Every Actor Who’s Played Batman In Live-Action

As one of the most iconic DC Comics characters ever, Batman has appeared in several live-action films and TV shows over the years, being played by a variety of different actors. Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, was always a natural fit for the movies, lacking traditional superpowers that made him easier to portray on screen than many of his comic-book contemporaries. As a result, there’s a Batman for every season – from camp to gothic, to gritty, and everything in-between.

Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1939, the real identity of the Batman is Bruce Wayne, of course, who watched his socialite parents get gunned down in an alley as a child. He then decides to dress like a bat and fight crime in his native Gotham City, instead of the safer bet of philanthropy. At least he can’t be accused of hoarding his wealth, choosing to spend his many millions on high-tech, bat-themed gadgets that reinforce his brand as the world’s number one vigilante psychopath.

Over the years, a total of twelve actors have played Batman in live-action projects, with a smaller group of child actors tasked with repeatedly watching the senior Wayne family members get shot in an alleyway. Here’s a run-down of every actor to ever play Batman, excluding unofficial or fan films, and only counting live-action portrayals, though the animated arm of the Batman universe is well worth a look.

Lewis Wilson

The first actor to don the cowl, Lewis Wilson, played Batman in the 1943 serial of the same name. Serials were essentially TV shows before TV existed, broken into episodes (or ‘chapters’) that would be screened weekly ahead of a feature film – usually ending on a cliffhanger. This encouraged audiences to visit the cinema on a regular basis, lest they miss out on the ongoing narrative.

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. Wilson’s Batman blends into the background as a result of clashing costume and lighting choices, his Batsuit very often the same shade of grey as the environment around him. Performance-wise, he’s fine but doesn’t really do anything special with the role outside of the standard, pulp-hero shtick.

Robert Lowery

Owing to the success of the previous serial, a sequel – Batman and Robin – was released in 1949, starring Robert Lowery as Batman and Robin being played by Johnny Duncan. Again 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

In 1966, audiences were treated to a double-whammy: Batman the TV show, and Batman: The Movie – both starring Adam West in the title role, and both in eye-popping color. Like Tom Baker as the Doctor or Sean Connery as James Bond, West is the actor most associated with Batman, bringing gravitas and bravura comic timing to already funny material.

The West era is famous for being camp: a loving send-up of 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. West’s portrayal, however, endured and he reprised the role in a series of amusing public service announcements and a 1979 television special – Legends of the Super Heroes. While initially expressing scorn at being typecast, as West got older (and appreciation grew for his interpretation of the character) he came to embrace the Batman movie fandom – partaking in various animated projects and freely lampooning his status as a pop-culture icon with the same knowing quality that made his Batman such a delight to begin with.

Michael Keaton

After a number of high-profile comic book runs in the 80s, depicting the Batman mythos with a darker, more serious tone, a new film was released to better reflect the changing tides… sort of. Batman (1989) starred Michael Keaton and was directed by Tim Burton – swapping out camp for gothic while still retaining a sense of humor, owing to Keaton’s nimbleness as a performer, and the addition of acting heavyweight Jack Nicholson as the Joker. This was followed by Batman Returns (1992), which amped the gothic style up even further, causing the studio to reconsider the direction of the franchise after receiving backlash for the amount of violence portrayed, as well as a number of sexual references deemed inappropriate for a PG-13.

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. After going the Adam West route and mocking his ties to the franchise via Birdman, Keaton’s Batman will return in The Flash and HBO Max’s Batgirl in 2022.

Val Kilmer

Scrapping plans for a third Burton movie, the studio opted to go down a more gaudy, 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, Batman Forever (1995), is an infamous misfire – unable to decide whether it wants to be creepy or silly, it flits between the two like a moth on a lightbulb.

As both Bruce Wayne and Batman, Kilmer is extremely bland – drowned out by the bizarre villains and undermined by his own costume (for some reason they decided that the Bat-suit needed nipples, thus birthing a million 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 – Batman Forever actually plays more like a Jim Carrey vehicle than an actual Batman film – but it’s a weird ride nonetheless.

