Christian Bale is the best Batman ever, right? Well, it may be for you, but there are other great actors who also gave life to the dark knight in a very dignified way. Some you will remember, while others will be true strangers. So let's take a walk through the history of the actors who played the bat man.
the origin of batman
The origin of Batman dates back to 1938, Bob Kane was a cartoonist who worked at DC Comics who one day offered his editor within the company to create a character that would match Superman, the great DC superhero who was born just that same year.
In a very short period of time, Kane made the first sketches of the Batman, but he was missing something that he was not able to give him. That's where Bill Finger came in. Bob was in charge of writing many of the stories that Bob later illustrated, so they already had experience working together.
When Finger saw him, he had the need to change part of his clothing, because those first traces of a red cape with breeches and black boots did not suit him. So they decided to give it that darker touch and instead of a mask they put the hood that would only allow you to see his face. This is how Batman was created, a character who made his first appearance in the Detective Comics comic in 1939.
The popularity of the character grew and many were interested in learning more about him. Faced with such success, DC Comics saw it clearly, they were going to give him his own story. The dark knight was born: Batman.
Actors who played Batman
When a new actor who is going to dress as a Batman is announced, it is normal for a great debate to be generated around the subject. It has happened many times, although few decisions have been as contentious as the decision to cast Robert Pattinson. The actor, marked by his character in Twilight, faced harsh criticism. However, we cannot say that his interpretation of his character in The Batman was exactly bad.
But, before Pattinson, there was a good string of actors who embodied the role of Gotham's millionaire vigilante. At the moment, these are all the actors who in one way or another left their mark on this emblematic hero of the DC universe. A little later we will talk in detail about each of them:
- Lewis G Wilson
- robert lowery
- Adam West
- Michael Keaton
- Kevin Conroy
- Val Kilmer
- George Clooney
- Christian Bale
- Benjamin McKenzie (dubbing)
- David mazouz
- Ben Affleck
- Will Arnett (dubbing)
- Robert Pattinson
- Keanu Reeves (dubbing)
If you think we'll see them, and at the end you tell us which is the best batman for you of history. A difficult title to award because, contrary to what happened with Christopher Reeve (actor who starred in Superman in the eighties), none has managed to generate that feeling that without him the role was orphaned. Keaton is for a generation the real Batman. Some fans of the DC Universe will say actively and passively that Christian Bale did much better. And, although we all once thought that Ben Affleck was born to play this character, his interpretation may never have reached what Berkeley's could have been. Without going any further, let's talk about all these actors and the historical context in which they played the Dark Knight.
Lewis G Wilson
The first time the Batman character appeared was in 1939, in the comic. Detective Comics. The character turned out to be very popular and a year later she managed to have her own series that would bear her name. This is how this DC hero was born.
Seeing the popularity obtained, in 1943 Columbia produced a fifteen-part series and Lewis G Wilson he had the privilege of being the first actor to play the character. In addition, he was also the youngest actor - he was 23 years old - to play adult Batman. Because in the Gothan series we already see a younger Bruce Wayne in charge of actor David Mazouz.
robert lowery
Six years later, in 1949, robert lowery He was in charge of giving continuity to Batman within the series Batman & Robin (1949). Due to his age and physique, this was a Batman that better filled the character's suit. And it is that, it is necessary to remember that in those years the costume design was not the one that today is capable of achieving.
Adam West
If I had to choose the most charismatic and recognizable Batman of all, that would probably be it. Adam West anderson. This actor born in the United States in 1928 played the role during the 60s in the television series Batman & Robin (1966-1968), the 1966 film and also provided the voice for the 1992 animated series.
All that work served so that, years later, West's Batman would become a pop culture icon. In addition, the series itself continues to be remembered with that catchy intro.
Michael Keaton
For those of us of a certain age, Tim Burton's Batman is hard to forget. More than 20 years after West's version, Michael Keaton He was chosen to take his place and embody the character. Of course, it was not easy. Many fans thought he wouldn't make a good Batman and tried to keep Warner Bross from going any further.
Was Keaton the best Batman? It is complicated, for those of us who enjoyed the return and were able to enjoy a slightly more adult Batman and if he was not the best, at least, was among the best. Although it is also true that it helped that Jack Nickolson was the one who gave life to the Joker as his great enemy in the first film of 1989. In 1992 he put the suit back on batman returns. And as a curiosity, he gave voice to the video game based on the first film and published by Ocean.
Kevin Conroy
30 years ago, in 1992, DC was wise enough to develop one of the most celebrated versions of the Dark Knight. It is about the Batman Animated Series, for which Warner sought a voice that clearly marked the character. And the chosen one was Kevin Conroy, who not only worked for those animated series, but years later, in 2009, Rocksteady also chose him to put the voice of the superhero in Batman Arkham Asylum (and subsequent games from the same studio).
Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer was the next Batman. With the change of director, Michael Keaton did not agree to continue working on the saga, so Joel Schumacher chose the actor who had already starred in other important film roles such as Top Gun.
Kilmer's interpretation in Batman Forever (1992), as usually happens with most actors, some liked it and others not so much. But hey, it was a Batman that more or less lived up to it for all those who did not come to the cinema with a very high level of demand. Of course, a movie and that's it.
George Clooney
At the end of the 90 years, Batman and Robin (1997) had a new name for the role of Bruce Wayne, it was George Clooney. The actor who stood out for the ER series and who years later would become a Hollywood star can certainly say that his role as Batman was a failure.
