Summary

• Batman’s popularity has led to many different portrayals of him on-screen, made somewhat easier by his lack of superpowers.
• The new DCU Batman project, The Brave and the Bold, will introduce a new live-action Batman actor to the mix.
• With fourteen actors having played Batman in live-action projects, the new Batman actor will face inevitable comparisons to those who came before.

As one of the most iconic DC Comics characters, Batman has appeared in several live-action projects, with every Batman actor forming their own legacy. Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, was always a natural fit for movies, lacking traditional superpowers that made him easier to portray on screen than many of his comic-book contemporaries — with performances ranging from camp to gothic, to gritty, and everything in-between. Now a new actor will join the other live-action Batman actors with the announcement of the DCU’s Batman project, The Brave and the Bold — which Robert Pattinson’s Batman will coexist with in a DC Elseworlds franchise.

There are a lot of questions regarding how The Brave and the Bold will tackle the iconic character, along with which actor will take the part. This will be a difficult choice to make, as over the years, many talented actors have taken on the role, with a total of fourteen actors having played Batman in live-action projects, along with several child actors who have played young Bruce Wayne. With a new cinematic Batman in the future, the lucky actor will no doubt be compared to every Batman actor who has come before.

Lewis Wilson (1943)

Lewis Wilson Was The 1st Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

The first actor to don the cowl, Lewis Wilson, played Batman in the 1943 serial of the same name and thus paved the way for every Batman actor who followed. Batman was broken into 15 chapters and followed the titular masked character in his quest to defeat a Japanese saboteur named Dr. Daka who is wreaking havoc on Batman’s Gotham City hometown. As the plot suggests, this serial is incredibly racist — a response to the events of Pearl Harbor drenched with anti-Japanese sentiment — and makes for uncomfortable viewing today.

Surprisingly, being filmed in monochrome didn’t help Batman. Wilson’s Batman blends into the background as a result of clashing costume and lighting choices, his costume very often the same shade of grey as the surrounding environment. Performance-wise, Lewis Wilson is fine, but doesn’t really do anything special with the role outside the standard, pulp-hero shtick. Like most early-20th-century projects, Lewis Wilson’s Batman is recognized more for being a pioneer, rather than because his Batman holds up to modern takes on the character.

Robert Lowery

Robert Lowery Was The 2nd Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

Owing to the success of the previous serial, a sequel — Batman and Robin — was released in 1949, starring Robert Lowery as Batman. The first live-action Robin was played by Johnny Duncan, over 50 years before Damian Wayne will appear The Brave and the Bold. Once more split into 15 chapters, it’s infamous for various illogical leaps within the narrative (like the bat-signal working in broad daylight, and Batman producing a full-size blowtorch from his utility belt) but has since developed a minor cult following after being re-released by Rifftrax in 2013.

In Batman and Robin, the Dynamic Duo faces off against the Wizard, a hooded mastermind with control over Gotham’s machinery. Thankfully, this one drops the overt racism – making for a more enjoyable viewing experience – but lacks the comedic self-awareness that would come to define the franchise in the following decades. Again, like Wilson, Lowery is just fine, but a more charismatic lead would be required to move the character forward.

Adam West (1966-1986)

Adam West Was The 3rd Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

In 1966, audiences were treated to a double-whammy: Batman the TV show, and Batman: The Movie — both starring Adam West and both in eye-popping technicolor. Like Tom Baker as the Doctor or Sean Connery as James Bond, Adam West is perhaps most synonymous with his role out of every Batman actor. Bringing gravitas and bravura comic timing to already funny material, Batman ’66 is famous for being campy and bombastic — a loving then-modernization the pulp serials and original comic book run, complete with POW! Caption cards and ridiculous cliffhangers.

Despite its comedic intent, many die-hard Bat-fans thought it robbed the character of his integrity and blamed the series for painting superhero comics in a childish light, even though the character might return to a lighter tone with James Gunn’s Batman in The Brave and Bold. However, regardless of the criticism, West’s portrayal has endured thanks to him fully embracing the tone of the show. While initially expressing scorn at being typecast, as West got older (and appreciation grew for his interpretation of the character), he expressed love for the role.

Michael Keaton (1989-2023)

Michael Keaton Was The 4th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

After a number of high-profile comic book runs in the 80s depicting Batman with a darker tone, a new film was released to better reflect the changing tides. 1989’s Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, swapped out camp for gothic while still retaining a sense of humor, owing to Keaton’s nimbleness as a performer, and the addition of Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

This was followed by Batman Returns in 1992. The follow-up movie heightened the gothic style, causing the studio to reconsider the franchise’s direction after receiving backlash for the amount of violence portrayed, as well as a number of sexual references deemed inappropriate for a PG-13 rating.

