rewrite this title Batman Beyond star explains why he can’t return as Terry McGinnis

If Batman Beyond ever returns, it’ll have to do so without Will Friedle, the original voice of Terry McGinnis, the future Batman of the beloved animated series.

During a panel at Animate! Columbus 2025, Friedle was asked if he would like to return to Batman Beyond. Despite his love for the series, Friedle can’t imagine coming back without Kevin Conroy, who sadly died in 2022.

“If you asked me that question three years ago, ‘Oh my god, yes. Get me in front of the microphone right now.’ Now that Kevin’s gone, I don’t know if I could do it again,” he said. “I think they would need to recast both roles. Because being Terry and not having him answer as Bruce, I don’t think I could do it.“

Set in a futuristic Gotham City, Batman Beyond follows Terry McGinnis, a teenager who teams up with an elderly Bruce Wayne to fight crime and corruption, all with the aid of a high-tech Batsuit.

Starting with Batman: The Animated Series, Conroy voiced Batman in many TV shows, animated movies, and video games. For a lot of fans, he was the definitive voice of the character. Friedle isn’t the only person who can’t imagine reprising their role after Conroy’s death, as Mark Hamill has previously said he won’t be returning as the Joker. “They would call and say, ‘They want you to do the Joker,’ and my only question was, ‘Is Kevin Batman?’ If they said yes, I would say, ‘I’m in.’ We were like partners. We were like Laurel and Hardy,” Hamill said. “Without Kevin there, there doesn’t seem to be a Batman for me.’“

As it stands now, Friedle’s final voice appearance as Terry McGinnis can be found in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, a trilogy of animated movies which also includes the final performances of Conroy’s Batman and Hamill’s Joker.

It remains to be seen if Batman Beyond will ever come back in any form, but it’s not for lack of trying. The Flash writer Christina Hodson was reportedly writing a script about Michael Keaton’s Batman mentoring Terry McGinnis to become the new Dark Knight, but the plug was pulled once James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios.