Which Actors Have Played Batman Over The Years?

Batman, the serialized comic-strip character, has been played by many actors. Before there were Batman movies, there was Batman, the television series, which ran on ABC from 1966 to 1968. It starred Adam West as Batman, with Burt Ward as Robin.

Then came the movies. In 1989 Tim Burton cast Michael Keaton to play the lead role in what became the first Batman movie, titled simply, Batman. The movie became the highest-grossing film for 1989.

Following on that success, Batman Returns was released in 1992, again with Keaton playing the Caped Crusader. This, like its predecessor, was a financial and critical success. Fans enjoyed the darker, more tormented Batman and flocked to the box offices.

Batman Forever was released in 1995, but with Tim Burton in the role of producer. Michael Keaton did not want to play the lead role under new director Joel Schumacher, and turned down the offer to play Batman in this movie. The role then went to Val Kilmer. Batman Forever was the first film to introduce Batman’s sidekick, Robin, played by Chris O’Donnell. The film was lighter in tone than the prior two. It went on to make money, but was not the critical success that Batman and Batman Returns had become.

In 1997 Warner Brothers released Batman & Robin, with George Clooney in the title role. Chris O’Donnell reprised his role as Robin, and Alicia Silverstone was introduced as Batgirl. The film was critically panned, and had only moderate box office success.

2005 saw a re-introduction of the "dark knight" version of Batman, with Christian Bales starring as Batman in Batman Begins. This movie backtracked into how the murder of his parents affected Bruce Wayne and eventually led him to become Batman. Fans enjoyed the return to the mood of the first two movies, and it grossed $370 million worldwide.
Bales reprised his role in 2008’s The Dark Knight, where he battles the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, who died very shortly after filming was completed. This film also became a critical and financial success.

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Four different actors have played the role of Batman over the years in the official Warner Brothers series, while other actors played the character in the 1940s serial and 1960s live action series. In the Warner Brothers Batman films, Michael Keaton first played the role in 1989's Batman under the direction of Tim Burton. He reprised the role in the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, before standing down before the third film due to Burton's lack of involvement. Val Kilmer stepped into the costume for 1995's Batman Forever, directed by Joel Schumacher, but was replaced by George Clooney in 1997's flop Batman and Robin, also directed by Schumacher. When the franchise returned to the screens in 2005 under Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale took on the role of Bruce Wayne and Batman in Batman Begins. He is also expected to appear in the projected 2008 sequel. In the 1940s television serials, Lewis Wilson starred as Batman, while in the 1960s the role was taken by Adam West. Kevin Conroy voiced Batman in DC's animated series, from the original Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), as well as several others. Rino Romano also voiced the character in separate animation The Batman from 2004 onwards.

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Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer & George Clooney.

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