As one of the most iconic DC Comics characters ever, Batman has appeared in several live-action films and TV shows with every Batman actor forming their own legacy as the character. 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. 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 in The Batman: Part II will coexist-with as a non-DCU Batman movie.
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. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1939, the real identity of Batman is Bruce Wayne who, after watching his parents gunned down as a child, becomes the Caped Crusader to protect Gotham. Over the years, a total of twelve actors have 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
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 Batsuit 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 schtick. Like most early-20th-century projects, the Lewis Wilson Batman is recognized more for being a pioneer, rather than because his Batman holds up to modern takes on the character.
Robert Lowery
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
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. 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
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. 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. Keaton’s Batman will return in The Flash showing that, among every Batman actor, he’s still one of the most popular among fans.
Val Kilmer
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, Batman Forever (1995), 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 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, as Batman Forever actually plays more like a Jim Carrey vehicle than an actual Batman films.
George Clooney
Not every Batman actor enjoys their time in the cape and cowl and George Clooney is proof of that. 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 and Clooney was hired in his place, with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy. Batman & Robin (1997) 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 were 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 shared the screen in a live-action movie.
Christian Bale
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. 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 intense Batman voice earned a mixed reaction. Bringing realism to a character luike 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
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, audience reactions were mixed at best.
Regardless, the DC Extended Universe thundered on, with Affleck’s Batman 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, though he is expected to show up in The Flash and possibly Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom. Despite the reaction to the movies he was involved in, Affleck was praised as one of the highlights of the DCEU, with a more brutal and broken Batman. The Bold and the Brave confirmed what Snyderverse fans had feared — that Affleck would not be getting his own Batman solo movie.
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 and could appear in the final season.
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 the late Conroy’s talents had been wasted after years of voicing Batman in various celebrated media.
Robert Pattinson
After Affleck stepped away from the role of Batman, DC looked to reboot the character in 2022. The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves, and finds Robert Pattinson taking on the role of Batman. 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/Bruce Wayne, he manages to capture a similar dark, gritty tone to Christian Bale’s Batman while still feeling like his own unique take on the character.
Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is younger and much more tortured than every other Batman actor has given. It has been confirmed that Pattinson’s Batman will exist in the Elseworlds part of the DCU, separate from James Gunn’s The Bold and the Brave. While he’s not been in the role long, Robert Pattinson’s take on Batman has been well received both by critics and fans. 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 band choices for Batman actor.
Who Will Play Batman In Batman: The Brave And The Bold?
Chapter 1 of the DCU, 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 but is likely still years away, leaving plenty of time for James Gunn and his team to find the right actor for the role.
With Pattinson and Affleck confirmed to be out of the running, a new actor will step in for this very different version of Batman. The movie has been described as a father and son story with Bruce Wayne discovering his son Damian Wayne who becomes 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 of the Batman films have referenced the hero’s tragic past, leading to numerous scenes showing the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents. It has become something of a joke in the franchise and one that The Brave and the Bold will hopefully avoid. However, 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 (The Batman).
Their performances are, collectively, pretty faultless — especially 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 the actors who play the boy who would be Batman have all done a stand-up job of bringing this critical origin story moment to life.
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