You’ve probably come across Batman more than once. This hooded defender of the night has been protecting Gotham City across movies, TV shows, comic books, and video games for well over 80 years. Since his first appearance in comics, many performers have stepped into the role, including Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, and Robert Pattinson—plus George Clooney and his notorious suit. In gaming, voice talents such as Troy Baker and Will Arnett have provided performances for the Caped Crusader. And among the most frequently cited standouts is the late, highly respected Kevin Conroy, who many consider the definitive embodiment of both Batman and Bruce Wayne.
Now, a fresh take is on the horizon, with Shai Matheson providing the voice of the DC hero in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. As the name suggests, this newest version of Gotham is a bricktastic nod to the stories that came before, packed with Easter eggs and sharply written jokes woven throughout the game. The question is: how exactly does Matheson honor the Batman legacy created by the performers before him?
Speaking to Eurogamer, Matheson admits, “taking on the mantle of The Dark Knight is the most overwhelming challenge [he’s] ever faced,” while emphasizing that it comes with genuine admiration for the franchise. “As a fan, I didn’t pull from any one source — instead, a lifetime of devotion to Batman coursed through me, lying quietly in my subconscious, waiting for the Bat Signal to shine, to be released,” he says. “As an actor, the only way to approach the character was to steer clear of copying any other Batman. That matched what the developers [TT Games] were aiming for. They wanted a new story, a re-telling. Not the same Batman we’ve already met, but in many ways, all of the Batmans we’ve encountered.”
Matheson also notes that every Batman fan tends to have their own personal “definitive” version of the DC hero. “The well-known figures we hold dear are often the ones we first saw, or that made us fall for the character—usually when we were kids. Mine is Michael Keaton. I’ll never forget seeing Batman 89 with my sister in the theater, feeling both terrified and totally drawn in,” he recalls.
For Matheson, Burton’s Batman sparked the interest, but for many others, it is “obviously” Kevin Conroy. Conroy, who is celebrated for more than just his animation and film work—and also for playing Batman in Rocksteady’s Arkham series as well as NetherRealm’s fighter Injustice—died in 2022 at the age of 66 after a battle with cancer.
“He truly defined and captured what Batman is, along with the tension of being Bruce Wayne,” Matheson says of Conroy. “His voice managed to carry both threat and tenderness, deep sorrow and approachability. He could bring the character to life over decades and across every medium. Going from the animated series to Arkham while staying true to the same character—yet revealing a different side—is genuinely remarkable. He is vengeance. He is the night. He is Batman.”
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Matheson explains, acknowledges Conroy in “a few ways,” though he keeps some specifics vague to preserve the thrill of discovery for players—despite the fact that many have already spotted a billboard in TT Games’ Gotham promoting a radio segment called ‘After Hours With Conroy… The Voice Of Gotham’s Night’ (“How fantastic is that?”).
“For me, the most fitting way to honor him—and every talented actor who played Batman before me—was to continue their legacy rather than try to replicate it,” Matheson adds. “There will always be one of each of them. I can’t and wouldn’t try to line them up against each other, and I wouldn’t want to. All I can do is bring my own take, communicate the distinct story TT Games wanted to tell, and hope I don’t let them or the fans down. Those actors shaped the character through the era they worked in and the direction of the people they collaborated with. That’s how actors approach a role: bringing their own personality and a signature touch. My job is to support the developers—not the other way around.”
Matheson also talks about fellow Batman performers Arnett (whom he believes was “born to play the part”) and Baker. “Our Lego Batman is a new version—a younger Bruce paired with an older Bats—kind of a ‘mash-up’ of the many other stories (from comics to television to film and beyond),” he wraps up. “To be mentioned alongside these actors (and many other amazing contributors) is an incredible privilege.
“I hope players enjoy our interpretation, and have the same amount of fun with it that we had making it!”
Joining Matheson, comedian Matt Berry has been confirmed to voice Bane in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Steam, Epic). The game is also scheduled to launch on Switch 2 at a later date. We recently gave Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight four stars, with Christian Donlan calling it “an endless parade of references and gags that’s difficult to resist.”