It was always only a matter of time but it looks like Mark Hamill has finally handed in the white face paint and garish purple suit as he’s stepping down from voicing Joker.
The star, probably still better known as Luke Skywalker, has played Joker in animated form since his debut in Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, right up until Justice League Action in 2018, he’s also played him in video games and LEGO movies and shorts, and has, it could be argued, become the definitive voice of the Clown Prince of Crime over the years.
However, after the tragic passing of Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman in the animated series along with various movies and games alongside Hamill’s Joker, it seems that Hamill, left, will honour his friend’s memory by stepping down from the role for good.
During a Q&A at Fan EXPO San Francisco, Hamill told fans that he “won’t voice the role unless it’s opposite Kevin Conroy’s Batman,” and, in the words of the Joker himself, he added that “Without Batman, crime has no punchline.”
In an emotional statement, Hamill said: “We were like partners. We were like Laurel and Hardy. Without Kevin there, there doesn’t seem to be a Batman for me.”
“He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”
He added: “I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”
While he will always be the definitive voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne, Conroy actually got to play the character in live-action in the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths event.
Conroy’s loss was felt across the fan community last year and, like Hamill, he will always be missed; there will always be Batman and there will always be great interpretations of the character but none will top Conroy, just as none will ever top Hamill’s Joker. It’s a sad day, indeed.
Kevin Conroy’s final turn as Batman will be heard next February when the game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League gets released.
WATCH: Kevin Conroy reads new Batman: The Animated Series comic for fans online
Source: Fan Expo
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
Nerd Comments