Everyone has a favorite Batman. For some it’s Michael Keaton. Other it’s Christian Bale, or even Adam West. But for a whole generation who grew up with Batman: The Animated Series, the definitive Dark Knight will always be Kevin Conroy. The classically trained actor provided the perfect voice for the Batman for many years. Not only in the seminal 1992 Fox Kids cartoon, but also in several other series and animated movies over the past quarter century. And now, thanks to the CW Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, he’ll finally portray the Batman for the very first time in live-action.
Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we’ve got our first look at Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne!
CW / Dean Buscher
Although this is only one photo, it tells us quite a bit about the version of Bruce he’ll be playing. In the photo we see that this older version of Wayne has two metal harnesses on his shoulders, with wiring coming out of them. It looks to be some kind of sophisticated exoskeleton, one that is probably allowing for the former Dark Knight to be mobile after years of getting brutalized in vicious fights with his rogues’ gallery.
DC Comics
So where have comic book fans seen a look like this before on Batman? This was the look that the older Bats wore in the seminal graphic novel Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. In that story, Batman leads one group of heroes in opposition to Superman’s Justice League. Batman believes they have become too fascistic, and vows to take down his former friend. Now, we know that Brandon Routh is playing a version of the Kingdom Come Superman for Crisis. Does that mean we will see a newer, hopefully better version of Batman v. Superman play out on television?
Brandon Routh as #Superman
Kevin Conroy as #BruceWayne#CrisisOnInifiteEarths pic.twitter.com/USHmaTzWkJ— DC Films (@DCFUnited) November 19, 2019
It is unlikely we well get the exact same version as we saw in the comics, but probably something that at least alludes to it. Warner Brothers is very protective of Batman appearing in any other media that isn’t the big screen, at least when he is in costume. Another older version of Bruce Wayne is appearing this season on Titans, played by Game of Thrones’ Ser Jorah, actor Iain Glen. But we never see him in the actual Batman outfit. One imagines the same logic will apply to Kevin Conroy’s version of Batman as well. By the same token, we never see Batman even in flashback on Batwoman.
It is unknown how many episodes Kevin Conroy will play Bruce Wayne in. It could be an extended cameo, or perhaps it’s a more substantial role than they’ve let on. All we know is that we think it’s about time Conroy got to play the character in live-action. Hopefully it won’t take another 25 years for him to get a crack at it again. Because we think he would make for the perfect Bruce Wayne in a live-action Batman Beyond series or movie. Maybe even better than fan favorite Michael Keaton? Truthfully, we are down for either gentleman taking on the role of ol’ Bruce!
Header Image: Warner Brothers
