, the shooting of Barbara Gordon, as part of The Joker's plan to drive her father, Commissioner Gordon, insane. On top of the injury of Barbara's paralysis is the insult of The Joker's photographs of the Commissioner's daughter. Photographs that may or may not infer that Barbara was violated, if not merely brutally tortured, by the clown prince of crime. Considering Batman: The Killing Joke's brutality through Alan Moore's story, as well as Brian Bolland's stark illustrations, the finished product is simply something that really can't be adapted into a PG-13 film.

With an R-rating on the books for Batman: The Killing Joke, the audience has to wonder just how much detail will be brought to the events of violence and torture that litter the entire book. It's true that Sam Register and Warner Bros. are fully backing the rating, but at the same time the fan buzz around the ratings decision really didn't give them another chance. The fans demanded an R-rating, and considering 2016 is also the year that brought the widely divisive Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the decision was pretty clear that Warner Bros would take advantage of the leeway given to the DC Animated Universe and push for the top rating. Here's hoping that the R-rating granted to Batman: The Killing Joke isn't a bare minimum effort, much like when Fox was granted a PG-13 rating for Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

Batman: The Killing Joke will be released this summer on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD; which will see the return of Kevin Conroy as Batman, as well as Mark Hamill's Joker. So even if the material isn't as brutal as some would hope, the re-match of Conroy v Hamill will make the film worth everyone's time.

In less than two weeks, Batman will have his cinematic encounter with Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but that won’t be the Caped Crusader’s only big moment on screen this year. It was confirmed several months ago that Batman: The Killing Joke would be made into an animated movie, and today it was officially revealed that Batman: The Animated Series alums Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill will reprise Batman and The Joker, respectively, for the project. To mark the announcement, Hamill posted the first official image from the adaptation with one of the story's famous quotes on his own Twitter feed.

Hamill subsequently tweeted the same picture two more times to complete the movie title with more quotes from the original source material. KILLING was accompanied by the line, "Remember there's always madness... Madness is the emergency exit." Then JOKE followed with, "If I have to have a past, then I prefer it to be multiple choice." Following Mark Hamill’s temporary retirement as the Clown Prince of Crime in 2011, he said that he would return to the role if a Killing Joke adaptation were ever made. Well, now it’s a reality! Hamill didn’t elaborate on his new Joker experience, but he’s clearly excited to be back.

Like Kevin Conroy with Batman, Mark Hamill has continued to voice The Joker in multiple projects over the decades, from episodes of Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League to three of the Batman: Arkham video games. Both actors are also reprising their roles for the upcoming Justice League Action animated series. As for the rest of Batman: The Killing Joke’s cast, Comic Book Resources reports that Tara Strong will voice Barbara Gordon and Ray Wise will voice her father, Commissioner James Gordon. 

Written by Alan Moore (of Watchmen and V for Vendetta fame) and Brian Bolland, Batman: The Killing Joke was published in 1988 as a one-shot, and has since become one of the most famous Batman stories ever written. However, it’s earned its share of controversy over the years, primarily for its brutal treatment of Barbara Gordon, who is paralyzed at The Joker’s hands. This cut short her career as Batgirl, though she later served as Oracle from 1989 to when the New 52 began in 2011. Conversely, The Killing Joke is also considered by many as the definitive Joker story and one of the few to depict the super villain’s origin, though the clown himself casts doubts on whether events happened the way they’re depicted.

No release date has been set for Batman: The Killing Joke, but the movie will premiere later this year at San Diego Comic-Con, and the movie’s wide release will follow later in the summer.

Update: Warner Bros. told IGN that Batman will be played by Roger Craig Smith. What's Conroy's role in the game, then? Is he playing an older Batman looking back on the game's events? He played Thomas Wayne in Batman: The Animated Series, so he could also reprise that role in a flashback.

Original article: Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman in Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, will reprise his role in Arkham Origins. Conroy confirmed the news during a panel discussion at Dallas Comic Con (via Batman News).

His experience with the role extends well beyond the Arkham series. Conroy played the Dark Knight in Batman: The Animated Series, along with follow-up series like Batman Beyond and Justice League. He reprised the role in numerous games, including Injustice: Gods Among Us and DC Universe Online. Conroy is, for all intents and purposes, the voice of Batman so I'm glad he's participated in Arkham Origins as well.

The voice of Batman's nemesis the Joker - assume he's in Origins - won't stay the same, though. Mark Hamill, who played the Joker since Batman: The Animated Series, retired from the role after Arkham City. Hamill's retirement might not make a difference in Arkham Origins, as the Joker's involvement is only a rumor for now.

Arkham Origins takes place years before the events of Arkham Asylum. The crime lord Black Mask has put out a bounty on Batman and numerous supervillains are trying to collect. The Dark Knight will have to face off against a wide range of deadly foes, including Deathstroke and the Penguin.

For a while now the DC Animated Universe has been limited to one-off projects such as Green Lantern: First Flight and Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, each featuring a different creative crew and voice cast. Now, for the first time since the ongoing "Dini-verse" wrapped up, one of these projects is carrying over into a direct sequel. Almost a year to the day after Superman/Batman: Public Enemies reunited Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy with their iconic roles, the two are pairing up again for Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, available on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand September 28th.

Like Public Enemies before it, Apocalypse adapts another story arc from the Superman/Batman comic series by Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner, and Peter Steigerwald. Ever-present DC animation stalwart Bruce Timm is yet again producing, and the script is written by Tab Murphy, who was Oscar-nominated for Gorillas in the Mist way back in 1989. If Apocalypse doesn't feature a cameo from Gorilla Grodd, that seems like a missed opportunity to me.

Apocalypse introduces Supergirl to the Batman/Superman continuity after her spaceship crashes into Gotham City Harbor. Supes is elated to have found a fellow Kryptonian (and a cousin, no less), but his excitement is soon undermined when Darkseid brainwashes Supergirl to kill Kal-El once and for all. Conroy and Daly will be joined by a solid voice cast including Andre Braugher as Darkseid, Summer Glau as Supergirl/Kara, and Ed Asner revisiting his Superman: The Animated Series role as Darkseid henchwoman Granny Goodness.

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Two-Disc Special Edition DVD features more than 1 1/2 hours of exciting extra content, including:

• Feature film (est. 75 min)
• DC Showcase: Green Arrow (10 min)
• Sneak Peak at the Next DC Universe Animated Original Movie (10 min)
• Featurette: Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton -- A comprehensive look at The Maiden of Might, from her introduction in the classic age of comics to her death in the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event to her appearance on Smallville and beyond.
• Two bonus episodes from animated television series handpicked by Bruce Timm.

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Special Edition Blu-Ray will include more than 2 1/2 hours of intriguing bonus features, starting with all of the content available on the two-disc Special Edition DVD and adding:

• All-New Featurette: The New Gods -- This documentary covers Darkseid’s story, particularly in reference to the adaptation of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. A primer on the wealth of material and stories contained in the New Gods series, along with a deeper understanding of why these characters -- and especially Darkseid -- are so memorable and important to the DC pantheon.
• Orion -- The mightiest warrior on either New Genesis or Apokolips, Orion follows an almost Shakespearean arc culminating in the slaying of his father, Darkseid. This mini-featurette shines a light on this classically tragic character.
• Mister Miracle -- This mini-featurette focuses on the greatest escape artist the universe has ever known and how he was traded in a peace effort to be raised by Darkseid, the enemy of all New Genesis.
• Two additional bonus TV series episodes handpicked by Bruce Timm.
• Digital copy on disc of the feature film.