Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy will be reprising their roles as The Joker and Batman for the animated adaptation of "Batman: The Killing Joke," Comic Book Resources has confirmed.
Written by Alan Moore with illustrations by Brian Bolland, "The Killing Joke" is one of the most iconic Joker stories to ever come out. While highly acclaimed, it is also controversial for its brutal treatment of violence against Barbara Gordon or Batgirl.
Hamill and Conroy started out in their respective roles in the Bruce Timm classic "Batman: The Animated Series," continuing on as The Joker and Batman in "Batman Beyond" and "Justice League Unlimited," and even in the Arkham Asylum video games.
"The change to work once again with Kevin Conroy, my favorite Batman, in what some consider the definitive origin of this iconic villain is a dream come true for me," said Hamill, who posted a series of tweets related to "The Killing Joke" after the confirmation.
THE "All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy...Just one bad day." pic.twitter.com/bqzBQPIhOw
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 14, 2016
KILLING "Remember there's always madness... Madness is the emergency exit" pic.twitter.com/hEvNRaxL6e — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 14, 2016
JOKE "If I have to have a past, then I prefer it to be multiple choice" pic.twitter.com/o1ZybkvTwa
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 14, 2016
Conroy has been the voice of Batman for more than 20 years and he shared that some of his most favorite moments inside the recording studio were alongside Hamill.
Joining Hamill and Conroy in "The Killing Joke" will be Tara Strong and Ray Wise. Strong will be lending her voice to Barbara Gordon/Batgirl while Wise will be voicing Jim Gordon, Barbara's father and Gotham's Police Commissioner.
Strong had voiced Batgirl several times before, starting with 1997's "The New Batman Adventures." In the video games Injustice: Gods Among Us and LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, she was also the voice of Harley Quinn.
Wise, on the other hand, is known for his roles in TV shows like "Mad Men," "Agent Carter," "Reaper" and "Twin Peaks" and movies like "Swamp Thing" and "RoboCop." He was part of the DC original movie "Superman: Doomsday" as Perry White.
There is no word yet on when "Batman: The Killing Joke" will be released exactly but it is set to hit stores in the summer. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, however, will be hosting a world premiere for the animated film during the San Diego Comic-Con.
Photo: Daniel Dobleu | Flickr
