This is a sad, sad day for the world of comics and superhero fans. Kevin Conroy, the iconic and legendary voice of Batman in so many animated shows, has unfortunately passed away after a short battle with cancer.
Man, this is really awful news. Kevin Conroy and his voice acting as the Dark Knight was so inspiring, beloved, and transformative for so many generations of superhero fans (and Batman ones, in particular) that the news of his passing almost doesn’t even feel. He was a LEGEND, and that’s not something just anyone can achieve.
To be honest, he’s probably the one of (if not the) most impactful actor/voice actor who ever portrayed Batman in any project as he not only did away with the goofy, cartoonish image that Adam West and the 1960’s Batman show gave the character, but he also (partly as Michael Keaton was also hugely influential too) inspired the modern image of what we think of as Batman.
Now, I know it’s kind of strange to say that an actor who voiced a cartoon/animated representation of a character gave a more humanistic interpretation of said character than an actor who played said character on screen, but it’s true.
Kevin Conroy’s gruff, loner, stoic, and heroic voice work of Batman back in the early 1990’s is the same exact portrayal that famous Hollywood movie stars, such as Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney, have given when they donned the mask.
Kevin Conroy is Batman, and it’s a shame that we lost him.
Nonetheless, I would be remised if I didn’t mention that Conroy was not just Batman, but also a Shakespearian-trained theater actor. Yup, Batman was also on Broadway on many occasions back during the 70’s and 80’s, while also having a few cameo roles in well-known T.V. shows and movies, such as Cheers.
Anyway, I also think it is important to mention that Conroy (as far as I’m aware) was the first gay actor/voice actor to portray a superhero in any capacity. And the biggest of all superheroes at that. So, Conroy was both inspiring on screens with his voice portrayals to millions of fans, while also off screen to the thousands of upcoming LGBTQ actors and actresses who dream about portraying a superhero.
Yet, aside from all of that, Kevin Conroy was a genuinely good person by all accounts from those who knew him best. And, in my opinion, that’s what matters the most when one looks back at the accomplishments and achievements of their life.
Rest in peace, Kevin Conroy. You did justice to a legendary character as only a legendary man could have done.
Images Source: Featured Image: (Wikimedia Creative Commons License/Author: Gage Skidmore) (Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