George Clooney

After the box-office success of Batman Forever, the studio fast-tracked a sequel, for which Schumacher returned to direct. Val Kilmer, by contrast, decided not to return – citing scheduling issues – and as a result George Clooney was hired in his place, with Uma Thurman playing the villain Poison Ivy, accompanied by the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy. Batman & Robin (1997) released to overwhelmingly negative reviews, but has since become a cult hit owing to its homoerotic subtext, nauseating cinematography, and bizzare tributes to the 60s TV show (Bat-Credit Card, anyone?).

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. This is by now something of a tradition among cinematic Bat-Men.

Christian Bale

Batman & Robin was a critical failure and a commercial flop, resulting in a few wilderness years before a 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. The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 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.

As for Bale’s performance, he’s okay for the most part, but 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 Batman growls like someone with a serious smoking habit. Basically, Batman as a concept is inherently silly, so trying to insert the character into a “realistic” setting while still maintaining that he dresses like a bat and fights crime was something of a fool’s errand. Nevertheless, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy remains the most critically acclaimed and widely admired of the franchise to date.

David Mazouz And Mikhail Mudrik

After the Marvel Cinematic Universe popped the comic-book bubble (aided, in part, by Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy), superheroes have become a mainstream passion. As such, the studios have realized that audiences are far more readily accepting of different interpretations – leading to a number of cinematic/television universes 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 few seasons of the show.

Ben Affleck

Floundering in Marvel’s shadow, DC finally kickstarted the DC Extended Universe with 2013’s controversial Superman reboot, Man of Steel. Instead of building to a crossover as Marvel 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 (several other actors were almost cast as DCEU’s Batman) without properly establishing the universe or its characters. While the approach was bold (deferred pleasure, be damned), audience reactions were mixed at best.

Regardless, the DC Extended Universe thundered on, with Affleck’s Batman (or Batfleck, as he became known) appearing in Suicide Squad (2016), and Justice League (2017). Affleck announced his departure from the role two years later, following complications surrounding a planned solo movie – The Batman. Despite being cut short, Affleck’s tenure was praised as one of the DCEU’s saving graces, and he’ll likely come to be known as the one that got away. That said, fans still got to experience Batfleck’s final hurrah in the director’s cut of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which was released in 2021.

Iain Glen

In 2018, Titans premiered – a TV show focusing 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 – in this universe, 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 also returned in Titans season 3, which was initially delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kevin Conroy

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 Bruce Wayne – bitter and twisted in his grief. Fans were disappointed with an interpretation that positioned Bruce as the villain, and felt like Conroy’s talents had been wasted after years of embodying Batman in various celebrated media.

Robert Pattinson

That solo Batman film that Ben Affleck was due to star in? It was still made, and released on March 4, 2022. The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves, and instead of Affleck, it stars teen-heartthrob turned indie-darling Robert Pattinson as Batman. Much has been made of The Batman’s noir influences, and (with a TV spin-off already in development) DC seems confident that Reeves’ film will be a success.

As for Pattinson’s Batman/Bruce Wayne, he manages to capture a similar dark, gritty tone to Christian Bale’s Batman without falling into the same pitfall of coming across as cold and unreadable. Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is younger and much more tortured than most of the Batmen that have come before him – an air he’s thoroughly perfected from his work on the Twilight Saga and in more recent arthouse films like The Lighthouse. Thanks to Matt Reeves’ strong sense of style, Michael Giacchino’s incredible score, and the relative realism of The Batman‘s story and villains, Pattinson’s Batman is one of the most successful serious yet.

Actors Who Played Young Bruce Wayne

Finally, a nod to the unsung heroes of the Batman world – the various child actors who have portrayed Bruce Wayne experiencing the death of his parents. Most of the films in the franchise feature some version of this scene, usually via flashback, and it’s a wonder they bother re-shooting it every time, given the amount of near-identical footage they must have gathered over the years.

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 – given a lack of screen-time and dialogue, paired with the fact that they were all literally children. It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to watch Bruce Wayne’s parents get shot, and these actors deserve our utmost respect.

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