Batman has been portrayed by many different actors through animated television & films, live-action television shows and most prominently through live-action films. Here is a ranking in accordance with IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic of live-action Batman films going back to the late 1980s.
9. Batman & Robin (1997)
This 1997 adaptation tells the story of Batman and his sidekick, Robin, strengthening their partnership as they must prevent Mr.Freeze and Poison Ivy from freezing Gotham. Directed by Joe Schumacher, this film was brought to life by stars including George Clooney (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. Freeze), Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy), Chris O’Donnell (Robin), Alicia Silverstone (Batgirl), and many more! This adaptation took audiences back to a more humorous era of Batman as shown in the 1960s television show and the Silver Age (1956-1970) Comics. Also, the soundtrack for this film was brilliantly recorded by many artists, including The Smashing Pumpkins, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, the Underworld, and many more! Alicia Silverstone received a Kids Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress commending her role as Batgirl. Uma Thurman and Chris O’Donnell also received Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for their performances as well.
IMDB rated this film as 3.8/10; on Rotten Tomatoes, it was given 12%; on Metacritic, the film received 29%, giving it an overall score of 26.3%.
Batman & Robin can be streamed on the following streaming services: Max, YouTube and Amazon Prime.
8. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was directed by Zack Snyder and released in 2016. Batman takes up a personal vendetta to defeat Superman after being manipulated by the infamous Lex Luthor. Ben Affleck takes on the role of Batman and Henry Cavill becomes the Man of Steel in this adaptation. Affleck and Cavill also filmed with Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Laurence Fishbourne (Perry White), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), as well as Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth). In this film, Snyder deeply hones in on Batman’s point of view regarding Superman’s presence on Earth and the danger his power poses to humanity. Batman claims, “This son of a b*tch brought war to us,” when speaking about Superman to his loyal butler Alfred. Snyder does a remarkable job setting up tension between Batman and Superman, making the fight scenes all the more intense.
IMDB gave this film a 6.5/10 rating; Rotten Tomatoes rated this film 29%; and on Metacritic, it was given 44%, giving this film an overall score of 46%.
This film can be streamed on Netflix, Max, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.
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7. Batman Forever (1995)
Val Kilmer plays the role of Gotham’s caped crusader in Batman Forever. In this film Batman must protect the minds of Gotham citizens from the Riddler/Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey) and the renowned district attorney, Two-Face/Harvey Dent (Tommy Lee Jones). This was the first Batman adaptation directed by Joe Schumacher, where he started to bring back a more light-hearted telling of this story—for instance, the love story between Bruce Wayne and Chase Meridian (played by Nicole Kidman). Following the theme of the girl being in love with the image more so than the man behind the mask, following this love story is a pivotal part of Schumacer’s goal for the film.
IMDB rated this film a 5.4/10; Rotten Tomatoes gave this a 41% rating; and a 54% rating from Metacritic gave the film an overall score of 49.7%.
Batman Forever can be streamed on the following streaming services: Max, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.
6. Batman (1989)
Tim Burton’s rendition of Gotham Dark Knight was released in 1989, with Michael Keaton taking on the lead role. Batman must liberate Gotham after The Joker (Jack Nicholson) takes control over the criminal underworld, all the while protecting his identity as Bruce Wayne and his love interest, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger). Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, Jack Palance, and Robert Huhl were also included in Burton’s Batman story. From the futuristic look of the BatMobile speeding through the streets of Gotham to epic fight scenes between Batman and The Joker, Burton incorporated outstanding visual effects that brought Batman’s story to life. Additionally, Prince produced this film’s soundtrack: “Warner Bros. needed a soundtrack for a movie that pits a mysterious eccentric with a cape against his charismatically devilish archenemy.”
On IMDB, this film was given a 7.5/10, a 76% rating from Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic rates this film as 69%, giving the film an overall score of 73.3%.
This film can be streamed on the following streaming services: Sling, Max, Amazon Prime and YouTube.
5. Batman Returns (1992)
Tim Burton once again directs the 1992 Batman adaptation, Batman Returns. This time, Burton tells the story of Batman taking on the monstrous Penguin and Max Shreck, the malicious Gotham businessman. Burton’s rendition again features Michael Keaton playing the caped crusader and Michael Gough playing Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler. Batman Returns also stars Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman/Selina Kyle), Danny DeVito (Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot), Christopher Walken (Max Shreck), and many more! According to The Guardian, “to lure Burton back to the world of the caped crusader, Warner Bros. had to offer him greater creative control over the sequel.” Burton attempts to create a ménage between film noir and the story of Batman. The clash between the two themes, some would say, is perfect to bring out the dark and gloominess of the Batman story. Burton collaborated on the film with screenwriter Daniel Waters to make illogical things make sense. From Selina Kyle’s groundbreaking transformation from secretary to the sexy, vengeful Catwoman to the unexpected alliance between the villains, Burton and Waters’ plot to this adaptation of Batman is what makes this film fantastic.
