Arkham City’s Batman Actor Won’t Be Back For The Next Game

11 years ago

April 29, 2013 at 5:00 pm

Kevin Conroy, who has voiced Batman in all kinds of stuff, from the classic 90s animated series to Rocksteady’s last two masterpiece video games, will not be reprising his role in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins.

Unlike the drama surrounding another long-time fan favourite voice actor, though, at least in this case it makes sense. Conroy has always voiced Batman as a grown man, someone settled into his role as the Dark Knight.

Origins is, well, an origins story, with a younger Bruce Wayne pulling on the cowl. According to a report in South Africa’s NAG Magazine (via Batman News), the developers at WB Montreal want “to use a new younger actor because the game features Batman in his early years”.

A slight shame, since Conroy is so fantastic in the role, but then, it’s not like he’s the only person to have ever played the character.

NAG Magazine [Site]

Kevin Conroy not returning for ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ [Batman News]

Comments

40 responses to “Arkham City’s Batman Actor Won’t Be Back For The Next Game”

READ THE COMMENTS

shithead

April 29, 2013 at 5:06 pm

If it’s set in the early years why does he look exactly the same. The suit looks more advanced also. It better start with him in his Year One gear.

Reply
Mic

April 29, 2013 at 5:11 pm

It’s the voice actor he needs. Not the one he deserves.

Reply
jem

April 29, 2013 at 5:12 pm

Well Rocksteady aren’t developing either which is much worse news. Hold off on your pre-ordering and wait for those reviews, because I bet you $10 they ain’t gonna be coming out til the day of release.

Reply
1. shaoken
  
  April 29, 2013 at 5:29 pm
  
  It’s been less than a month since the game was announced, and Rocksteady gave these guys their blessings, and WB is not going to hand over a hot property to someone who would fuck it up. Save the doom and gloom for when there’s a reason to be doomy and gloomy.
  
  Reply
  1. Stomp
    
    April 29, 2013 at 5:34 pm
    
    I don’t disagree with your overall point, but I wouldn’t be citing WB’s care for their property as some sort of decision making shield against bad outcomes. Batman Forever, Superman Returns… employing Dan Didio…
    
    Reply
    1. arkayn
      
      April 30, 2013 at 11:25 pm
      
      Batman Forever was ok. It was the next one that killed it *shudders*
      
      Reply
  2. soulblade64
    
    April 29, 2013 at 5:46 pm
    
    Because no IP owner in the history of gamers has given their property to someone that didn’t immediately fuck it up *cough cough* Colonial Marines *cough*.
    
    Pull your head outta your butt, giving their blessing just means “We’re not even mad we’re not making it”… They’re probably working on something different.
    
    Reply
    1. forzaboy
      
      April 29, 2013 at 6:28 pm
      
      yeah bro you’re right, Rocksteady is working on the new ninja turtles game which looks pretty great
      
      Reply
    2. Login
      
      April 29, 2013 at 6:36 pm
      
      *cough cough* Metal Gear Rising *cough cough*
      
      *cough cough* Gears of War: Judgement *cough cough*
      
      *cough cough* Halo 4 *cough cough*
      
      *cough cough* XCOM *cough cough*
      
      Their scores must be terrible.
      
      Idiot.
      
      Reply
      1. soulblade64
        
        April 30, 2013 at 8:13 am
        
        ooo, scores… Never played Metal Gear Rising, and XCOM is quite good… But Judgement and Halo 4 are shit compared to the originals, they’re proving my point… Modern IP’s, given to different devs with the original devs blessings, who try to make their own improvements but make a game that lacks the pizazz of the originals.
    3. goldenboot76
      
      April 29, 2013 at 7:13 pm
      
      Gearbox also made Duke Nukem Forever, and it’s not SEGA’s fault that they used Colonial Marines money on Borderlands. Pitchford was making a business call.
      
      Last I heard, Rocksteady had only made one bloody game (and not a very successful one either) before WB asked them to do Arkham Asylum. Look how that turned out.
      
      Reply
      1. soulblade64
        
        April 29, 2013 at 7:51 pm
        
        Gearbox didn’t make DNF, they polished off the turd that 3D Realms tried to make after 2K Games bought the rights to the Duke name…. It still quite shits me that people think Gearbox made DNF.
      2. smigit
        
        April 29, 2013 at 9:06 pm
        
        They released it but. In my books that isn’t much better and it certainly doesn’t let them off the hook in my book.
      3. goldenboot76
        
        April 30, 2013 at 12:18 am
        
        That still doesn’t account for the fact that Gearbox used SEGA’s money for something other than Aliens: CM.
2. stevorooni
  
  April 29, 2013 at 7:23 pm
  
  They’re using the same engine so I think the worst thing they can do is a cookie cutter sequel that plays just as well as the previous games but doesn’t add anything new.
  
  Reply
  1. mase
    
    April 29, 2013 at 9:18 pm
    
    The gameplay and system is all fine and good, it’s the writing that I’m worried about. Rocksteady had 2 great stories, the new guys have some big shoes to fill in that department
    
    Reply
weresmurf

April 29, 2013 at 5:15 pm

I’m still eager to see how it turns out, but it’s a pity Conroy isn’t returning. 🙁

Reply
Jake

April 29, 2013 at 5:17 pm

And I just lost all hype I had for this game.

Reply
Stomp

April 29, 2013 at 5:24 pm

I don’t know why they bother to make up pointless BS every time something like this happens. Why not just own it and say they’re going another direction or he turned it down or whatever? Conroy may not be able to pitch a younger Batman anymore for some reason, but he’s certainly done it before and there are plenty of voice actors doing roles way below their age.

