Mark Hamill will join actor Kevin Conroy in new animated movie ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’.
Warner Bros. has confirmed the ‘Star Wars’ actor will be reprising his voice role as the Clown Prince of Crime, while Kevin will return as The Caped Crusader.
The news comes as a surprise to fans after it was widely reported that Hamill had retired from voicing the Joker again.
Hamill, 64, said: "The chance to work once again with Kevin Conroy, my favourite Batman, in what some consider the definitive origin of this iconic villain is a dream come true for me. I am beyond thrilled to return as The Joker in ‘The Killing Joke!’"
Written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, the tale is widely considered one of the greatest comic book stories to ever feature The Dark Knight and the Joker.
Hamill maybe most famous for portraying Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker in the ‘Star Wars’ saga, but his work as the Joker has earned him many plaudits.
It was in the 90s that Hamill first began voicing the character for ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ alongside Kevin.
He has returned to the role a number of times over the years, voicing the Joker in feature-length cartoons in the ‘Arkham’ trilogy of video games, as well as the ‘Justice League’ and ‘Superman’ animated shows.
Meanwhile in addition to the Arkham video games, Kevin has original animated movies like ‘Justice League: Doom’ and ‘Superman/Batman: Public Enemies’ and he has also voiced Batman/Bruce Wayne on ‘Superman’, ‘Justice League’ and ‘Batman Beyond’ to name but a few.
Speaking about his Batman return, Kevin, 60, said: "I’ve had the great privilege of voicing Batman for more than two decades, and some of my favourite moments in the recording booth have been alongside Mark Hamill. Mark always enables me to be a better actor. I’m thrilled that we’re both back to bring these characters to life in one of the most heralded Batman/Joker stories of all time."
They will be joined in the movie by both Tara Strong as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl and Ray Wise, who is known for his roles in TV series like ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Mad Men’ will bring Commissioner Jim Gordon to life.
A release date is yet to be announced for ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’ but Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will host the world premiere this summer at Comic-Con International in San Diego before the film is released in stores later this summer.
Mark Hamill to play Joker in Batman: The Killing Joke
