For over 80 years, Batman has been one of the most popular pop culture heroes, gaining a cult following of millions. Selling billions on merchandising every year and consistently making his presence on the big and the little screen, it’s safe to say everyone knows about Batman.
In media, several have taken the Batman mythos and attempted to capture the essence that is Batman and although many have succeeded, many have also fallen short of representing Batman as we all know and love. Whether it was his performance or the way he was portrayed compared to his comic counterpart, here are 10 of the best onscreen portrayals of Batman.
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman Forever was a questionable movie from the start. When it was announced Val Kilmer would take the cowl and Tim Burton would be directing, many fans didn’t know what to expect from Burton’s take on the Dark Knight. Following Michael Keaton’s Batman movies, the audience wanted a change and wanted a more fleshed out Batman story where Bruce Wayne was actually Batman and actually fought the big bads.
Unfortunately, Val Kilmer’s performance was trumped by his questionable costume ideas and cheesy, forced humor in most of the scenes. Although Tim Burton’s dark and gritty Gotham remained, everything else made this movie a comedy more than anything.
Batman (1966-1968)
As the first live-action portrayal of Batman, Adam West had little expectations as the Bat, even as he set the standard. Paired up with Robin, this Batman was often more comical than serious, sending the Caped Crusader on funny and memorable adventures with little consequences and a lot of cheesy effects common in the late 60s.
Although Adam West’s Batman is nothing like the Batman we see today, he paved the way for him and many of his villains, gadgets, and adventures. He gave others the idea of bringing Batman to screen and gave us all the portrayals we see today.
Batman & Robin (1997)
When George Clooney was cast as Batman, the world rejoiced as many felt he was the embodiment of Bruce Wayne. He had the looks, the charm, the wit, he had it all and was well on his way to making the best Batman film to date.
Unfortunately, the corny gadgets like the Bat credit card or cheesy dialogue and plot made this Batman movie, like the other before it, remembered more for its funny moments rather than the actor’s portrayal. Many were left wondering how Clooney would’ve done if he was giving the opportunity to play Batman in later movies with a different director.
Batman (1989) & Batman Returns (1992)
Michael Keaton like Adam West was one of the first to take on the Batman cowl, except he was the first to take him to the big screen. Like any actor that’s taken on the Dark Knight, Keaton was met with criticism mostly due to his roles in previous movies.
Before Batman Keaton had been in a lot of comedies and many felt he would not be able to capture the intimidating factor Batman was so well-known for. Fortunately, he was able to capture that perfectly and was able to make a semi-successful run as Batman in the late 80s and early 90s.
Batman v Superman (2016) & Justice League (2017)
Arguably one of the best performances to date, Ben Affleck took a chance at playing Batman that arguably paid off. Despite the poor ratings on the film and the bad scripts, “BatFleck” was easily the best part of the DC Extended Universe’s (DCEU) first two movies.
Taking influence from one of the best Batman stories to date (i.e. Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns), Affleck plays a seasoned Batman with over 20 years of experience, being less patient and more ruthless. He even had one of the most realistic suits, a wide array of cool gadgets, and some of the best and most brutal fight scenes we’ve seen in a superhero movie.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (2012)
Known as one of the best Batman stories to date, The Dark Knight Returns is a two-part series in which we follow an aging Bruce that is forced to come out of retirement after he sees his city is worse than before.
Like Affleck’s Batman, Bruce is colder, more ruthless, and a lot less patient than he was in his younger years, proving to be more unpredictable and violent. We even see him take on and beat his frenemy, Superman, answering the age-old question of who would win in a fight. It’s also worth noting that this Batman was voiced by RoboCop himself, Peter Weller.
The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)
When Christopher Nolan took on the Dark Knight, many didn’t know what to expect. Many were quick to dismiss the movie when Christian Bale was announced to be playing Batman, as many felt he didn’t have the intangibles to play Batman. By the end of the first installment Batman Begins, many were talking and cheering on Bale for his realistic take on the Dark Knight and the overall stories in the series.
Nolan did a great job handling the Batman story and all the characters that made the succeeding chapters The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises long-time favorites. With including some of Batman’s greatest foes, like the Joker, Scarecrow, Bane, even Ra’s Al Ghul, the trilogy is among the best live-action portrayals of Batman.
Batman: Hush (2019)
Among the newest of Batman’s DC Animated Universe (DCAU) appearances, Batman Hush is a movie adapted from the famous comic arc of the same name in which Bruce Wayne meets one of his greatest foes yet. The movie focuses on a mysterious stalker, Hush that recruits some of Batman’s greatest enemies to ruin Bruce’s life in several ways.
We see appearances from Ras Al Ghul, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, the Joker, even Superman, as Bruce has to find out who Hush is to stop him once and for all. We see Bruce at a vulnerable state, looking over his shoulder and desperate to find out who the mystery man is.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Similar to Batman: Hush, Mask of the Phantasm deals with Batman’s back against the wall while dealing with a mysterious villain who is hell-bent on revenge.
The movie has a great story arc and one of the craziest plot twists in Batman history, revealing that Batman’s long-time love interest was actually the one behind the mask of the Phantasm. We see a side to both Bruce and Batman we haven’t seen before, we see a more vulnerable Bruce and a younger, inexperienced Batman as he struggles to deal with his double life.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
Hands down the best portrayal of Batman and the Bat-Family, the animated series deals with a lot of the moments that defined the hero such as Dick Grayson’s ascension into Nightwing and the villains that changed his perspective on crime-fighting. The show also introduced characters like Harley Quinn that would become a staple to the Batman mythos and even branch out to have her own history.
This is the best portrayal simply because it captures everything Bruce Wayne is and everything he brings to the table as Batman. Many of the portrayals we see today are based on the Batman in this animated series, voiced by the famous Kevin Conroy.
