All Batman Actors – Ranked

Batman is one of the most iconic DC Comics characters ever created. Over the past few years, the Caped Crusader has been involved in multiple projects. While we can’t rank each and every Batman Actor as then the list would never stop. We can however rank all the actors who have been involved in the live-action films. So here is our small ranking of all the actors who’s played the role of Batman.

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Batman has appeared in several live-action films and TV shows. But we’re mainly going to focus more on the live-action films this time. As of writing, there are a total of 7 Batman Actors who’ve played the role of the Caped Crusader. Do note that each and every actor has played the different versions of the character and this is totally our own ranking. 

7. George Clooney 

Starting off our list, our least favorite entry out of all the actors has to be George Clooney. We agree that George Clooney is an excellent actor. However, the role he particularly played in Batman and Robin was just terrible. Not only was the film bad, but there’s a lot more which made fans angry.

This version of Batman played by George is often regarded as being too “bright”. The film got so much hate upon its release that even the actor apologized for delivering such a poor Batman film many years after the release. 

6. Val Kilmer

Next up on our list, we have Val Kilmer. After the success of the two Tim Burton movies with Micheal Keaton, the studio for some reason decided to go with director Joel Schumacher. Since Keaton wasn’t coming back, Val Kilmer was cast for the role instead. This change eventually made 1995’s “Batman Forever” bad.

Compared to other actors, Val Kilmer playing Batman felt extremely bland. His costume was a literal joke, not only did it look bad but it had nipples (Yes, you read that right). While Val Kilmer’s role in Batman Forever may not be as bad as the previous entry, it was still pretty terrible.

5. Adam West

Adam West was one of his own kind. His film “Batman” released in 1966 was probably the introduction of Batman to the live-action audience as it got very popular. The film was made with more of a comedic intention, but many fans enjoy it regardless. Adam West even starred in a Batman TV series that ran from 1966 to 1968. 

However, the film being more of a comedy film would make it different from other films. This means that while the film is a joy to watch, Adam West’s role simply doesn’t hold up against others on this list.

4. Ben Affleck

While many fans may say Ben Affleck is the best Batman actor to date, I certainly do not agree. He started out with Batman Vs Superman and has been in a few films till now. He did a good job portraying Batman but there are still a lot of flaws in his version of the character. 

Affleck did have what it would take to become the greatest Batman actor but we can say that the studio messed his character up. Not only did 2017’s Justice League make his character look like a joke, but we also never got to see his solo film. This happened all because of the mess created by the studio.

3. Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton is up next, and where do I even start with this one. While most of the previous Batman films may have been mostly made with a comedic intention. His role in 1989’s Batman explores more of the darker parts of Batman. While many newer fans may not enjoy his role now, he certainly did an excellent job.

During the official announcement, many were angry with the casting choice. However, despite controversy at the time, Keaton proved all of them wrong. Not only did he play an excellent role as Batman, but he also played Bruce Wayne very well.  

2. Christian Bale

Christian Bale is often regarded as the best Batman actor by fans. Now I know putting him in the second place is gonna make people mad, but hear me out. While his role in the Dark Knight trilogy is exceptional, putting him in second place doesn’t mean his portrayal was bad.

He did a very good job at portraying both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not only that, but he also set the standard for Batman actors pretty high. Especially when you consider 2005’s Batman Begins is what saved Batman films franchise from dying after the previous 2 terrible films “Batman Forever” and “Batman and Robin”. 

1. Robert Pattinson 

At the Number 1 position, we have, Robert Pattinson. I personally wasn’t very happy with the casting choice upon the initial announcement, however, everything changed after I watched 2022’s “The Batman”. Not only does Robert bring something new to the table, but he does an incredible portrayal of Batman.

His role as Bruce Wayne may not have been showcased for a long time, but it was different from others and felt really good. I personally feel like Robert did a very good job showcasing more of the Noir and Detective parts of Batman which we haven’t seen in live-action Batman films till now.

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Well with that said, what do you think about our ranking for all the batman actors? Do you agree with our picks? If not, make sure to drop a comment down below telling your favorite live-action Batman actors!