Since Frank Miller turned The Dark Knight into a symbol of hope, there have been a lot of iterations of the Caped Crusader. Here are the 13 best actors to play Batman.
Honourable Mentions
Before we begin this countdown of the most noteworthy Batman (Bruce Wayne) actors from the franchise (good and bad), some honourable mentions: Alan Napier, who played Alfred in Batman ’66 but dressed up as Batman a few times, was incredible. Iain Glen portrayed Batman in the Titans series.
Rino Romano, who voiced Batman in The Batman Animated Series for five seasons, did a great job, too, but putting him on this list seemed strangely out of place. In fact, the voice casting on that show reads like a Who’s Who of top talent, and it’s sad that the show isn’t viewed with as much love as Batman: The Animated Series. Speaking of great voice talent, I’m not sure who played Batman in the Graphic Audio adaptation of No Man’s Land (Buy it! It’s awesome!), but the whole cast deserves awards.
In fact, there have been countless other great Batman actors, from people on stage to cosplayers. Unfortunately, space is limited, but these twelve stood out in some ways. Some are better, and some are far worse, but all have left a mark on the legacy of Batman. The actors mentioned brought something to the table, as did the Dark Knights they played. At the same time, the writing and directing of the productions certainly influenced how DC Comics’ Batman came across.
David Mazouz’s younger Bruce Wayne / Batman in the Gotham TV series wasn’t too bad either. But… you just know which Batman actor is in last place here, right?
13. George Clooney – Batman & Robin
He may be an actor of the highest order and a silver-screen heartthrob, but he’s notoriously the worst on-screen Batman or Bruce Wayne of all time, nearly ruining the iconic character.
Uttering lines that make him unbelievable as both Batman and Bruce Wayne, he’s like the George Lazenby of all the dark knight detectives. Except George Lazenby was unduly criticised and was really good as James Bond, while Clooney sucked as Batman.
Granted, nobody could have made that movie good, but it’s particularly embarrassing that someone of his calibre couldn’t pull off a single good moment as Batman. His performance in director Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin is more wooden than Pinocchio, making even the number 12 entry seem great by comparison.
However, Uma Thurman made a really good Poison Ivy, especially alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, making a great Mister Freeze.
12. Val Kilmer – Batman Forever
There was a time when Val Kilmer could do no wrong. He was young, talented and handsome, starring in hit films like Top Gun and Top Secret! Then he took the mantle of the bat, and the rest is history.
Looking completely confused throughout the entire film, his Bruce Wayne suddenly has no idea of why he dresses like a bat in the first place and even sees a psychiatrist about it – forcing fans to wonder if Batman received a concussion we didn’t know about. On the plus side, some of his interactions with Robin are pretty amusing, even if director Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever itself is a disaster.
Sorry to say, but Val Kilmer definitely wasn’t one of the better Batman actors. Val Kilmer’s Batman is rather average. In comparison, Jim Carrey’s Riddler really made the movie more fun, along with Tommy Lee Jones’ Harvey Dent / Two-Face.
11. Lewis Wilson – Batman (serial)
Bringing a swashbuckling air to this classic old serial, Lewis Wilson made quite an impression as Batman.
He may not be striking fear into the hearts of criminals all the time, but he looks pretty believable and intimidates his foes by locking them in the Batcave with all his nocturnal pets. He even does some real detective work, which is more than can be said for many others. Unfortunately, this serial isn’t too well known these days due to it being offensive by today’s politically correct standards.
Still, Wilson put in a good performance and has to be given credit as a Batman actor.
10. Diedrich Bader – The Brave and the Bold
It’s a shame that Bader is ranked so low down on this list because, in Brave and the Bold, he’s absolutely perfect as the voice of this particular Batman.
Usually light-hearted but occasionally sombre and always serious about upholding justice, it’s an awkward tightrope to walk. With Batman referring to his fists as his hammers of justice, everything Bader says conveys just the right emotion. Instead of sounding constantly grim, subtle shifts in his tone let you know exactly how he’s feeling – from ironically funny to concerned to intimidating.
Uttering alliterative tongue-twisters which defied normal boundaries of dialogue, Bader’s Batman is an action hero and a detective of the highest order. He is a narrator in this lighthearted series, introducing viewers to some of DC’s lesser-known heroes.
9. Robert Lowery – Batman & Robin (serial)
Lowery had a tough time taking the bat’s mantle from Lewis Wilson.
Wearing a costume that didn’t fit him and looking like he’d eaten a few too many doughnuts, he was less of an action hero than the actor he replaced. However, as Bruce Wayne, he’s distinctive, has a better look and exudes far more charisma as he deflects Vicki Vale’s quest to expose him as Batman. Not only that, but he has genuine enthusiasm whenever he decides it’s time to wear the costume. He also spends some time doing detective work, has a great rapport with Robin, and his undercover work is always on form.
