Is Batman Beyond officially making its return? Voice actor Will Friedle gives his thoughts on taking back up the mantle of Terry McGinnis.
Batman Beyond has been the center of a lot of conversations over the last few years. Much of this stems from repeated scrapped attempts to bring the character to the silver screen, from a pitched film with Michael Keaton as an older Bruce Wayne to an animated movie in the style of Spider-Verse. For a while, it seemed as though Terry McGinnis couldn’t catch a break.
However, it seems tides may be turning for Terry McGinnis. DC Studios recently announced its plans to make 1 animated movie and 2 animated shows a year from this point forward. Many fans have hope that this might allow Batman Beyond to be revived, either in a new incarnation or a continuation of the classic animated series from the early 2000s.
Will Will Friedle Return As Batman Beyond?
This has turned eyes to Will Friedle, who was the original voice actor for Terry McGinnis. While the show hasn’t been on the air in 20 years, Friedle did recently reprise his role in the Crisis on Infinite Earths animated films, giving some fans hope he might return for a new series. However, it seems as though the actor is ready to put Batman Beyond behind him for one important reason: Kevin Conroy.
“If you asked me that question three years ago, the answer would be, ‘Oh my god, yes. Get me in front of the microphone right now.’” Friedle told Animate! Columbus during a recent panel. “Now that Kevin’s gone, I don’t know if I could do it again. I think they would need to recast both roles. Being Terry and not having him answer as Bruce, I don’t think I could do it.”
While perhaps disappointing to hear that Will Friedle has no desire to return as Terry McGinnis, it certainly makes sense given how closely he worked with Kevin Conroy on Batman Beyond. Luckily, the Crisis on Infinite Earths films managed to serve as a victory lap for the voice actor before putting the role away for good, and it’s likely that he’ll at least be involved in some form of the project ever gets a proper reboot.
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