'I'll MISS him forever': Kevin Smith remembers Batman's voice Kevin Conroy after actor's death at 66
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kevin Conroy was best known for his portrayal of the DC Comics superhero 'Batman' in various animated media, beginning with the 1992 'Batman: The animated series', and its subsequent spin-off TV series and feature films in the DC Animated Universe. Due to the popularity of his performance as 'Batman', Conroy went on to voice the character for multiple films under the DC Universe Animated Original Movies banner. Conroy died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City from intestinal cancer on November 10, 2022, at the age of 66. He did not publicly disclose that he was ill. Conroy's death was announced in a press release issued by Warner Brothers Discovery.
Kevin Smith took some time out on stage during the filming of 'Clerks III: The Convenience Tour' to talk about Conroy. Just like half of the film industry, Smith was shaken to the core by the sad news. Smith called Conroy the "definitive 'Batman'" while Smith teared up, recalling stories of his interactions with Conroy and praising his performance as the 'Dark Knight' as well as his personal character.
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Since the time of Conroy's death, tributes from all around pop culture have been pouring in. People who paid tribute to him included Mark Hamill, Tim Daly, Dana Delany, Susan Eisenberg, Tara Strong, Matthew Mercer, Steve Blum, Andrea Romano, Paul Dini, Diane Pershing, George Takei, Lynda Carter, and James Gunn. DC Comics also released a statement and gave free online access to 'Finding Batman' as a way to honor Conroy. Smith said, "It sucks losing anybody that's exceptional at their job." He continued, "It sucks when you lose the ones that are beautiful human beings. That guy was such a good guy...So, yeah, I'll miss him forever."
Smith also posted a reel of Conroy on his Instagram profile after the latter passed away to pay his sincere tribute. Smith captioned the post saying, "I lost a hero today. We all did. The one true Batman - the voice I’ll always hear in my head whenever I read or write a Batman comic book - has passed. I’ll miss you forever, @realkevinconroy6. You had us all from the first episodes of #batmantheanimatedseries with a voice so commanding yet so comforting as well. Yours was the soothing voice of a hero that no criminal would ever know; all the bad guys ever heard were the grunts you’d emit while beating them senseless."
He added, "As a hardcore fan, naturally I sought out Kevin so I could work with him - so I got to make pretend with Batman in The @jayandsilentbob Super Groovy Cartoon Movie, in the @masters series, and even in live action films, with his cameo in @yogahosers. And on an episode of Fat Man on Batman, Kevin reassured me I was doing the right thing with my career - in the Batman voice. We’d just been texting on October 16th about him doing a show with me at @smodcastlecinemas in 2023 (where we were gonna watch/discuss his 5 favorite BTAS eps). I ended the exchange with a - because I absolutely loved #kevinconroy. I was lucky to have him as my Batman for so long; I was luckier to have known him at all. Thank you, Kevin, for defining the Dark Knight with your powerful pipes... and for being a friend."
Following news of Conroy's death, fans began leaving flowers and other tributes at the Batman statue in Burbank, California. Meanwhile, Smith also announced plans for 'Red State 2' while promoting 'Clerks III' at a recent screening.