Kevin Conroy, best known as the voice of Batman in "Batman: The Animated Series" and the "Arkham" video game trilogy, has died after a brief battle with cancer; he was 66.

Conroy's passing was initially reported by several sources, including Diane Pershing, who voiced Poison Ivy in "Batman: The Animated Series." 'Very sad news: Kevin Conroy, the voice of our beloved Batman, passed away yesterday,' Pershing wrote on Facebook (opens in new tab). 'He had been ill for some time, but he really did spend a lot of time in concert and delighting his fans. He will be missed by the cast of the series as well as his legions of fans around the world"

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His death was later confirmed by Warner Bros. who, in a press release, described him as "the most beloved voice of Batman in the history of animation."

"Kevin was perfect," Mark Hamill, who voiced the Joker opposite Conroy's Batman, said in a statement provided by Warner Bros. 'He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared about those around him and his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him, every time I spoke with him, my spirits were lifted."

"For several generations, he was the definitive Batman," Hamill continued. 'His rhythm, his subtlety. His rhythm, his subtlety, his tone, his way of speaking, all of these things influenced my acting. He was the ideal partner, a complementary and creative experience. I couldn't have done it without him. He will always be my Batman."

"Kevin brought light everywhere, whether it was giving his all in the recording booth, feeding relief workers during 9/11, or offering a moment with Batman to all the fans who had been waiting for him," said "Batman: The Animated Series," said Paul Dini, producer of "Batman: The Animated Series. 'A hero in every sense of the word. Irreplaceable. Forever."

Conroy, born in 1955, played numerous roles on stage, television, and film, making his debut as the voice of Batman in 1992 in Batman: The Animated Series, a performance that quickly became iconic and inseparable from the character. Over the next two decades until his death, he continued to play Batman in numerous animated series, the video game series "Arkham" and "Injustice," the MMO "DC Universe Online," and Warner's multi-party fighting game "Multiversus. He also worked on non-Batman video games such as "Crusaders of Might and Magic," "Max Payne 2," "Lords of Everquest," and most recently "Hard West 2":

"Kevin is an actor I cast and directed Kevin was more than an actor I had the pleasure of working with, he was a dear friend for over 30 years whose kindness and generosity of spirit knew no bounds," said Andrea Romano, Casting and Dialogue Director, who worked with Conroy on several Batman projects.

"Kevin's warm heart, hilarious depth of laughter, and genuine love of life will forever remain with me."

Conroy's death added to what was already a devastating year for the comics community, especially the DC faithful. Artists George Perez (open in new tab), Tim Sale (open in new tab), Neal Adams (open in new tab), Carlos Pacheco (open in new tab), Jong-Gi Kim (open in new tab), writer Alan Grant (open in new tab), and 2000 AD artist Kevin O'Neill (open in new tab) died in 2022.

Conroy also played Batman-Bruce Wayne in live action in the 2019 Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (opens in new tab), Conroy said he "jumped at the chance" to play an older Bruce Wayne on camera after voicing Batman for years. He said, "There's a real loyalty to the fan base [of Batman: The Animated Series], and they're interested in having me play Batman on camera as well." "So I think they saw it as an opportunity to capitalize on that interest."

I'd say they nailed it.