Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Isn't The End For Kevin Conroy's Batman
Update 1/31/2024: "Batman: Caped Crusader" co-creator Bruce Timm has debunked the reports that Kevin Conroy is in the show's cast, but cannot yet say the same about "Crisis On Infinite Earths – Part Three." "We were hoping to have him do a voice for the new show ... but sadly he passed away before we could make it happen," Timm explained. The original article follows.
Contains spoilers for "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League"
"Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League" may charge players with carrying out the mission in the title, but a new report claims it won't be the final bow for Batman's most beloved performer. DC Comics fans who grew up with "Batman: The Animated Series" and its associated shows were heartbroken to learn of the death of longtime Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy. The actor passed after a brief bout with cancer in November 2022, leaving fans distraught at the idea of never hearing his distinctive growl again. Fellow voice actor Mark Hamill even announced his retirement from voicing the Joker upon learning of Conroy's death. Not long after this news broke, however, Rocksteady Games revealed that Conroy had in fact recorded dialogue for the developer's "Suicide Squad" video game, reprising the role of the "Arkham" Universe's Batman. Fans rejoiced at the news — until leaks ahead of the game's launch revealed that the Caped Crusader meets a horribly violent end at the hands of Harley Quinn.
The decision to kill of Batman — even in a game called "Kill the Justice League" — has been met with disdain from fans of the character. Of course, Rocksteady had no way of knowing that Kevin Conroy would pass away before the game's release. Still, Batman fans have been extremely upset by the idea of Conroy's final performance in the role being a corrupted hero, as well as the fact that he's killed by a character the "Arkham" Batman went out of his way to save on multiple occasions. Many have argued that this storyline is ultimately disrespectful to the beloved character and an unfortunate stain on Conroy's legacy. Thankfully for those frustrated fans, "Kill the Justice League" may not be Kevin Conroy's final Bat-project, after all.
Kevin Conroy participated in two more Batman projects
According to IGN, sources familiar with Warner Bros.' upcoming projects have revealed that Kevin Conroy recorded dialogue for two more animated projects before he passed away in 2022. One of these is the long-gestating "Batman: Caped Crusader," an animated program from Amazon Prime Video created by "Batman: The Animated Series" co-creator Bruce Timm and comic book writer Ed Brubaker. It has not been confirmed at this time if Conroy reprises his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne in "Caped Crusader," but he is definitely part of the project, which is said to be darker and more mature than "The Animated Series." Kevin Conroy will also be playing the role that originally made him a household name among superhero fans in the animated film "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three." This multiverse-spanning story will feature Conroy returning to the version of the hero seen in "Batman: The Animated Series."
It might not completely soothe the ache of seeing Batman meet an untimely end in "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League," but fans can take some comfort in the fact that the new game won't be the last time they hear from Kevin Conroy's Dark Knight.