When the critically-acclaimed Arkham franchise returns for one more round before the sun sets on this console generation, it will do so without one of its most iconic voices.
Kevin Conroy, who has voiced Bruce Wayne and Batman in most animated depictions since Batman: The Animated Series first debuted in 1992 – including this month’s Injustice: Gods Among Us – will not return to the role for Batman: Arkham Origins, Polygon reports today. Conroy voiced the character in both previous Arkham games, Asylum and City, as well as the animated series Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Batman Beyond and many of DC Comics’ direct-to-video features.
South African publication NAG Magazine breaks the news, Polygon reports, WB Games Montreal decided to go with a new voice actor “to fit a younger version of the Caped Crusader.” Other voice actors from the previous titles – excluding Mark Hamill, who said his turn as the Joker in Arkham City would be his last – will return, including Nolan North, who will reprise his role as Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin) as well as voicing primary antagonist Black Mask.
The game, which hits in October, was revealed in the May issue of Game Informer and information has come at a fast clip since then. In that vein, our pals at All Games Beta have a slew of screenshots and concept art for you to feast your eyeballs on, which can be viewed below. A good chunk of the images were featured in the Game Informer feature, but a good majority of them are new, by our estimation.
Origins takes place one Christmas Eve early on in Batman’s career. With Gotham in the midst of a massive snowstorm, the Dark Knight is attacked by 12 assassins, hired by major crime boss Black Mask to take down the superhero. Taking place on just one night as the previous games did, Origins will depict the first Arkham-verse meeting between Batman and many of his deadliest foes. Villains like the Penguin and Deathstroke (the only confirmed assassin thus far) have been confirmed to appear, with others surely to pop up. The game is set in the area depicted in Arkham City (before it became a mega-prison, of course), along with another new area of Gotham.
The game is the first in the franchise not to be developed by Rocksteady. Instead, WB Games Montreal, the team behind Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition, a Wii U launch title. The game hits worldwide on Oct. 25 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.
Does the news that Conroy won’t be back as Batman dampen your excitement for Origins? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