Despite controversy at the time, these films are now widely regarded as some of the best in the series, with Keaton’s portrayal a key factor in their success. As Batman, he’s effortlessly cool (despite being unable to move his neck in the bulky suit), but as Bruce Wayne, he affects a somewhat bumbling persona – disguising his true intellect. It’s a simple idea but very effective, and highlights Keaton’s range.

Michael Keaton returned in The Flash, and while the movie saw a controversial reception, Keaton’s return was still largely praised. This further underlines that, among Batman actors, he’s still one of the most popular among fans.

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer Was The 5th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

Scrapping plans for a third Burton movie, the studio opted to go down a gaudier, kid-friendly route – with director Joel Schumacher in the driving seat. Keaton wouldn’t return, so Val Kilmer was cast instead, alongside Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, and Jim Carrey as the Riddler. The resulting film, 1995’s Batman Forever, is an infamous misfire taking the franchise in a direction that upset many lifelong fans of Batman.

As both Bruce Wayne and Batman, Kilmer is extremely bland, drowned out by the bizarre villains and undermined by his own costume (they decided that the suit needed nipples, thus birthing a generation of memes). In some ways, Batman Forever is unfairly underrated, but on the whole, Kilmer’s Batman fails to stack up to other onscreen versions of the character. Then again, it’s not really Kilmer’s movie, as Batman Forever actually plays more like a Jim Carrey vehicle than an actual Batman film.

George Clooney

George Clooney Was The 6th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

Not every Batman actor enjoys their time in the cowl, and George Clooney is proof of that. After the box-office success of Batman Forever, the studio fast-tracked a sequel, with Schumacher returned to direct. Val Kilmer, by contrast, decided not to return and Clooney was hired in his place, with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy. 1997’s Batman & Robin was released to overwhelmingly negative reviews, but has since become a cult hit owing to its homoerotic subtext, nauseating cinematography, and bizarre tributes to the 60s TV show (such as the oft-ridiculed Bat-Credit Card).

Clooney was a sound choice for Batman, his charisma and comic timing reminiscent of Adam West. However, he has since disparaged the film, apologizing for it on numerous occasions, and making self-deprecating jokes about his involvement with the franchise. Perhaps as part of Batman & Robin’s unfortunate legacy, The Brave and the Bold will be the first time since its release that Batman and Robin will share the screen in a live-action movie.

Christian Bale (2005-2012)

Christian Bale Was The 7th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

Batman & Robin convinced Warner Bros. to shelve the character until his reboot in 2005. Batman Begins was a beacon of hope for many fans — finally delivering on past promises of a mature, gritty approach, with auteur director Christopher Nolan at the helm, and Christian Bale in the lead role. 2008’s The Dark Knight, and 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises followed, the former regarded among the best superhero films of all time, largely due to the late Heath Ledger’s now-iconic portrayal of the Joker.

While Bale’s performance is largely solid, like Kilmer, he gets overshadowed by other, more interesting characters. His Bruce Wayne is tight-lipped and hard to read, coming across as cold and soulless, a common criticism of Nolan’s filmography in general, while his intense Batman voice earned a mixed reaction. Bringing realism to a character like Batman can make him look sillier than intended – however, Bale had the intensity to play this brooding take on the hero. Along with his performance, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy remains the most critically acclaimed and widely admired of the franchise to date.

David Mazouz And Mikhail Mudrik

David Mazouz And Mikhail Mudrik Were The 8th & 9th Actors To Play Batman In Live-Action

After the Marvel Cinematic Universe popped the comic-book bubble (aided, in part, by Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy), superheroes became a mainstream passion. As such, production studios realized that audiences are far more readily accepting of different interpretations – leading to a number of cinematic and television franchises operating concurrently. One such TV adaptation, Gotham, debuted in 2014, focusing on the early days of Commissioner Gordon (usually a supporting character), and later expanding its approach to include the exploits of a teenage Bruce Wayne, along with the origins of several Batman villains.

David Mazouz plays Bruce Wayne, trying to uncover his parents’ killer. Throughout the show’s five-season run, Bruce develops to become the man who would be Batman – shown in the series finale, played by uncredited actor Mikhail Mudrik. Mazouz’s performance has been widely praised, bringing pathos to the character, with most criticisms being aimed at the writers rushing Bruce’s development in the final seasons of the show.

Ben Affleck (2016-2023)

Ben Affleck Was The 10th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

Floundering in Marvel Studios’ shadow, DC finally kick-started the DC Extended Universe with 2013’s controversial Superman reboot, Man of Steel. Instead of building to a crossover as the MCU had done so well, DC jumped the gun – with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice releasing in 2016, starring Ben Affleck as the Dark Knight without properly establishing the universe or its characters. While the approach was bold, audience reactions were mixed at best.

