The role of Batman has been played by many actors throughout the DC character’s 80+ year live-action history. Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Batman in 1939, one of the first comic book superheroes, after Superman. The commercial success of the Dark Knight comics would translate into a screen adaptation much sooner than some might imagine, as the first installment of the Batman the list of films arrived in 1943.
Since then, a wide variety of actors have taken on the role of Batman in different films and shows, with many of them making drastic changes to transform the Caped Crusader into their own character. Over the years, the many actors who have played Batman have seen the hero featured in live-action performances as everything from a gritty action star to the lighthearted leading man of children’s television, showing just how much range the superhero has. has had success in its illustrious on-screen history.
1
Lewis G. Wilson (1943)
Batman (1943)
Lewis Wilson was the first actor to play Batman in live-action. The movie he starred in was simply called Batmanand was released in 1943. This predated the introduction of iconic DC supervillains like the Riddler and Bane, although some villains like the Joker existed during that time. However, the Dark Knight mainly fought against mobsters and basic criminals.
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THE Batman The film was a 15-chapter series where Batman and Robin fought a villain named Dr. Daka, a secret agent from Japan in the days of World War II who had little to no backstory. Although Wilson had been an actor for 30 years, his role as Batman was still his most famous, although it is now one of the lesser-known versions of the character several decades later.
2
Robert Lowery (1949)
Batman and Robin (1949)
Batman was back in 1949 with Batman and Robin. This was another 15 chapter series and was a sequence of Batmanbut the production replaced the actors, with Robert Lowery replacing Wilson as Batman. This time, Batman and Robin fought a villain known as The Sorcerer. Lowery began acting in 1936 and even appeared in the film The Mask of Zorroin 1940 – which is notable because Bob Kane and Bill Finger called Zorro their inspiration when they created Batman himself.
Much like Wilson’s turn as the character, Robert Lowery has been essentially forgotten as Batman, overshadowed by numerous actors since his time in the late 1940s. Still, he is part of Batman history as one of the few to portray one of the most iconic characters. DC icons.
3
Adam West (1966)
Batman (1966-1968) and Batman: The Movie (1966)
Batman didn’t return until 1966, when ABC brought Batman to the small screen, creating one of the most enduring representations of the character in pop culture. In this series, Adam West played Batmanwhile Burt Ward played Robin. The show was an exaggerated look at the crime-fighting duo and ended up paving the way for Batman: The Movie in 1966. Adam West became inextricably associated with Batman from this point on and capitalized on this popularity by taking on voice roles as Batman in animated series, bringing his interpretation of the hero to even more viewers.
Adam West has remained the definitive Batman for over two decades, and his more light-hearted take on the character stands out among the majority who have had a much more serious take on Batman. Before the modern version of Batman dominated the discourse surrounding the character, he was a lot of fun, and that’s largely thanks to Adam West.
4
Michael Keaton (1989)
Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992)
In 1989, the biggest budget version of Batman yet hit the big screen. Tim Burton directed Batmancasting Michael Keaton in the role of the Caped Crusader. Many fans at the time hated the cast because they were better known for comedies. Keaton remains one of Batman’s most beloved actors to this day. Keaton appeared in two Batman films, with Batman Returns arriving three years later. It was the first live-action depiction of the character and was intended to be a much more serious take on the character.
More than three decades later, he would reprise his role in The Flash — and while the film itself didn’t perform all that well, the reaction to seeing the character once again remains a testament to how enduring Keaton’s popularity in the role was. He was scheduled for another appearance on Batgirl, but unfortunately that film was cancelled, which means his journey as the Dark Knight is likely officially over.
5
Val Kilmer (1995)
Batman Forever (1995)
After Tim Burton left the Batman franchise, Warner Bros. hired director Joel Schumacher to take his place. Michael Keaton also left, with Val Kilmer replacing him in the lead role of Batman Forever. However, Kilmer himself only lasted one film and then moved on to new franchises, having already been a successful actor at this point, with fan-favorite roles in films such as Tombstone, Superior weaponand The doors.
Kilmer and Schumacher did not reunite for the next film and the director went looking for a new Batman. Despite only being in one film, Val Kilmer did an admirable job as the character and really delved deeper into Bruce’s psyche beyond being Batman. Batman: Forever wasn’t the best-received film in the series, which is a shame, as it presents some interesting ideas revolving around Kilmer’s Batman.
6
George Clooney (1997)
Batman and Robin (1997)
George Clooney took on the iconic role of the Dark Knight in 1997taking on the lead role in the cast of Batman and Robin. The film saw Schumacher create a more light-hearted version of Batman – one that was primarily aimed at selling more toys, but which consequently drew ire for the major ways it changed the overall franchise. Clooney’s take on Batman and Bruce Wayne is typically seen as one of the weakest live-action depictions of the character.
It had a similar tone to something like Adam West’s Batman, but existed in the same continuity as Batman Returnsmaking it an odd film in this franchise. In the years following the film, Clooney apologized for his portrayal of Batman, in part because the film’s controversial reception marked the end of Batman on the big screen for eight years.
