Batman Actors Ranked

With part one of this series being about the Batman movies, I thought it would be fun for part 2 to rank all of the Batman actors. In this post, I am only talking about the actors that have played Batman in an actual Batman movie so Keanu Reeves as Batman in DC's League of Super Pets and Jimmy Kimmel as Batman in Teen Titans Go to the Movies are not included. There have been 9 actors that have played Batman in Batman movies both in animated and live-action form. The actors of Batman vary greatly in quality with some ill-cast for the role while others are perfectly cast with some even being a bit of a surprise at how good they did in the role. With that being said, here is my ranking of the 9 Batman actors.

9. Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer in my opinion is the worst Batman. He plays Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever. After successful roles as Iceman in Top Gun and Madmartigan in Willow, Warner Bros probably thought that Val Kilmer would be a great fit for Batman. Unfortunately, he just doesn't bring much of anything to the role. He plays a very bland and emotionless Bruce Wayne. Considering the energy he brought to Iceman, it seems like he would have been more than capable to play Bruce Wayne but nonetheless, it just doesn't work. He also doesn't have enough of the bulk to play Batman nor has a menacing enough presence to be convincing. I understand that part of it was the movie he was in. Had he been given a better movie and script, he would have been a better Batman but in the end, he just plays a pretty forgettable Batman in a mediocre movie.

8. George Clooney

George Clooney is slightly better than Val Kilmer but only because he plays a much better Bruce Wayne. Like Kilmer, George Clooney is a one-off Batman and plays the character in Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin which is widely regarded as the worst Batman movie. Before this film, George Clooney was known for his role in ER. So while this movie wasn't very good, it gave his career the push to be the big movie star he is now. Clooney plays a decent enough Bruce Wayne as the likable billionaire personality is just an offshoot of Clooney himself. Where he lacks is in his portrayal as Batman. He is essentially playing George Clooney in a Batman costume. He brings nothing unique to the character nor is he does he have the demeanor for the role. He doesn't even alter his voice so he just sounds like George Clooney playing dress up as Batman. Even Clooney himself didn't enjoy playing the character as he said after the fact that he was never really comfortable with the performance. Overall, while he may not be a good Batman, the role gave his career the boost it needed to become the movie star we see today.

*For reference, the rest of these actors I feel all do a good job with the Batman character.

7. Will Arnett

Will Arnett is the first of the two animated Batmen on this list. He plays Batman in Lego form in The Lego Movie, The Lego Movie 2, and The Lego Batman Movie. He plays a Batman that is self-aware of how popular he is and ends up being really fun. He can be dark and brooding while also being incredibly goofy which works really well with the tone of the Lego movies. His Batman is also very over the top with everything he does such as writing a song about brooding in the darkness and having no parents. This Batman is essentially a witty parody of all the live-action Batmen and it really works. Will Arnett just goes all out with this role and has a lot of fun with the vocal performance. There isn't a lot to say about his performance as isn't physically Batman and just provides a voice. In the end, he creates a fun rendition of the character that perfectly matches the tone of the Lego movies.

6. Adam West

Adam West is considered by many as the classic Batman. He portrayed Batman in the 1966 TV show and movie. Batman was Adam West's defining role and who everyone knows him as. Like earlier Batmen on this list. The West era was a bit on the campy and goofy side. However, Adam West really tries to play the role straight and has pride in the character he is bringing to life. Adam West just has this level of gravitas he brings to the Batman character that none of the others on this list do. Since he was limited by the technology of the time, Adam West had a lot of practical effects and action with the Batman character. He is also able to match the tone of the story well. He can do the action when there are fight sequences but can also be a bit goofy such as when he's running around with a bomb saying "Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb". What keeps him lower is just the campiness of the film he is in as well as the age of the effects he has to work with.

5. Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck is probably the bulkiest of the Batmen. Be Affleck is the Batman of the DCEU appearing in Batman V Superman, Justice League, The Flash, and a cameo in Suicide Squad. Within the world, this Batman is probably the most seasoned. We also get to see him take on more of a leadership role in the Justice League. Ben Affleck does a great job playing all of the other DC characters and has great chemistry with all members of the Justice League. We also get to see more of a detective and scientist aspect to him in Batman V Superman. I think he was the best part of the Batman V Superman movie. The only real issue that holds him back is that he doesn't really have a chance to shine in his own movie. He is either sharing with Superman, the whole Justice League, or as a side character to The Flash. If he had gotten his own movie, I think he would have been higher on the list. Overall, I think Ben Affleck was a great Batman in the DCEU and wish he could have continued to be Batman in the rebooted universe.

4. Kevin Conroy

Kevin Conroy is the OG animated Batman. He voices Batman in the original animated series, most of the spin-off animated series, several animated movies, and quite a few video games. He can voice a Batman which perfectly matches the tone that Batman should be. He can also portray a dark and brooding character that also sounds extremely intimidating. It also shows a lot of dedication to how many different properties he is willing to voice Batman in. He has given Batman such an iconic voice that when many people think of what Batman sounds like, they think of Kevin Conroy. He was so popular as Batman that they even brought him in to play a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse. Like Will Arnett, he is a bit harder to talk about as he hasn't physically played Batman but I still enjoy him in the animated properties. In the end, Kevin Conroy voiced a great Batman, and it's a bummer that we won't be able to voice the character anymore.

3. Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson is the most surprising Batman. When he was first announced as Batman, I was extremally skeptical as I didn't really want to see Edward Cullen as Batman. I knew there was potential as he is a pretty decent actor in films such as Tenet and The Lighthouse but I was still concerned. When I finally saw The Batman, all of my worries went away. Robert Pattinson did a fantastic job with the character. When he is in the Bat suit, you can't even tell it is Robert Pattinson anymore. That is the sign of a great performance. He also handles the physicality of Batman very well, playing probably the most violent Batman we've seen. Even outside of the Bat suit, his performance is very well done as he portrays a Bruce Wayne that struggles to balance being Batman while also being a functioning member of society. What also makes this Batman so great is that we finally get to see him as a true detective as he finds clues and works with Gordon to figure out what the Riddler is after. Overall, Pattinson does a great job as Batman and I am excited to see what he does in the next film.

2. Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton is one of the all-time great superhero actors. He played Batman in Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns. He was so popular as Batman that DC decided to bring him back as a supporting role in the Flash which I was so excited for. While he may not be the most physical Batman, he is definitely one of the most iconic. He can portray the physicality of Batman pretty well and can pull off the seriousness needed for the role. The look of Keaton's Batman suit is probably my favorite. I really like the rubber look as well as the style of the Batman logo on the front. While he may not be able to turn his head in the suit, it still looks really cool. Michael Keaton also provides a unique take on Bruce Wayne. Instead of this flamboyant billionaire personality. Keaton instead goes for the awkward billionaire that isn't great at social interactions and collects weird pieces of armor. He also adds a bit of an unhinged element to the character ("You want to get nuts? C'mon let's get nuts"). In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Keaton as Batman and was extremally happy we got to see him in The Flash.

I. Christian Bale

Christian Bale is my personal favorite Batman and also plays Batman in one of my all-time favorite movies. Bale played Batman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy. (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises). He gets bulked up for the role and can play an extremely fit Batman. Something that only Affleck was able to achieve. I also think he perfectly nailed the tone and demeanor of that character. He chose a voice that terrifies criminals and has the physical skills to fight them. I also find that he portrays the Batman with the biggest arc as we get to see him grow and change throughout the trilogy. I found his suit to be much more realistic as well as he uses more of a military-grade style of suit instead of rubber. Aside from being a great Batman, Bale also plays the best Bruce Wayne. He portrays a Bruce Wayne that is has a strong personality and can balance being the hero at night with being the billionaire that buys hotels because he can. Overall, Christian Bale has all the best aspects of Batman and Bruce Wayne and does a perfect job of portraying the iconic hero.

Which Batman is your favorite?

• 0%Val Kilmer
• 0%George Clooney
• 0%Will Arnett
• 0%Adam West

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