Regardless, the DC Extended Universe thundered on, with Affleck’s Batman appearing in 2016’s Suicide Squad, Joss Whedon’s Justice League in 2017, and the Snyder Cut in 2021. Affleck announced his departure from the in 2019, following complications surrounding a planned solo movie, though did appear in The Flash, and may have had a deleted cameo in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Despite the reaction to the movies he was involved in, Affleck was praised as one of the highlights of the DCEU, demonstrating a more brutal and broken Batman. The Brave and the Bold confirmed what Snyderverse fans had feared — that Ben Affleck won’t return as Batman.

Iain Glen (2018-2021)

Iain Glen Was The 11th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

In 2018, Titans premiered and focused on Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), Batman’s former sidekick and reluctant leader of the Teen Titans. In season 2, Game of Thrones star Iain Glen appeared as Batman, said to be old and cold following years of non-stop crime-fighting. For some, Glen’s American accent was unconvincing, and he seemed to miss the mark in terms of pathos, offering a lighter performance than the show had set up, but others enjoyed his wry take. Glen’s Batman returned in Titans season 3, though he didn’t appear in season 4.

Kevin Conroy (2019)

Kevin Conroy Was The 12th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

In 2019, the CW began airing Crisis on Infinite Earths — a crossover event joining their various Arrowverse shows. Famous for voicing the character in the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, actor Kevin Conroy finally appeared in live-action as an alternate version of Bruce Wayne, bitter and twisted in his grief. Fans were disappointed with an interpretation that positioned Bruce as the villain, and felt like the late Conroy’s talents had been wasted after years of voicing Batman in various celebrated media.

Robert Pattinson (2022)

Robert Pattinson Was The 13th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

After Affleck stepped away from the role of Batman, DC looked to reboot the character in 2022. The Batman was directed by Matt Reeves, and finds Robert Pattinson taking on the role of Bruce Wayne. The movie picks up in his second year as the Dark Knight, offering a darker and more brooding take on the hero than even the Dark Knight trilogy. As for Pattinson’s Batman, he manages to capture a similar dark, gritty tone to Christian Bale’s iteration of the character, while still bringing his own unique take.

Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is a younger and more troubled iteration of Batman. It has been confirmed that Pattinson’s Batman will exist in the Elseworlds part of the DCU, separate from James Gunn’s The Brave and the Bold. While he’s not been in the role long, Robert Pattinson’s take on Batman has been well received both by critics and audiences. Time and The Batman: Part II will tell how his legacy unfolds, but based on The Batman, it’s likely Pattinson will fall into the Keaton rather than Kilmer camp when it comes to good and bad choices for Batman actor.

David Miller (2023)

David Miller Was The 14th Actor To Play Batman In Live-Action

2023 saw the debut of Gotham Knights, a CW series exploring a world in the wake of Bruce Wayne’s death. Following Batman’s demise, a new team of unlikely heroes step up to protect Gotham, naming themselves the Gotham Knights, led by Bruce Wayne’s adoptive son, Turner Hayes. In the series, David Miller portrays Bruce Wayne, albeit a dead iteration of the character who has graced the big and small screen for decades.

Who Will Play Batman In Batman: The Brave And The Bold?

Chapter 1 of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, entitled Gods and Monsters, has revealed some exciting new DC characters getting a chance in the spotlight, but it’s not surprising that classic heroes like Batman will be featured as well. The Brave and the Bold doesn’t yet have a release date, and is likely still years away. However, this leaves plenty of time for James Gunn and his team to find the perfect actor for the role.

With Pattinson and Affleck confirmed to be out of the running, a new actor will step in for this different version of Batman. The movie has been described as a father and son story with Bruce Wayne discovering his son Damian Wayne, who will become Robin. This will mean the actor will be playing Batman as Gotham’s hero as well as a father to a troubled young boy. It is an intriguing task for the next Batman actor to take on.

Actors Who Played Young Bruce Wayne

Most Batman films have referenced the hero’s tragic past, leading to numerous scenes showing the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents. As a result, these scenes have featured several actors taking on the famous role. The actors who played young Bruce Wayne are as follows: Charles Roskilly (Batman ‘89), Ramsey Ellis (Batman Forever), Eric Lloyd (Batman & Robin ‘97), Gus Lewis (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises), Brandon Spink (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), Dante Pereira-Olson (Joker), and Oscar Novak (TheBatman).

Their performances are, collectively, pretty faultless, especially given a lack of screen time and dialogue. While the constant adaptations of this moment might be getting old, it is pivotal to the development of Bruce Wayne’s origin story as Batman, so someone’s got to watch Bruce Wayne’s parents get shot. The actors who played the boy who would be Batman have all done a stand-up job of bringing this critical origin story moment to life.

Key Release Dates

• 

•