Kevin Conroy, the iconic voice of Batman, has died at the age of 66 after a short battle with cancer.
While his acting career began in the 70s, Conroy was by far best known for portraying Batman, landing the role of the caped crusader for Batman: The Animated Series in 1992 and going on to reprise the role across numerous successive animated series, animated films and video games. Lending his voice to Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy was a significant factor in helping establish them as the pinnacle of superhero games through the 2010s, and he’s also featured in the Injustice superhero fighting games, and finally in MultiVersus.
Confirming the reports of his passing, Warner Bros. shared a statement, saying “His iconic performance of Batman will forever stand among the greatest portrayals of the Dark Knight in any medium. We send our warmest thoughts to his loved ones and join fans around the world in honouring his legacy.”
Tributes have poured in from friends and colleagues. Perhaps most notable was Mark Hamill’s, who worked alongside Conroy ever since the beginning of his run as Batman. For his official obituary, Hamill wrote:
Kevin was perfection. He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him — his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him my spirits were elevated. Kevin was a brilliant actor. For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery — that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner — it was such a complementary creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.
That’s a sentiment that I’m sure many fans of comic books and superheroes will share. Conroy was immensely well liked by fans, not just for his work, but also for his continual presence at fan conventions. He also held a lot of importance to the LGBTQ+ community as a gay man, writing about his experiences in the acclaimed comic book Finding Batman.
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time.