They’re both famous videogame VAs
Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel, and as such developer Warner Bros. Montreal is changing the voices of Batman and Joker.
“We went in our game back several years [and] we really wanted to cast people that sounded like those established characters but younger versions of them,” creative director Eric Holmes told us.
So who are the new voices? Roger Craig Smith, best known as the voice of Ezio Auditore from Assassin’s Creed, is behind Batman, while Troy Baker, best known for his work as Booker in BioShock Infinite, is the voice behind Joker.
I didn’t really like Roger’s portrayal of Batman. That’s not just because I’m biased towards Kevin Conroy, either — I thought Ben McKenzie did a marvelous job in portraying the Bat in Batman: Year One. On the other hand, Troy Baker as Joker is perfect, right up there with Mark Hamill. Troy even has the psychotic laugh down beautifully.
Check out my hands-on preview later today to see what else WB Montreal has added to Batman: Arkham Origins.
So what about Kevin Conroy? Well, as he revealed this past weekend on a panel at Dallas Comic-Con, he will indeed be in the game, but in what form is not clear. Could an older Batman be narrating while reflecting on his past? We’ll know soon enough.
