The Legend of Kevin Conroy and the Batman

For mainstream audiences, the idea of Batman is symbolised by actors such as Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. Of course, these actors aren’t the only ones who have portrayed the live-action depictions of the caped crusader who is widely regarded as the most popular superhero of all time. For instance, the year 2022 will have at least four versions of Bruce Wayne/Batman in film and television — Robin Pattinson in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton in The Flash, and Iain Glen in Titans. This is excluding the various animated and video game depictions of the character. Image credits | Gage Skidmore  

The version that the most ardent of Batman comic book fans consider as the most definitive is Kevin Conroy’s iteration. The fact that comic book readers have become accustomed to reading Batman comics with Conroy’s voice is indicative of how well regarded Conroy has become. After the universal success of Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series, Conroy became the first choice of any voice adaptation of Batman. For more than a quarter of a century, Conroy has perfected the art of bringing the character to life with finesse, gravitas and proficiency. He was the first actor/voice actor to implement two different voices for Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman. This helped establish a new dimension to the character, a far cry from the tacky version portrayed by Adam West in the 60s. The two voices indicate the two different personas of Bruce Wayne and Batman, which is an exploration into Batman’s psyche. Unlike most superhero characters, the mask is Bruce’s true identity and not the man underneath it.

Kevin Conroy’s portrayal emphasised the complexity of Batman’s character, delving into the mental trauma he suffered as a child — a trauma that drives him to fight crime and injustice in Gotham. This is something even Tim Burton’s films failed to explore in 90s. The idea of dual voices for the character was later adapted by Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. More recently, this has almost become a prerequisite for any actor portraying the Bat of Gotham. In retrospect, it would be interesting to see if Keaton would adopt a similar approach in his portrayal when he reprises his role in the upcoming movie, The Flash. Regardless, the influence Conroy’s portrayal has had on live-action adaptations is undeniable. His iteration of the caped crusader in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is widely regarded as the most compelling Batman story ever told on film and television.

However, one must not forget the influence Bruce Timm and Paul Dini had in Conroy’s career. The DC animated universe and the Timmverse propelled Conroy to cult status. Conroy has also earned acclaim in the world of video games for reprising his role of the character in the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham trilogy. While he has never played the character in a standalone live-action film or television series, he has appeared in a cameo role in The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths series. Unfortunately, the performance or the writing failed to do justice to the character. Nevertheless, fans of the actor were pleased that Conroy was able to appear on screen as Bruce Wayne. Conroy continues to appear in various roles as the dark knight even though the modern animated shows and movies have moved on to other actors, who continue to use Conroy as a template for their performances.

While discussing Conroy and Batman, it would be unfair not to heap praise on Mark Hamill’s portrayal as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker, as they have appeared together for nearly three decades in various adaptations of the iconic duo. Kevin Conroy and his portrayal of The Bat redefined the character and will remain pivotal for future adaptations as well.