Few fictional characters have been reinvented on screen as many times as Batman. From the early black-and-white serials to today’s darker, more grounded versions, several actors have stepped into the role of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, the Dark Knight. Over the decades, each version has reflected a different era of Batman storytelling. Here’s a look at the actors who have played the Caped Crusader in live-action films and serials.

Lewis Wilson (1943)
Lewis Wilson was the first actor to play Batman on screen. He portrayed the character in Columbia Pictures’ 1943 Batman serial, which was released in 15 chapters. Wilson’s portrayal came just a few years after Batman’s comic-book debut.

Robert Lowery (1949)
Robert Lowery became the second live-action Batman in Batman and Robin, a 1949 Columbia serial. Like Wilson’s version, Lowery’s Batman appeared in a chapter-based serial rather than a modern feature-film franchise.

Adam West (1966)
Adam West brought Batman to a much wider television audience with the popular Batman series, which ran from 1966 to 1968. He also starred in the 1966 feature film Batman: The Movie. His portrayal became closely associated with the colourful and campy style of the era.

Michael Keaton (1989)
More than two decades later, Michael Keaton took over the role in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). He returned as Bruce Wayne in Batman Returns (1992). Keaton later put on the cowl again for The Flash (2023), bringing his version of Batman back to the big screen.

Val Kilmer (1995)
Val Kilmer played Batman in Batman Forever (1995), directed by Joel Schumacher. The film continued the Batman film series after Burton’s two movies and introduced Kilmer as the new actor behind the mask.

George Clooney (1997)
George Clooney became the next Batman in Batman & Robin (1997), also directed by Schumacher. Years later, he briefly returned as Batman in The Flash (2023).

Christian Bale (2005)
Christian Bale ushered in a new era with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005). He went on to star in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), completing Nolan’s trilogy.

Ben Affleck (2016)
Ben Affleck first appeared as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). He subsequently reprised the role in Justice League, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and The Flash, among other appearances.

Robert Pattinson (2022)
Robert Pattinson became the latest actor to headline a live-action Batman film with Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022). The film presented Bruce Wayne as a young crime-fighter investigating corruption and a series of murders in Gotham City.