Kevin Conroy Reflects on 'Batman,' Reveals Who He Wanted to Voice Instead
Nearly 25 years ago, Kevin Conroy obtained the part in an animated series that would define the Batman for years to come. It would also, subsequently, define the voice actor's career, often described as the definitive voice of the Batman.
Reflecting back to those humble beginnings, Conroy spoke with ComicBook.com, to whom he revealed that he never intended to get the role of Bruce Wayne but instead a couple of other significant characters in the mythos.
“When I first went in and met Andrea Romano, and Paul Dini, and Bruce Timm, and Alan Brunett, who were the first creative team, I was kind of pitching myself, because I had never done animation before,” Conroy recalls.
“This was the first animation audition I had, and I went in, and I said, ‘Well, what about Bullock? That would be a cool character to play. Or Commissioner Gordon? I can really do Commissioner Gordon.’ And they said, ‘Don’t you understand? We’re interested in you for Batman.’”
Conroy was promoting two markedly different projects at Comic-Con; the dark, dreary Batman: The Killing Joke and the kid-friendly new animated series, Justice League Action.
“I have to admit, I don’t because the audience is so familiar with Batman," he said on whether he approaches each different project in a new way. "They’re so devoted to him,” Conroy explains. “The Batman fans are very passionate. You have to be consistent. You have to be true to the character no matter what situation he’s in. And in The Killing Joke, it’s such a dark, frightening place that he goes to, but it’s the same character.
“In Justice League Action, it’s that character, that same brooding, dark character, but in a more ridiculous situation,” he continues. “There’s still a lot of action and adventures in it, but there’s a little bit of a more ridiculous side to it, so it opens itself up to a little bit of comedy, which I loved playing, and the audience at the screening really reacted well to.”
Source: Comicbook