He may not be everybody’s favourite Batman actor, but he was more than up for the job.
8. Christian Bale – Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy
Ranking Christian Bale (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight & The Dark Knight Rises) so low down may seem like an insult, but he’s up against tough competition.
Pulling off the public Bruce Wayne as just the right sort of drunken dilettante, the private Bruce Wayne as a driven man intent on achieving his goals in Gotham City, and Batman as the gravel-voiced vigilante, he excels in almost every way. He occasionally does a little detective work, has strategies planned out well and dominates in fights. If only Bale could have removed that stick from up Batman’s butt and developed some personality that we could like.
Also, The Dark Knight Rises drags him down. Sure, it’s hard to steal the spotlight from Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, but even against an unintelligible moron like Bane, this Batman doesn’t shine. This particular Batman is so dumb that he gets involved with Talia al Ghul for no reason, loses his company, and retires just a few years into his life’s mission because his not-girlfriend dies.
In other words, Christian Bale could have played the greatest Batman actor ever (the box office numbers prove it), but the writing lets him down, and the character looks like a quitter. And every Bat-fan knows that Batman is no quitter. Speaking of which…
7. Bob Sessions – Batman: Knightfall (audio)
Perhaps one of the least-known Batman actors, Bob Sessions voiced Batman/Bruce Wayne in the BBC audio drama adaptation of Knightfall.
His performance may not be the best and can sometimes seem hammy, but it’s still more than good enough to be believable even in the story’s weaker moments. So why is he ranked so high? Because, thanks to the series being a faithful, almost word-perfect adaptation (yes, it covers Knightfall, KnightQuest and KnightsEnd), he’s the one Batman who’s exactly like how he is in the comic books. You genuinely believe this is a Batman who’s put through the wringer and physically broken by Bane before returning to greatness.
Sessions pulls it off with some style, and this Batman is an underrated gem.
6. Ben Affleck – Batman v. Superman
Batfleck isn’t the greatest, no matter what some starry-eyed fans may claim. Yes, his Batman looks the part, thanks to his Crossfit sessions and time spent pointlessly hitting tyres with a sledgehammer. He’s buff and physically intimidating in Batman v Superman. As Bruce Wayne, he’s reasonably smooth, too, although he still looks scruffy even when wearing the finest suits. Basically, he is Batman straight out of the Dark Knight Returns graphic novel.
Unfortunately, he’s also borrowed Christian Bale’s no-fun buttstick, treats Alfred pretty poorly, and appears to have no functioning brain cells. His lack of logic and strategies implies that he’s brain-damaged, his detective skills are non-existent, and he seems to spend most of his time sleeping. A narcoleptic Batman is not what anybody needs.
2017’s Justice League was a real low point for the character and the actor. So Ben Affleck (who was also rumoured to be playing the MCU’s Doctor Doom) definitely loses points in the running for the best Batman actor of all time. And even though Zack Snyder’s Justice League might have redeemed his character a little, we never really looked at Batfleck the same. It’s no surprise, then, that he has lost interest in the Batman role. He also made a little appearance in Suicide Squad as a way to make capturing the cast members make sense.
Sure, people were amazed at Batman wearing a cloth costume instead of the more recent padded armour ones, but it really wasn’t anything new. Robert Lowery, Lewis Wilson and our number four entry did that all the time…
5. Adam West – Batman ’66, Super Friends
Bounding into any fight with a two-fisted ka-pow, actor Adam West was Batman for many years and had no issues wearing the cloth costume. This Batman may not have looked physically imposing, but this was still a Batman who gave his all in every fight and could escape from any death trap. And there were a lot of death traps back then. Doing detective work came naturally to this Batman. He could banter using alliteration with ease and gave respect to all who deserved it. Occasionally brooding over his parents’ deaths, Bruce Wayne was a philanthropist and an all-around nice guy.
The series may be known for its campiness, and, yes, Adam West’s Batman gave us the Batusi. Yet West almost always played it seriously. This was a friendly, polite, intelligent Batman who still kicked butt and got the job done. For some, he’s an embarrassment, but the Batman ’66 TV shows revitalised the comic books and introduced the character of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, so there’s a lot to be thankful for.
Plus, this Batman had a real way with the ladies. His moments with Catwoman are so sexually charged that it’s amazing it was allowed on television at all.
