Summary
- Batman has been portrayed by actors of varying ages throughout the years, with each version focusing on different aspects of the character's history and development.
- Adam West was 37 when he first played Batman in the 1960s TV series, and his portrayal was known for its campy humor and cultured persona.
- Robert Pattinson, the newest actor to take on the role, was 35 during his debut as Batman in "The Batman," portraying a younger and less experienced Dark Knight.
Batman has been portrayed by many different actors all across the age spectrum. As one of the most recognizable and popular superheroes ever created, Batman has been a staple of both live-action and animated DC Comics movies and TV shows. Batman would first gain a major foothold in the live-action realm with the '60s Batman TV series, in which he would be portrayed by Adam West.
Since then, Batman has been played in live-action by Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson. Each version of the Dark Knight places its focus on different aspects of Batman's character history, with each Batman also being a different age as a result of the take on the character he embodies. Here is how old each Batman actor was in his debut as Bruce Wayne.
Adam West Was 37 When He First Played Batman In 1966
The 1960's Batman TV series would pair Adam West's Caped Crusader with Burt Ward as his partner Dick Grayson a.k.a. Robin. Adam West was 37 when Batman began airing in 1966, which would also be the same year as the show's spin-off movie Batman would debut on cinema screens. With Batman running for three seasons of 120 episodes and ending in 1968, West would be about 39 years old when his tenure as Batman would reach its conclusion.
There is nothing particularly significant about Bruce Wayne's age on Batman, though the show's campy Batsuits and humor and West's cultured portrayal of Batman did make him a good fit for the character. West would remain closely associated with Batman for the rest of his career, often spoofing his persona in cameos on shows like The Simpsons and Goosebumps. West would also return to voice Batman in the animated films Batman: Return of the Caped Crusader and Batman vs. Two-Face before his ing in 2017.
Michael Keaton Was 37 In Batman (1989) And 71 In The Flash Movie
Similar to Adam West, Michael Keaton was 37 years old when he first debuted as Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton's Batman, though the two Caped Crusaders would walk very different paths. Keaton's Batman would re-introduce the dark tone that Batman had originally adopted in the comics, with Keaton's Dark Knight having also already been on the job for some time. Keaton would be about 41 when he would reprise the role in Tim Burton's 1992 sequel Batman Returns, while Keaton would sit out 1995's Batman Forever.
Keaton would later return in 2023's The Flash cast, meeting Ezra Miller's Scarlet Speedster through the film's Flashpoint-inspired multiverse story. While the exact age of Michael Keaton's Batman in The Flash is not made explicit, Keaton himself would be 71 years old upon his return to the role. With The Flash establishing that Keaton's Batman has long since retired before ing forces with the two Barry Allens and Supergirl (Sasha Calle), an older Batman is ultimately very fitting for the movie's story.
Val Kilmer Was 35 When He Played Batman
After Michael Keaton had declined to return for Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever, Val Kilmer would become the next Caped Crusader in the 1995 film. Kilmer was 35 years old at the time of his one and only Batman performance, and similar to West and Keaton, his Bruce Wayne is introduced already well into his life as Batman. Kilmer's age is not a major component of his portrayal of Batman, though his time on the job does play a factor in his relationship with Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell).
After seeing his parents murdered by Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), Dick Grayson becomes hell-bent on vengeance, while Bruce Wayne tries to speak from experience on the road this will lead Dick down. Batman Forever ultimately sees Bruce accept Dick as his partner Robin, Bruce and Dick having learned a great deal from each other. In the end, Kilmer's age of 35 would help him portray a convincingly seasoned Batman who is still growing in some ways.
George Clooney Was 36 In Batman & Robin And 62 In The Flash Movie
After Val Kilmer had departed the Batman role, George Clooney would portray Bruce Wayne in Joel Schumacher's 1997 sequel Batman & Robin. Clooney would be 36 in his Batman debut, though the infamous reception of Batman & Robin would make his appearance another one-and-done. At least, that is, until The Flash would crack open DC's multiverse in 2023.
Clooney would return as Bruce Wayne in a surprise appearance at the end of The Flash, meeting an incredulous Barry Allen who comes to realize he is in another alternate reality from his own. Clooney would be 62 years old at the time of his cameo in The Flash. In the end, despite Batman & Robin being widely viewed as the nadir of superhero movies, Clooney's return in The Flash just goes to show that no comeback is ever impossible in DC's infinite multiverse.
Christian Bale Was The Youngest Batman At 31 And Played Bruce Wayne Until He Was 38
After an eight-year absence from cinema screens, Batman would finally return to theaters in Christopher Nolan's 2005 reboot Batman Begins, with Christian Bale portraying Bruce Wayne. Bale would be 31 years old in his initial performance as Batman, making him the youngest actor in his first portrayal of the character. The origin story of Batman Begins would make Bale's youth perfect for the film, with Bale being 34 in his return in 2008's The Dark Knight.
In Christopher Nolan's 2012 trilogy conclusion, The Dark Knight Rises, Bale would be 38 years old, which would also be a relatively fitting age range for his Bruce Wayne. With The Dark Knight Rises taking place eight years after The Dark Knight and drawing inspiration from Frank Miller's graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, Bale would adapt well to playing a near-40 Batman coming out of a long retirement. This also made it easier for The Dark Knight Rises to conclude the trilogy, with Batman presumed dead and finally finding happiness with Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway).
Ben Affleck Was The Oldest Batman In His First Appearance At 43
Ben Affleck would tackle the role of Bruce Wayne in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with Affleck being 43 years old at the time of the film's 2016 release. This would make Affleck the oldest Batman actor in his debut performance, with Affleck being the same age in his appearance in Suicide Squad later that year. With Snyder similarly drawing major influences from The Dark Knight Returns, Affleck would be well-suited for playing a Bruce Wayne who has been Batman for 20 years by the time of Batman v Superman.
Affleck being in his early '40s would also help establish him as an elder statesman of sorts in the Justice League. Affleck would be 44 years old when the theatrical cut of Justice League was released in late 2017, with Affleck being about 48 years old when the Snyder Cut was finally released in 2021 as Zack Snyder's Justice League. With Affleck being 50 at the time of filming his scenes in The Flash, it seems unlikely that any future Batmen in DC's multiverse will ever begin their careers at the same age or with the same Dark Knight Returns vibe as him.
Robert Pattinson Was 35 In His First Appearance As Batman
Robert Pattinson would become the newest big-screen Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves's 2022 movie The Batman, with Pattinson being 35 years old at the time of the film's release. This places Pattinson behind only Christian Bale in playing a young Caped Crusader, but The Batman's story also makes clear that Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is likely substantially younger than he is. In The Batman, Bruce Wayne is in his second year of protecting Gotham City as Batman, with Matt Reeves having also used Kurt Cobain as the template for the film's version of Bruce.
With Pattinson's long bangs and generally youthful appearance, his Bruce Wayne seems more likely to be somewhere in his 20s. The Batman shows plenty of evidence of this, too, with Pattinson's Batman being visibly scared when he forced to glide from the top of Gotham City's police headquarters and crashing into a moving bus on his way down. Still, every superhero has to begin their career at some point, and Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is clearly a younger Batman still honing his skills and identity as the Dark Knight.
