Since Batman’s first appearance in a comic book in 1939, the masked superhero has reached ultimate highs in the television and film industries.
A number of well-known and well-regarded actors have appeared on-screen as the American hero for many years. Each new performance captivated audiences with a new take on the caped crusader. Though, some actors were more widely accepted and anticipated than others.
From animated to live-action, these ten actors have played Bruce Wayne/Batman at some point in their careers.
Adam West was one of the first actors to emerge as Batman. (Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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- Adam West
- Michael Keaton
- Kevin Conroy
- Val Kilmer
- George Clooney
- Christian Bale
- Ben Affleck
- Will Arnett
- Robert Pattinson
- Keanu Reeves
1. Adam West
The late Adam West is known by many audiences as the first to have played Batman, though other actors played the part prior to his role. He took on the superhero role in the 1960s “Batman” TV show.
Before West, Lewis Wilson and Robert Lowery each acted as Batman in their respective 15 episode shows in the 1940s.
West returned to voice the role for various film projects after his first whack at it in 1960.
2. Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton is revered as one of the best actors to have played Batman.
Although Keaton has become a well-received version of the caped crusader, he wasn’t a top choice among fans from the jump.
Michael Keaton played Batman in two films before his exit. (Warner Bros. Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
Keaton stepped into the role of Batman hot off “Beetlejuice.” Coming off the horror/comedy, many were unsure about his performance in the new role.
The Tim Burton-directed “Batman” movies turned out to be big hits. Keaton first appeared as “Batman” in 1989 and again in 1992 for “Batman Returns.” There was a third installment of this franchise that Keaton did not return for.
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Keaton did, however, return to the big screen as Batman for “The Flash” film starring Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, and Michael Shannon in 2023.
3. Kevin Conroy
The late Kevin Conroy was often distinguished as the “voice of Batman.”
He voiced the character in “Batman: The Animated Series,” beginning in 1992, and continued to voiceover the superhero in many television shows, feature films and video games including “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” and “Batman: The Killing Joke.”
4. Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer’s stint as Batman was short, though memorable. He replaced Keaton in “Batman Forever” in 1995.
The movie featured Hollywood elites including Jim Carrey, who played the Riddler; Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face and Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian.
5. George Clooney
George Clooney’s performance as the superhero was not well-received by critics.
Clooney played the role in the 1997 film “Batman & Robin.” Chris O’Donnell returned from “Batman Forever” to play Batman’s superhero sidekick, Robin, in this film.
George Clooney played the caped crusader in “Batman & Robin.” (Colin Davey/Getty Images)
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Though Hollywood stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman joined the cast as the villains in the Clooney-led film, many fans never adjusted to the movie.
Critics cited the busy storyline and strange costumes as reasons for the film’s poor ratings.
6. Christian Bale
Christian Bale is one of the most well-known actors to have played Batman over the years.
Bale played Batman in the popular “Dark Knight” series. All three of the movies were directed by Christopher Nolan.
Bale first appeared on the big screen as Batman in 2005 for “Batman Begins.” He reprised his role in 2008 for “The Dark Knight” and again in 2012 for “The Dark Knight Rises.”
This trilogy started off strong with “Batman Begins.” The movie’s star-studded cast included Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman. The first movie goes into detail about Bruce Wayne’s transformation into Batman and his will to protect Gotham City from the dangerous crime that has engulfed it.
Christian Bale played Batman in arguably the most famous of the “Batman” films. (Phillip Faraone/FilmMagic)
The first film paved the way for “The Dark Knight,” the 2008 film in which American actor Heath Ledger joined the cast as the Joker. A-lister Maggie Gyllenhaal also appeared in this movie, replacing Katie Holmes as Rachel.
Ledger’s performance in the movie made it a fan favorite among many. Ledger earned an Academy Award for his role in the film, though his untimely death in January 2008 came before the movie was released. His family accepted the award on his behalf.
The third and final movie of this franchise included Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and marked the last time Bale appeared as the superhero.
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7. Ben Affleck
In the movies where Ben Affleck starred as Batman, his screen time was shared with others in major superhero roles.
Affleck played Batman in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in 2016 and “Justice League” in 2017. Both of these movies included many other superhero characters, like Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Superman, played by Henry Cavill. Ezra Miller joined the cast as The Flash for the 2017 film.
Ben Affleck was joined by Henry Cavill as Superman in his superhero run. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage)
The actors, including Affleck, returned to their hero duties once again in 2021 for “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.”
Affleck also appeared as Batman in the 2023 film “The Flash.”
8. Will Arnett
Will Arnett took on the role of voicing Batman, specifically for the Lego movie franchise.
Arnett voiced the character in both “The Lego Movie” and “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.” The character received its own spinoff in between the two films titled “The Lego Batman Movie.”
9. Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson first made a name for himself as a vampire in “Twilight” to then appear as the lead in 2022 film “The Batman.”
Pattinson’s approach to the role was a particularly dark one. The character was angry and often awkward in this film. This movie focused on the skilled detection abilities of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Robert Pattinson was in the 2022 film, “The Batman.” (Cindy Ord/WireImage)
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The 2022 film made Pattison the latest actor to play the role in a live-action film centered around the character.
10. Keanu Reeves
Audiences have seen Keanu Reeves combat abilities on camera mostly due to his lead roles in “The Matrix” series. However, Reeves didn’t have the opportunity to show off as Batman.
The People’s Choice Award nominee voiced Batman in the 2022 animated film “DC League of Super-Pets.”