Reply
transientmind

April 29, 2013 at 5:33 pm

Inspiration strikes: after you’re done collecting whatever eighteen million fucking collectibles they will inevitably scatter over everywhere, you gain a level in badass and unlock Proper Batman, with all the normal combat/exploration/error lines re-voiced by Conroy.

Reply
stu

April 29, 2013 at 5:52 pm

Bring it on.
I love the Arkham games as much as any other franchise of this generation, and I’ll withhold my judgments until I’m five hours in and totally / still not digging it.
What’s with all the naysaying? A change of developers isn’t the end of the world.

Reply
1. badger
  
  April 29, 2013 at 6:07 pm
  
  It’s not the end of the world, and I’m trying super hard not to be a naysayer, but I can’t think of a single time when changing developers has been for the better.
  
  Reply
  1. thecracks
    
    April 29, 2013 at 6:41 pm
    
    KotOR -> KotOR 2. While unfinished, The Sith Lords was a better game than the first.
    
    Reply
    1. Zumbie
      
      April 29, 2013 at 6:49 pm
      
      😮
      
      Batten down the hatches, after that comment there’s a storm coming
      
      Reply
  2. Metroid Prime
    
    April 29, 2013 at 6:44 pm
    
    It’s all in the name 0_0
    
    Reply
  3. goldenboot76
    
    April 29, 2013 at 7:14 pm
    
    True Crime 2 -> Sleeping Dogs (aka True Crime Hong Kong). UFG did an amazing job.
    
    Reply
  4. zac
    
    April 30, 2013 at 7:46 am
    
    It might be a personal opinion but Halo Reach and Halo 4 were stronger than 2-3 and I believe that was a change of studios
    
    Reply
    1. thecracks
      
      April 30, 2013 at 12:14 pm
      
      Reach was still Bungie, but 4 was 343 Studios.
      
      Reply
Donut

April 29, 2013 at 6:03 pm

Like when nintendo let retro studios have a go at metroid. fuck that was good.

Reply
stu

April 29, 2013 at 6:28 pm

…which is fair enough. To be honest, I’m trying to think of one myself – and the closest I’ve come is Max Payne 3, which was “at least as good” as the originals.
Just advocating a little “wait and see-ism”. 🙂

Reply
goldenboot76

April 29, 2013 at 7:15 pm

Calling it right now, Batman will be voiced by Troy Baker.

Reply
1. mase
  
  April 29, 2013 at 9:16 pm
  
  Oh please, we all know it’ll be Nolan North
  
  Reply
  1. goldenboot76
    
    April 30, 2013 at 12:19 am
    
    Nolan North is voicing Black Mask and Penguin. Your argument is invalid.
    
    Reply
mase

April 29, 2013 at 9:01 pm

While I’m playing the “wait and see” card, I’m seeing a lot of red flags going up very early on
– prequel
– multiplayer
– not the same developer as previous hits
– no Conroy
Now to people who believe the BS about wanting a “younger sounding Bruce Wayne” go back and watch Animated again, Conroy voiced younger versions of the character I. The series with no issues. This whole production smells of cost cutting

Reply
Zero

April 29, 2013 at 9:19 pm

Adam West to voice batman 🙂

Reply
kataphrut

April 29, 2013 at 10:01 pm

Wow. Between him, David Hayter, Michael Ironside & Stephen Russell, what is it with these new stealth games and replacing their iconic voice actors? At least this is slightly better justification for it than “he needs to do his own mocap” or “Konami are dicks”.

Reply
1. transientmind
  
  April 29, 2013 at 11:28 pm
  
  ‘Needs to do his own mocap’ is probably the weakest excuse out there. It reeks of bullshit.
  
  I’m not sure what’s worse. That someone out there genuinely believes that bullshit enough to make a game worse for pursuing it, or that there are other issues behind the scenes such as an individual precious creative director wanting to work with someone new so they can brand the series with their own unique (and therefore better) ‘vision’ (*spits*), or maybe the actor’s agents having the temerity to ask for more money (which, I don’t know – is this an industry standard or something? A payrise for every subsequent game?).
  
  Reply
2. Dunnowhathuh
  
  April 30, 2013 at 2:01 am
  
  Made me cringe when they used that motion capture excuse. There are countless examples out there of other people doing mocap and a voice actor dubbing over the top. What’s even worse is that the new guy sounds NOTHING like Ironside.
  
  Reply
Dunnowhathuh

April 30, 2013 at 2:06 am

This young thing has never really made sense to me. Scientifically, your voice doesn’t change a huge amount post adolescence. It would be many years (you’d have to be elderly or getting close to it) before your voice noticably changes in tone and even then, it might even be that much. Unless this Batman is like, 12, there really isn’t any reason why Conroy can’t voice Batman

Reply
1. transientmind
  
  April 30, 2013 at 1:49 pm
  
  Well, I guess they could argue that the change isn’t so much for realism as much as to project an effect on players. The things required to create an impression don’t always translate over so well when you use reality.
  
  Like in the Simpsons and the Hollywood ep:
  
  Props guy is painting black patches onto a white horse.
  Martin: Uh, Sir, why don’t you just use real cows?
  Painter: Cows don’t look like cows on film. You gotta use horses.
  Ralph: What do you do if you want something that looks like a horse?
  Painter: Ehh, usually we just tape a bunch of cats together.
  
  Reply

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40 responses to “Arkham City’s Batman Actor Won’t Be Back For The Next Game”

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