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Hollywood has given us so many live-action Batmen that it’s almost impossible to fail the depiction with the formula. Make him quiet, make him gloomy, and make him angry. Make him the avatar of male introversion and watch the critics (and Reddit) glaze over it. Sadly, such a depiction of Batman falls apart when he actually has to go beyond Gotham and serve a higher purpose in the Justice League, like how he’s expected to in James Gunn’s DCU.
Turns out that introducing a brooding, introverted person into a group of sociable and colorful friends is about as awkward as you’d expect if you’ve seen such an interaction in real life. The most recent live-action film Batman we have, who joined the Justice League, didn’t exactly represent the character at his best. Ben Affleck’s Batman in the Snyderverse’s Justice League had to butcher his previous personality to fit in, and that spells trouble for whoever Batman James Gunn might be planning to bring into the DCU.
So far, James Gunn’s choices are Robert Pattinson’s angsty Batman or introducing someone new. Both could easily end up in flames or like Ben Affleck’s Batman.
I daresay, however, that Warner Bros. executives or even James Gunn needn’t look far with the casting and the vision for DCU’s Batman. We’ve had a definitive on-screen Batman for decades, and there’s plenty of evidence that this Batman fits in well with the Justice League’s batch of chaotic super-misfits.
Kevin Conroy’s DCAU Batman Remains Definitive
Enter the late Kevin Conroy’s depiction and personification of the Dark Knight. Kevin Conroy was mostly just a voice actor, and he started giving a persona to Batman back in 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series. Since then, Conroy has been the go-to for any animated Batman, even outside the DCAU (animated universe).
Conroy has been voicing and playing Batman for more than 20 years– the longest for any Batman actor. He’s been in Batman’s “shoes” for so long that he even developed certain quirks and “do’s-and-dont’s” for the superhero’s depictions.
From the voice alone, you can hear and feel that Conroy’s Batman has many layers to his personality, where he outwardly acts tough and gruff and is even slightly annoyed by the actions of others, especially allies like Robin or Superman. At the same time, he secretly harbors a deep care and protectiveness that he would never openly admit, often leading to subtle acts of concern or even rushing when someone is in danger.
In fact, Conroy’s voice and mannerisms as Batman were so pitch-perfect and distinct that he even voiced the Caped Crusader in the Arkham games. There’s a certain nuance Conroy (and his Batman’s scriptwriters) portrayed Batman’s reserved anger and grumpiness in a way that makes it more mature and acceptable for an adult. Other brooding Batmen would seem like hormonal teenagers in a side-by-side comparison.
As expected, this kind of personality for Batman meshes well with the Justice League, as evident in DCAU’s Justice League and Justice League: Unlimited. This Batman’s dark, calculating personality type gives a stark contrast to Superman’s straightforward character and leadership.
Rest in Peace, Kevin Conroy
Sadly, we can only immortalize Kevin Conroy’s massive contributions to Batman at this point. Kevin Conroy died in 2022 at the age of 66– his last Batman project being Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part 3.
But even if Conroy lived to see the birth of James Gunn’s DCU, they likely wouldn’t consider him as a choice for a live-action, big-budget Batman. As great of an actor as he was, Conroy would be too old and wouldn’t have the build for someone as intimidating as Batman.
The best thing director James Gunn could do for the theoretical Batman in the DCU would be to build upon the character that Kevin Conroy developed over his two decades of performance as Batman. That is assuming James Gunn would actually be bringing a new Batman and not Robert Pattinson’s Batman.
Kevin Conroy’s Batman, after all, has a proven track record of alluring chemistry with the Justice League, and his interactions with Superman and friends aren’t exactly hard to translate to live-action. With any luck, the new Batman would emulate Kevin Conroy’s legacy-defining performance or at least pay respect to it.
