Batman in movies

Batman, a superhero created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, has been a popular character in movies for decades, appearing in a variety of movies with different actors and styles.
Classic and early movies
[change | change source]Batman (1943)
[change | change source]First starring Lewis Wilson as Batman in live-action.
Batman (1966)
[change | change source]Starring Adam West, based on the television series of the same name.
Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher series
[change | change source]Batman (1989)
[change | change source]Directed by Tim Burton, it stars Michael Keaton as Batman and introduces the villain, the Joker (Jack Nicholson).
Batman Returns (1992)
[change | change source]Tim Burton’s sequel, Keaton reprises his role as Batman and introduces the villains the Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).
Batman Forever (1995)
[change | change source]Directed by Joel Schumacher, it stars Val Kilmer as Batman. The movie introduces Robin (Chris O'Donnell) and the villains the Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two Face (Tommy Lee Jones).
Batman & Robin (1997)
[change | change source]Schumacher’s movie with George Clooney as Batman. In the movie, O'Donnell reprises his role as Robin and introduces the character Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) and the villains Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) and Bane (Robert Swenson).
The Dark Knight trilogy
[change | change source]Batman Begins (2005)
[change | change source]Directed by Christopher Nolan, it stars Christian Bale as Batman, exploring his origin story and introduces the villains Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy).
The Dark Knight (2008)
[change | change source]The sequel to Batman Begins, it is famous for Heath Ledger’s acclaimed performance as the Joker.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
[change | change source]The movie, famous for concluding Bale’s trilogy, introduces the villains Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and Bane (Tom Hardy).
DC Extended Universe
[change | change source]Set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), it stars Ben Affleck as Batman alongside Superman (Henry Cavill) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) as they face the supervillain Doomsday.
Suicide Squad (2016)
[change | change source]Affleck reprises his role as Batman in a cameo appearance.
Justice League (2017)
[change | change source]Affleck reprises his role as Batman as he forms an alliance with Superman (Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gadot), The Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) to stop the extradimensional New God Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds).
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
[change | change source]The director's cut of 2017's Justice League, Affleck reprises his role as Batman as he forms an alliance with Superman (Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gadot), The Flash (Miller), Aquaman (Momoa) and Cyborg (Fisher) to stop the extradimensional New God Steppenwolf (Hinds) and his army of Parademons from conquering Earth for his overlord, Darkseid (Ray Porter).
The Flash (2023)
[change | change source]Affleck reprises his role as Batman for the last time alongside The Flash (Miller), and Supergirl (Sasha Calle); it also features Keaton and Clooney reprising their roles as Batman from the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher movies. In the movie, Barry travels back in time to stop his mother's death and becomes stranded in an alternate past.
Joker movies
[change | change source]Joker (2019)
[change | change source]Directed by Todd Phillips, it is set during the 1980s, where a failed stand-up comedian named Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City and calls himself Joker. Bruce Wayne, a child portrayed by Dante Pereira-Olson, encounters Fleck when the latter attempts and fails to gain entry into Wayne Manor. Fleck later sees Bruce in a darkened alley with the bodies of his parents, who had been fatally shot by an assailant who wears a clown mask.
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
[change | change source]The sequel to 2019's Joker introduced Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga. Unlike the previous movie, Bruce Wayne does not appear in Folie à Deux.
The Batman Epic Crime Saga
[change | change source]The Batman (2022)
[change | change source]The movie stars Robert Pattinson as Batman, directed by Matt Reeves. It sees Batman, in his second year fighting crime in Gotham City, uncover corruption with ties to his own family while pursuing the Riddler (Paul Dano), a mysterious serial killer targeting the city's elite.
DC Universe
[change | change source]A new adaptation of the character, set in the DC Universe (DCU), was announced. Based on the comic book series The Brave and the Bold, it is set to include the character Damian Wayne / Robin, the biological son of Batman's love interest Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul.
Conclusion
[change | change source]Future projects continue to explore Batman in new contexts.