Actors Who Have Played Batman on TV and Film
From Louis Wilson in 1943 to Adam West, to Christian Bale
May 26, 2009
Batman was originally created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger for Detective Comics in 1939. What makes Batman so unique is that, unlike other super heroes, Batman has no special powers.
Batman's First Screen Appearance
The Batman, starring Louis Wilson, was released in 1943 as a 15 part movie serial by Columbia Pictures. With Douglas Croft as Robin, the serial introduced Batman's love interest, Vicki Vale. In the movie, Batman is a U.S. government agent who battles a Japanese agent by the name of Dr. Daka.
The Adventures of Batman and Robin
With the success of the first serial, Columbia Pictures released another 15 part serial in 1949 entitled The New Adventures of Batman and Robin. This time Robert Lowery takes on the role of Batman with Johnny Duncan as his sidekick, Robin, as they battle the hooded villian known as The Wizard.
Adam West as Batman
From 1966-1968, ABC ran the television series, Batman, starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. Airing twice a week, numerous guest stars appeared as villains including Vincent Price as Egghead and Cesar Romero as the Joker. The series took a lighter, campier approach to Batman and had a lot of humor.
At the end of the first season of Batman a film version was released with Batman and Robin battling the Joker, the Riddler, the Penguin, and Catwoman. The title of the movie was the same as the series, Batman. In 2003, West and Ward were reunited for the TV movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt.
Batman Returns Starring Michael Keaton
In 1989, Warner Bros. released Batman Returns starring Michael Keaton as Batman, with Jack Nicholson as the Joker and Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale. Directed by Tim Burton, the movie was a huge box office success, earning several film nominations and awards. Playing a darker version of Batman, Keaton won universal acclaim for his role.
Val Kilmer Stars as Batman
After the success of Batman Returns, Warner Bros. released Batman Forever in 1995. The movie explains how Batman first meets Robin, (played by Chris O'Donnell,) after Robin's family, The Flying Graysons, are murdered. Villians include Jim Carrey as the Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones Two-Face. Kilmer continued to portray Batman as the brooding, tomented hero.
Batman and Robin 1997
Batman and Robin was released in 1997 by Warner Bros. with George Clooney as Batman and Chris O'Donnell reprising his role as Robin. Uma Thurman played villainous, Poison Ivy, while Mr. Freeze was brought to life by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The character, Batgirl, was introduced, played by Alice Silverstone. The movie took on a campier side and was not well received by critics.
Christian Bale as Batman
Batman Begins, released by Warner Bros. in 2005, tells the story of how Batman came to be. Starring Christian Bale as Batman, the movie takes a much darker tone than in previous Batman movies. It was not only a financial success but also applauded by critics.
Christian Bale reprised his role as Batman in the 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight. Portraying Batman's nemesis, the Joker, Heath Ledger went on to win an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. The movie won several other awards and is the highest grossing of all of the Batman movies.
With the release of the various Batman movies, TV series and even the early movie serials on DVD, fans can enjoy Batman and the various actors who have played him, time and time again.
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