IMDB rated this film as 7.1/10; on Rotten Tomatoes, it was given 82%; on Metacritic, the film received 68%, giving it an overall score of 73.6%.
You can watch Batman Returns on the following streaming services: Max, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
4. The Batman (2022)
The Batman was directed by Matt Reeves and released in 2022, and in this film our hero must face off with the Riddler and the Penguin to prevent them from spreading further chaos in Gotham. Robert Pattinson takes on the role of Batman in this film adaptation, along with Zoe Kravitz (Catwoman/Selina Kyle), Paul Dano (the Riddler/Edward Nygma), Colin Farrell (Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot), Jeffrey Wright (James Gordon), Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth) and John Turturro (Carmine Falcone). The visual and audio effects in The Batman created a dark and gritty aesthetic, bringing out the darkness that plagued Gotham citizens. The CGI created a sense of realism, allowing audiences to connect with the film further. Also, the plot focuses on the earlier stages of Batman’s crime-fighting, which brings out a side of Batman that hasn’t been typically explored in previous adaptations.
IMDB gave this film a 7.8/10 rating; Rotten Tomatoes rated this film 85%; and on Metacritic, it was given 72%, giving this film an overall score of 78.3%.
The Batman can be streamed on the following services: Netflix, Hulu, Max, Sling TV, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
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3. Batman Begins (2005)
Christian Bale takes on the role of Batman in Batman Begins, the first of the Dark Knight trilogy. Bale won the MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Hero and a Saturn Award for Best Actor in 2006 for his role in the film. Christopher Nolan directed this film, and he takes us on the journey of how a young Bruce Wayne trains to become Batman. Bruce learns to fight from the leader of the League of Shadows, Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) and then discovers that the League’s ultimate mission is to destroy Gotham. Bruce returns to Gotham and stands up for its citizens by fighting the criminal underworld and the corrupt justice system without resorting to murder. In addition to Chrisitan Bale and Liam Neeson, this film also features Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox), Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane), Katie Holmes (Rachel Dawes), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Gary Oldman (Detective James Gordon), and many more! From highlighting Bruce’s childhood trauma through heavy bat representation and his hate for criminals to the epic Bat gear (Batman costume, BatCave, Bat Signal, and the construction of the famous Batman mask), Nolan did a great job with this introduction for the trilogy. This film also won the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film in 2006.
IMDB rated this film an 8.2/10; Rotten Tomatoes gave this an 85% rating; and a 70% rating from Metacritic gave the film an overall score of 78.6%.
Batman Begins can be watched on the following streaming services: Hulu, Max, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
2. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises was released in 2012, marking the end of the Dark Knight trilogy. After taking responsibility for the death of Harvey Dent, Batman sacrificed everything and went into hiding, as he, along with Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), believed it would serve the greater good of Gotham. Eight years later, Batman is forced out of exile into the fight of his life when the devious burglar, Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), and maniacal terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy) make their debut in Gotham. Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox), Michel Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), and Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane) reprised their roles once again. They were joined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Jon Blake/Robin), Marion Cotillard (Talia al Ghul), and Matthew Modine (Foley). This film is dark and heavy, not in the same sense as Burton’s film noir Batman adaptations, but Nolan brings about a civil anarchy challenging who truly has the power in Gotham. Once again, Nolan killed it with special effects, making this film widely recommended for watching in 3D. The film won the 2012 Golden Trailer Award for Best Show and the AFI Movies of the Year award in 2013. Anne Hathaway received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Action/Adventure in 2013.
IMDB gave this film an 8.4/10; on Rotten Tomatoes, it was given 87%; on Metacritic, the film received a 78% rating, giving it an overall score of 83%.
This film can be streamed on one of the services: Max, Apple TV, Google Pay, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
1. The Dark Knight (2008)
Coming in at the number one spot is the sophomore film of the Dark Knight trilogy, The Dark Knight. Bale returns as Batman, along with Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane), and Gary Oldman (Lieutenant James Gordon). Batman continues his pursuit of battling the criminal underworld in Gotham without killing. The Joker (Heath Ledger) puts Batman to the test as he works diligently to make Gotham descend into madness, forcing Bruce to rethink his legacy as Gotham’s dark knight. Other new additions to the Dark Knight trilogy include Aaron Eckhart (“Two-Face”/Harvey Dent) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Rachel Dawes). The special effects in this film were outstanding, from the explosions to the chase scenes; Nolan did a superb job. Moreover, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker is genuinely one of a kind and a significant part of what made this film so extraordinary. From the makeup to the sinister cackle and downright violent impulses, Ledger truly made this a character of his own. Posing impossible ethical decisions for Batman throughout the movie, The Joker achieves his mission of destroying the moral foundation of the Batman symbol. Ledger won eight awards for his role as The Joker, including an Oscar for Best Supporting Role (2009) and a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor (2009). The film won the Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film in 2009.
On IMDB, this film was given a 9.0/10, an 94% rating from Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic rates this film as 84%, giving the film an overall score of 89.3%.
The Dark Knight can be watched on the following streaming services: Max, Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
