For as long as I can remember, two esteemed actors have served as "my" voice for Batman and Bruce Wayne. Those titans of talent are the late Adam West, and of course, Kevin Conroy, who voiced the character as part of Warner Bros.' BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. Those who also share my affinity for Conroy's turn as the character rejoice, for it's been announced that he'll star as the World's Greatest Detective in the live-action crossover special "Crisis on Infinite Earths" for The CW.
News of Conroy's casting was shared at an ongoing TCA event focusing on the network's upcoming slate on superhero drama. For the multi-show event, Conroy will star as an older version of both Bruce Wayne and Batman. While no details have been given with regard to whether or not Conroy will don the cape and cowl, fans are hoping that the appearance of an elderly version of the character could lead to a BATMAN BEYOND spinoff. For those of you who're unfamiliar, the Batman Beyond storyline centers around a 50-something Bruce Wayne, who in his old age has relinquished the role of Batman to a 16-year-old guardian of Gotham by the name of Terry McGinnis. The Batman Beyond storyline also features Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, as the new Comissioner of Gotham City.
Recently, the good folks over at AV Club put a comprehensive list of everything they know about the upcoming "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover. I'll post the info below, but be sure to check out their original post, if you feel so inclined:
– Conroy will play an elderly Bruce Wayne
– The 1960s Batman star Burt Ward, a.k.a. Robin, a.k.a. Dick Grayson, will appear
– Expect the unexpected when it comes to superhero team-ups, cameos, potential spinoff setups, and nods to the iconic comics run’s most memorable scenes.
– Supermen Tyler Hoechlin (Supergirl) and Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Legends of Tomorrow) will be suiting up, with Hoechlin as Supergirl‘s familiar version of the character and with Routh expected to play a version pulled from the “Kingdom Come” comics arc
– Black Lightning star Cress Williams will make his first crossover appearance on the CW superhero shows, along with some expected co-stars
– Ruby Rose‘s Batwoman spinoff will tie into the “Crisis” event in some way
– Tom Cavanagh (The Flash) is rumored to play Pariah, while LaMonica Garrett may be playing the villainous Anti-Monitor in addition to his previous/returning role as the Monitor
– The five-hour crossover special will run across The CW superhero shows including Supergirl, The Flash, Legends Of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Arrow, starting with three episodes on December 8th, 9th, and 10th; the final two hours will air back-to-back with one of the last episodes of Arrow and a special of Legends before that show’s season premiere
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" will run for a total of five hours, and will be comprised of every Arrowverse show: SUPERGIRL, THE FLASH, LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, BATWOMAN, and ARROW. Each installment of the event will be portioned out over a couple of weeks, beginning with the first three chapters on December 8,9, and 10.