What better time to look at some of the best actors to ever play the Dark Knight in either live-action or animation, according to the thousands of movie fans who voted on Ranker, than with the recent release of the most recent film adaptation of the iconic superhero, The Batman. Fans adore Robert Pattinson’s dark and reclusive portrayal of the billionaire crime fighter in the critically acclaimed and commercially successful film The Batman, which stars the actor in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. However, throughout the character’s lengthy filmography of live-action and animated adaptations, some genuinely legendary actors have portrayed the role.
Diedrich Bader
In a number of animated versions of the character, including Scooby-Doo & Batman and the television series Harley Quinn, Diedrich Bader has provided the voice of Batman. Although Diedrich Bader is probably best known for his live-action parts in classic comedies like Napoleon Dynamite and Office Space, fans have remained loyal to him for a very long time thanks to his voice work as Batman. Many viewers adored the iconic pairing of Batman and Scooby-Doo.
Val Kilmer
One of the most recognisable actors to play Bruce Wayne/Batman is Val Kilmer, who had one of the most successful film careers of the 1990s and appeared in classic films like Top Gun, The Doors, and Heat. In Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever, Kilmer portrayed the dark knight. The movie, in which Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, and Tommy Lee Jones also starred, is one of the least popular live-action Batman remakes ever made because viewers didn’t like the bright setting and humorous dialogue. Some devoted viewers, though few, believe Batman Forever is still an underappreciated film.
Jason O’Mara
Kevin Conroy left the voice acting for Batman/Bruce Wayne to Jason O’Mara, who has been doing an incredible job ever since. O’Mara showed that he truly relished the role by appearing in 11 animated movies, among them Batman: Hush, Batman vs. Robin, and numerous animated Justice League movies. The actor is also well-known for his live-action parts in Marvel’s Agents Of Shield and Amazon’s The Man In The High Castle, but he is best known for his voice work as Batman.
Ben Affleck
Despite having a relatively brief tenure as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Ben Affleck is a very well-known and renowned actor. In four movies, including Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, and Suicide Squad, Affleck plays the Dark Knight.
In the end, fans praised Ben Affleck for his comic-accurate portrayal of Batman, but critics weren’t too impressed with the movies he appeared in as the legendary superhero. The actor even had a solo Batman movie in the works, but Pattinson’s The Batman ultimately took precedence.
Will Arnett
Will Arnett, an incredibly gifted comedic actor best known for his hilarious roles in Arrested Development and BoJack Horseman, also played Batman/Bruce Wayne in the wildly successful and well-liked Lego movies. In the beloved fan favourite The Lego Batman Movie from 2017, Bruce Wayne discovers he unintentionally adopted a son while battling the typical bad guys trying to take over Gotham. It is incredibly well-liked among families because of Arnett’s distinctively fun and comedic portrayal of the character.
Adam West
The first live-action Batman was Adam West, who portrayed the title role in the 1966 film adaptation of the comic book, Batman: The Movie. Many actors tried their best to modernise and add their own distinctive spin to Adam West’s iconic performance as Bruce Wayne in the modern live-action and animated depictions of the character. In the original live-action television series Batman, which ran from 1966 to 1968, West also played the Dark Knight.
Kevin Conroy
The voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman was made famous by Kevin Conroy, who is widely regarded by fans as the Dark Knight’s best animator. Conroy has played the caped crusader more times than any other actor, appearing in the role in over 14 animated movies, 16 animated television series, and 13 video games. Among the renowned animated features in his filmography is Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm, and Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker.
Robert Pattinson
The newest actor to don the cape and mask in Matt Reeves’ The Batman is Robert Pattinson. A young Bruce Wayne/Batman faces off against the Riddler in the gritty, dark movie as the Riddler starts killing important political figures in Gotham. Fans adore Pattinson as the mysterious superhero, even though he is best known for his leading roles in the Twilight series and outstanding performances in independent hits like Good Time and The Lighthouse. One of Matt Reeves’ best films is thought to be The Batman.
Michael Keaton
Another legendary performer who has portrayed Batman/Bruce Wayne in the title role is Michael Keaton, who is widely regarded as the character’s most accurate depiction by fans. Keaton, who starred in two major motion pictures in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is the second actor after Adam West to portray the character in a live-action movie. Tim Burton directed Batman and Batman Returns, both of which boast all-star casts that include Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, and Michelle Pfeiffer. One of the best Bruce Wayne performances is still regarded as having come from Keaton.
Christopher Bale
Christian Bale is regarded by fans as the greatest Batman of all time, despite appearing in only three Batman films. This is partly a result of Bale’s outstanding work in each of the trilogy’s three instalments as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and partially a result of the astoundingly high calibre of each movie in the series. In Christopher Nolan’s renowned The Dark Knight Trilogy, which consists of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, Bale portrayed the title character, the Dark Knight. Fantastic actors like Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy, and Morgan Freeman give outstanding performances in each of the three movies.
