The animated world of Batman is, frankly, of the most importance because it was the gateway for many young fans to the Dark Knight himself—which means, for many of us, Kevin Conroy was our Batman. For us ’90s kids, Batman: The Animated Series meant the world, and our love of Bruce Wayne came from Conroy’s performance in the role, and that love was constantly seen throughout the years by fans sharing their praise for him, excitedly meeting him at conventions, and getting excited when he returned to the role for things like the Arkham games, or when his Batman was included in things like Batwoman, where he played live-action Bruce Wayne.
So it is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Conroy has passed away at the age of 66 after a short fight with cancer. Instantly, the news weighed heavily on all of us who grew up with Conroy, but especially for fans queer fans who found a hero in Conroy. He even wrote a story for Pride Month for DC’s collection and it was one that many considered the highlight of it.
All this to say that Conroy was beloved. He was Batman to so many, and he will always be the voice that we associate with the Dark Knight.
“Very sad news: our beloved voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, died yesterday. He’s been ill for a while but he really put in a lot of time at the cons, to the joy of all of his fans. He will be sorely missed not just by the cast of the series but by his legion of fans all over the world,” Diane Pershing (who voiced Poison Ivy) shared on Facebook today.
The love we have for Conroy
If you needed any sign of how much fans loved him, look no further than the outpouring of love and appreciation for his work that fans have been sharing—many noting that he was their Batman and it’s true. Even though I saw the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher movies at a young age, Batman: The Animated Series was something that I felt was completely mine, and I still hear Conroy’s voice as Batman often.
Everyone seemed to point to the fact that this was their entry point into the world of Batman and that they all hold a special place in their hearts for him.
He was, as creative Dani Fernandez put in her tweet about his passing, the voice of our childhood. He was so completely that character that it felt like seeing a superhero in real life whenever Conroy would meet with fans.
His passing is one that is hitting fans hard and that, in turn, just shows the brilliance and power that Kevin Conroy had. He will be missed.
(featured image: Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images)
