Kevin Conroy Explains Why He Thinks Batman Is Not A Killer
Fans of Batman know that for the most part the Caped Crusader is not a killer, and while there have been cases where the hero has in fact killed including in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, this is not what he is known for in the comics. Kevin Conroy, who has voiced the character for approximately the last 25 years, has his own theory as to why Batman does not kill, as well as why he thinks the character should not be a killer.
According to Screen Rant, during a recent interview Kevin Conroy said that one of the things he loves about Batman is that he does not kill. As the actor pointed out, this aspect of the character’s backstory is something that was “established early on,” and which he feels was ultimately able to benefit the comics later. This is because he thinks this led to them realizing they had all of these villains they were able to bring back, since they could all be found in the Arkham Asylum.
Kevin Conroy said that because Batman had not killed those villains, and the writers were able to go back to the asylum and essentially let them roam free again, they “had the whole Arkham series of games that they were able to do out of that.” The actor said that he really feels if Batman had chosen to kill those characters, then they never would have been available for later stories.
Tara Strong & I are auctioning very limited signed Batman 25yr anniversary hats for Puerto Rico. Here's the link: https://t.co/ViMjcdPTFo pic.twitter.com/uZrcSEBK6q
— Kevin Conroy (@RealKevinConroy) October 25, 2017
While death may not always be permanent in the comics, that does not mean that Kevin Conroy’s reasoning does not make sense in the large picture of the comics and even the movies. Although Ben Affleck has been commended as one of the best live-action versions of Batman, one of the things many fans have complained about is the fact that in Batman v Superman, the Caped Crusader was in fact a killer. Many people, including Conroy, feel that this actually “went too far.”
Telling a story at my panel at NYCC pic.twitter.com/9rnHAN0ZFy
— Kevin Conroy (@RealKevinConroy) October 13, 2017
Moving forward, Justice League is set to have Ben Affleck’s Batman looking for a sense of redemption. After having reached the end of his rope in Batman v Superman, in his next appearance in the DCEU, it seems that he will once more have found his “love for humanity.” This means that while Affleck’s version of Batman has gone against the no killing that Kevin Conroy associates with the character, moving forward the hope is that he can get back to his less deadly origins.
Audiences will get the chance to see if Ben Affleck is able to redeem Batman, after having resorted to killing during Batman v Superman, when Justice League hits theaters on November 17.
[Featured Image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]