4. Robert Pattinson – The Batman
Telling the story of Batman before he was more established as a crime-fighting vigilante in Gotham City, Matt Reeves’ The Batman brought a new spin on Batman that we hadn’t seen before, but of course, it wouldn’t be as good as it was without the addition of all the other actors that brought their characters to life, like Zoe Kravitz’ Catwoman, Colin Farrell’s Penguin, and the brilliant choice of Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. Not used to playing such a serious role, it really showed the acting prowess of all of the actors involved.
Luckily for us, Matt Reeves seems to have signed a long deal with Warner Bros. for many more movies and made it possible for him to keep his version of Batman separated from the rest of the DC universe, so we might find more than one Batman being around at the same time. Ironically, this is exactly what CEO David Zaslav had said they were trying to avoid.
3. Will Arnett – The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie
Some hardcore Batman fans may dismiss this one. However, as Bat-Mite would say, this may be a lighter incarnation, but it’s no less valid, and Batman’s rich history allows him to be viewed in a multitude of ways.
The LEGO Movie offered up one of the funniest characters of all time in the form of LEGO Batman. Powered by Will Arnett‘s ridiculously comedic gravel voice, this Batman is so over-the-top serious it’s hilarious.
Parodying both the overly-grim Batman of recent years and the fanboy cliché that Batman is the most amazingly perfect superhero ever, he’ll throw a dozen Batarangs before one finally strikes home and yet boast that he got it on the first try. He sings songs about how everything in his life is dark and brooding, is so arrogant that he’ll never admit to being wrong and is a complete idiot. Yet he’s still every bit Batman.
This version of Batman would be funny anyway, but Arnett’s voice makes this portrayal perfect (even if it isn’t a live-action version). In fact, The LEGO Batman Movie makes our list of one of the best animated Batman movies of all time.
But did he play the best Batman? Not quite.
2. Michael Keaton – Batman, Batman Returns
When it was announced that Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice actor Michael Keaton would be playing the first big-screen Batman or Bruce Wayne, fans trembled with fear. They shouldn’t have worried. These days, he’s an Oscar-nominated actor, but even then, he brought his A-game to the role of Batman.
In the first of his two films, he’s on form as a seemingly clueless Bruce Wayne but looks a little out of place in the Batsuit. Regardless, his Batman is the dark knight detective in every way. It’s his performance in Batman Returns, though, which is truly incredible. From brooding intently over Christmas and lamenting being so alone to some wicked grins in the Batman suit, you realise that he’s a tortured soul who truly relishes dispensing justice. Also, the chemistry between Keaton’s Batman and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman is off the charts. Such a pity we didn’t get a third Tim Burton movie.
In a great film, Keaton presents one of the best Batman ever and gives him more depth than any live-action actor in recent years. In fact, fans love Keaton so much that Warner Bros. brought him back in the 2023 The Flash movie.
Unfortunately, there’s only room for one perfect Batman / Bruce Wayne actor, and it’s…
1. Kevin Conroy – Batman Animated, Justice League, Arkham games, and more
You can’t get better than the best. Kevin Conroy started out on the classic Batman animated series, but then there was the Justice League. And Justice League Unlimited. And Batman Beyond. And Gotham Knight. And Public Enemies, Apocalypse, Doom, The Flashpoint Paradox, New Adventures of Batman, Mask of the Phantasm and Assault on Arkham. And those Arkham video games. And even The Killing Joke movie. He was the main voice of Batman for nearly 25 years, portraying the character for longer than any other actor.
So what makes Conroy the best Batman / Bruce Wayne actor? It’s because he’s never played just one definitive Batman, but pretty much every type of Batman you can imagine.
Kevin Conroy (who died in November 2022) voiced a serious Batman, a playful Batman, an old Batman, a parallel universe Batman, a family-friendly Batman and a hardcore Batman. He’s played a singing Batman too, in JLU’s episode This Little Piggy (one of the highlights of the whole series). His rich voice always made whichever version he was playing work completely, reminding us there’s a flesh-and-blood person underneath the costume. When he wanted to sound intimidating, he was more intense and terrifying than any gravel-voiced live-action incarnation. And yet, when he was playing Bruce Wayne, there was an entirely different voice with completely different tonal qualities.
His various Batmen – regardless of whichever version you favour the most – will always be just right, both due to great writing and because Conroy perfectly captured the Dark Knight Detective. It’s simply hard to imagine anyone doing a better job. Maybe one day there will be, but for now and the foreseeable future, Kevin Conroy IS the ultimate Batman. He was the best actor to play the iconic role. Even his work in Crisis on Infinite Earths was great!
Tell us what you think. Who played the best Batman? Was Kevin Conroy the best Batman / Bruce Wayne actor of all time? Who should play Batman next? Alan Ritchson? Colin Farrell? Jake Gyllenhaal?
