The Batman: Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves has given the Batman fans a movie that will be considered a classic for years to come. As much as it has changed the way we associate Vampire roles with Pattinson, The Batman character is not that suits every actor. There have been a number for actors who have been cast as the caped superhero of Gotham city, but only a few have done justice to the character of Batman. Here’s a list of all the actors who have been cast as the Dark Knight so far.
Lewis G Wilson
It all started in 1943 when Lewis G Wilson was cast as The Batman for a TV series at the age of 23. He made history of being the first Batman and also the youngest so far. However, the 15-part Columbia serial titled The Batman did not receive good reviews and was deemed a failure.
Robert Lowery
Cut to 1949, and a popular actor was cast to save the franchise. Actor Robert Lowery stepped up and wore the suit in the series titled Batman & Robin. Lowery brought a fresh perspective and his skills surely gave the series a much-needed push and was well received by the audience as it was a much better viewing experience than that of Wilson’s Batman.
Adam West
One of the most popular Batman actors has to be the late Adam West. He starred as the Dark Knight in the 1960 live-action show along with Burt Ward who essayed the role of Dick Grayson aka Robin. Adam was known to make Batman sound and look more realistic through his series. He also gave voice to the character in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusader (2016) and Batman vs Two-Face (2017).
Michael Keaton
At the time when Michael Keaton was cast as the superhero, he was being noted for his humourous work. And the news of him being cast as the Batman got a lot of criticisms. However, filmmaker Tim Burton and Keaton changed it all when the film released and the rest, is history. Keaton is undoubtedly among the all-time greats who have portrayed the character of Batman.
Val Kilmer
In 1995, when Keaton refused and backed out to do a third Batman film, Vla Kilmer replaced him in Batman Forever. However, Kilmer has been cast only once as the caped crusader and was liked for the swag he bought to the role of Bruce Wayne aka the Batman.
George Clooney
It has to be hands down one of the worst decisions of George Clooney’s career. The rom-com and action hero could not pull off The Batman after Kilmer and the film that starred Arnold Schwarznegger and Uma Thuram fell flat and was a failure due to multiple reasons. Clooney has even admitted that this has been one the bad decisions he has made in his career.
Christian Bale
It was 2005 and Christopher Nolan decided to cast Christian Bale as the Batman for this three-part Batman trilogy. The near perfect direction was surely one of the reasons the movies are considered classic among the moviegoers, but Bale’s portrayal as the Batman is considered to be the best so far. Christian Bale became the face of the Batman series through the trilogy.
Ben Affleck
One of the challenges that Ben Affleck faced was that he was stepping into a space which was now defined by Bale. And somehow, Affleck couldn’t live up to the expectations of being Gotham’s masked superhero. He starred as the Batman in Justice League in 2017, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 and also made a cameo in Suicide Squad that year. Affleck parted ways with the role in 2019 even before he could do a standalone movie.