It is probably one of the Batman of the cinema with which most will agree that was not up to par. It is also true that neither by script nor by the rest of the actors did she manage to attract attention, but Clooney's role was so normal that it was better to keep moving forward.
Christian Bale
Nolan's Batman, the dark knight starring Christian Bale is the great Batman for the majority. And be careful, because he does not lack detractors, especially because of his tone of voice. But in general his trilogy is ranked as the best that have been produced on this character. Was it the actor or was it Christopher Nolan's shining head that made this character shine? Surely, it was the combination of many elements.
Along with some great actors, such as the late Heath Ledger who played the also considered one of the best Joker alongside Joaquin Phoenix, the darker atmosphere of this saga made Bale shine even more: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2011).
Benjamin McKenzie
batman year one, the sensational comic by Frank Miller, had its adaptation to a film in 2011 and for the casting of actors who could play the Dark Knight, many interpreters were sought although, in the end, from Warner they stayed with the voice of Benjamin McKenzie. His career has not been exactly brilliant, but just by participating in this project, which is one of the most acclaimed by Batman fans, he has surely earned a place in the Olympus of works related to the DC comics universe.
David mazouz
From 2014 to 2019, this young actor born in 2001 he played the young Bruce Wayne in the series Gotham, where we could already see how he is incubating that feeling of justice and revenge for the death of his parents and shaping a personality that, years later, will lead him to face the main bosses of the city dressed in his traditional attire. He is not a typical Batman, but because of his spirit, he deserves to be on this select list.
Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck's history with Batman It is similar to that of Michael Keaton, his choice turned out not to be liked by everyone and there were people who opposed it. They tried to get the studio to back off, but it didn't.
Over the years, Affleck's work came to be valued, maybe not so much for the interpretation -which was not bad either- but for the physical. This fit very well with the idea of Batman that many already had in their heads. For this reason, his withdrawal from the project after appearing in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2013), Suicide Squad y Justice League (2014) They left many wondering what would have happened in the future film that will soon be released.
Even so, it seems that Ben Affleck Will Dress As Batman Again in the solo movie being made of The Flash.
Will Arnett, the most atypical Batman
the batman of Will Arnett was none other than the one we could see in the Batman The LEGO Movie. The actor was in charge of giving him a voice and although due to the script and the very nature of the film certain licenses could be taken, such as a greater touch of humor, he undoubtedly played a very good role and one that many of us have enjoyed. Because who doesn't like these LEGO movies.
Logically, other actors voiced Batman in other animated series and films that have been made, among which we would highlight Batman Ninja, a production that you can see on Netflix.
Robert Pattinson, cold as ice
If Affleck was already controversial, what about Robert Pattinson could give for a soap opera. Originally, Ben Affleck was going to star, write and direct his own version of The Batman. However, everything went to waste. The story was not convincing and it was the actor himself who decided to take a step back. That was how Robert Pattinson came to wear the superhero mask.
During the months prior to the premiere of The Batman, Pattinson received a hate almost unprecedented. Many fans of The Dark Knight were unwilling for the protagonist of Twilight (in Spain, Twilight), embodied the character, despite the fact that at the time, said saga was a success at the box office —yes, among fifteen-year-olds, of course. Pattinson, however, shut up many mouths. The actor played a young and inexperienced Bruce Wayne in a movie that was practically copied from the comic. After the premiere, the critics relaxed considerably. Pattinson proved to be quite up to the task. It is true that the Londoner does not measure up so well when he played the billionaire -possibly, he did it on purpose with the idea of evolving the character in future installments-, but in general, he significantly exceeded expectations.
A very similar phenomenon occurred with Leonardo DiCaprio, who took decades for critics to forget once and for all that he was "the handsome man of Titanic», and was ignored on many occasions until the public came to take it seriously. The Batman did pretty well at the box office. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating of 85%, while other rating platforms also gave it a near 9 out of 10.
During the summer of 2022, the merger between Warner and Discovery put the sequel to The sequel a bit on edge. Batman with Robert Pattinson. However, as of today, the second installment of The Batman is confirmed. The film will also be directed by Matt Reeves and will star Robert Pattinson. Batman 2 It is actually quite a surprise, since the original film already causes some conflict with the DC Extended Universe. However, the good direction of the first film has made Warner Discovery ignore the problems associated with this film and go for a sequel that we hope will maintain the level.
Keany Reeves
Of all the pets that appear in the movie of DC The League of Super Pets, there is an actor who has had the privilege of voicing one of the most famous heroes in the entire comic book universe (including Marvel). neither more nor less than Batman, whom you will hear in the original version with the voice of Keanu Reeves, the mythical Neo of Matrix. It is not that it is a role that is too extensive or focused on the Dark Knight... but it does have its importance within the plot.
Who will be the next Batman?
Gotham's future is in his hands 驪 Tim Fox is the Next Batman — meet him before #DCFutureState here ⏩ https://t.co/GbbqM1esgE pic.twitter.com/yXA5fFoUis
- Batman (@Batman) December 10, 2020
These have been all the actors who have played Batman and as you can see they all have something in common, they are white. However, DC announced that the future of Gotham will be in the hands of Tim Fox. Lucius Fox's son will be the next Batman, the first to be played by someone of color. So in the face of a future movie after the one that is expected to be released soon with Pattison as the lead, who do you think could fit this role of black batman?
It will be interesting to see and especially how the character himself changes when it is no longer Bruce Wayne who puts on the mask to embody the dark knight.