7
Christian Bale (2005)
Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
In 2005, Christopher Nolan brought his version of Batman to the big screen and revitalized the entire franchise. Nolan cast Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batmanand took the character back to the beginning, showing how Bruce Wayne became Batman in Batman begins. Bale ended up playing Batman in three different films, with The Dark Knight still considered one of the best Batman films of all time, as well as one of the best comic book films in history.
Christian Bale is still considered by many to be the best Batman to appear in live-action and for good reason. He was lucky enough to play the character in an entire trilogy, allowing him to further explore the character and give him a proper conclusion that many of the other iterations never got. Following in Clooney’s footsteps, Christian Bale was a breath of fresh air and the portrayal that almost everyone is tasked with standing up against.
8
David Mazouz (2014)
Gotham (2014-2019)
One version of Batman that receives less recognition is David Mazouz’s role in Gotham in Fox. This is probably because He wasn’t Batman for most of the seriesand wasn’t the main character of the show itself, which focused more on James Gordon working as a police officer while showing Batman villains like the Penguin rising in the background. Mazouz was a teenage Bruce Wayne, observing the city around him and planning his mission to one day try to save the city – with actor Mikhai Mudrik showing what the older version of the Dark Knight superhero would look like in this universe’s future.
An interesting aspect of Mazouz’s role as pre-Batman Bruce Wayne is that many of his villains appeared in the series despite him being a child. This creates an interesting situation where many of them would be much older than him when he accepted being Batman. Still, Gotham was more about Gordon and how the villains affected the city, rather than focusing on the Batman character.
9
Ben Affleck (2016)
Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), Justice League (2017), Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) and The Flash (2023)
In 2016, Ben Affleck signed with DC and took on the role of Batman in Zack Snyder’s DCEU launch. He made his debut in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justicewhere Affleck played Batman as a veteran crime fighter who has lost a lot in his life, including his young ward, as the DCEU’s version of Robin dies before the period in which the films are set. One of the biggest points of contention about Affleck’s version of the character is his willingness to kill. those who hinder your mission.
While his time in the franchise was marked by the complicated backstories that the DCEU faced as a whole, Affleck’s version of the Dark Knight itself was well-received once he stopped killing people, especially since the franchise made him the mastermind behind the creation of the Justice League. His last role as Batman came in The Flash, and although Keaton also portrayed Batman in that film, the two never shared a scene together despite the multiverse-focused narrative.
10
Kevin Conroy (2019)
Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019)
While Kevin Conroy is best known for providing the voice of Batman in various animated and video game properties, the actor played a live-action version of Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse mega-crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths. In this version, Conroy plays Earth-99’s Bruce Wayne/Batman, who was so devastated by his job that he became a serial killer.
Conroy, for many viewers, remains one of the most definitive actors to play Batman, having also voiced him in more than 500 appearances. The fact that he was able to portray the character once in live-action was a big draw of the crossover and adds extra dimension to both the Arrowverse and DC more broadly. Although it was a short-lived cameo, it was a delight to see Conroy portray Bruce Wayne in live action.
11
Ian Glen (2019)
Titans (2018-2023)
In TitansThe HBO Max series reintroduced the world to the titular heroes, with Dick Grayson – a former Robin – as the man who helps bring the heroes together. At this point, Grayson hated Batman and was doing everything he could to not be like him. Glen’s take on the character was interesting, to say the least, with some narrative choices that felt antithetical to who Bruce Wayne is.
When the show finally introduced him, Iain Glen played Bruce Wayne, giving a look at a more celebrated and experienced Dark Knight. Fantasy fans know Glen as Der Jorah Mormont from Game of Thronesand he brought an elder statesman persona to Bruce Wayne in Titans. There was also a brief action scene that featured Batman in Titans Season 1, but that was before Glen was even cast as the character.
12
Warren Christie (2020)
Batman Woman (2020-2022)
Warren Christie started with TV shows like October road, Happy cityand The residentand would appear as Bruce Wayne in Bat woman on the CW. This was a surprising appearance since the show began with Batwoman taking Batman’s place when the Caped Crusader quit and left Gotham City.
It was later revealed that Warren Christie was in fact playing the villain Hushwho disguised himself as Bruce Wayne. However, he would also play Batman himself during a Bat woman Season 2 flashback that really showed the character.
13
Robert Pattinson (2022)
The Batman (2022), The Batman: Part II (2026), The Batman: Part III (TBD)
The newest actor to play Batman in a live-action film is Robert Pattinsonwho took on the role Batmanand it’s coming back to Batman: Part II scheduled for release in 2026. Just like Michael Keaton before him, fans disliked the casting, associating him with his role in The Twilight Saga. However, Pattinson has won over most fans and critics with his reasoned opinion on Batman – which makes sense given the actor’s stellar performances following the vampire romance series, and because he has discussed drawing source material as Batman: The Animated Series when looking for inspiration.
Pattinson’s Batman is the closest a live-action adaptation has come to showcasing the character’s detective side, as the first film really drew on its noir inspirations. His story continues in Batman: Part II, which will take place after the events of the HBO spin-off series, The penguin. With a third Batman A film also planned for Pattinson, he has the opportunity to join Christian Bale as one of the most beloved versions of the character, even if many already believe that.
Upcoming DC film releases