Everything you need to know about trailblazing LGBTQ+ Batman actor Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy was one of the first out gay actors to play a superhero. (Warner Bros. Animation/Getty Images)
With the forthcoming release of the action shooter game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, many are reflecting on the talent of the late Kevin Conroy, who was a true gay trailblazer.
The Batman voice actor was renowned for his vocal abilities. Though Conroy passed in 2022, aged 66, his voice is still set to continue to be a part of upcoming releases.
Who is Kevin Conroy?
Kevin Conroy is best known for voicing Batman, which he debuted in Batman: The Animated Series between 1992 and 1996. Notably, he was the first voice actor to create a vocal distinction between Batman and Bruce Wayne.
Conroy went on to voice the cloaked vigilante in video games, TV, and film for three decades. His career included 15 films and 15 animated series – which included nearly 400 episodes and more than 100 hours of TV – as well as 24 video games.
Conroy is set to feature in the much-anticipated video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, with a posthumous performance.
Reportedly, before his death, he also reprised Batman for the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader as well as Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three.
Is Kevin Conroy gay?
Yes, he is. Kevin Conroy came out as gay in 2016 in an interview with The New York Times.
In the interview, he was reflecting on a theatre show in which he starred that tackled the AIDS crisis.
“I went to so many funerals that I felt such a sense of obligation to do it right,” he explained about his performance.
Additionally, as part of the 2022 DC Comics Pride Anthology, Conroy contributed a passage entitled ‘Finding Batman.’
Kevin Conroy wrote about his life experiences as a gay man. In the comic, he also recounted his decision to hide his sexuality for a lot of his career.
The voice actor noted that he feared potential discrimination if his employers found out about his homosexuality.
He goes on to note that there were multiple occasions he was removed from potential jobs because he was gay.
Is he in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League?
It’s confirmed that Kill the Justice League will feature a posthumous performance from Conroy.
Kill the Justice League is an open-world co-op action game in which up to four players can play as Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and King Shark.
At the 2023 Game Awards, the newly announced trailer for Kill the Justice League ended with a tribute to Conroy. “Thank you Kevin,” the message read.
After the initial 2023 release date was scrapped, the shooter game recently came out with a £100 early access edition. However, this has now been taken offline.
Game developer Rocksteady announced the game is offline for scheduled maintenance and will be “until maintenance has been completed.”
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