With the recent release of the newest film adaptation of the iconic superhero, The Batman, what better time to take a look at some of the best actors to ever play the Dark Knight in either live-action or animation, according to the thousands of cinephiles who cast their vote on Ranker.
The Batman stars Robert Pattinson in the titular role of Bruce Wayne/Batman and has been extremely well-received both critically and commercially as fans absolutely love the actor's dark and isolated take on the billionaire crime fighter. However, some truly legendary actors have played the role throughout the character's long-running filmography in both live-action and animated adaptations.
Diedrich Bader
Diedrich Bader has voiced Batman in multiple animated adaptations of the character, including multiple films and television appearances of Scooby-Doo & Batman as well as the television series Harley Quinn.
Diedrich Bader is probably best known for his live-action roles in iconic comedies like Office Space, but his voice work as Batman has stayed with fans for a long time as many people loved seeing the iconic team-up of Batman and Scooby-Doo
Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer is one of the more iconic actors to play the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman with one of the most successful film careers of the '90s, starring in legendary releases like Batman Forever.
The film co-starred Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, and Tommy Lee Jones, and is one of the least successful live-action Batman adaptations ever made as fans did not like the colorful atmosphere and lighthearted dialogue. However, there are a small group of devoted fans that still feel Batman Forever is an underrated movie.
Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara took over the animated voice work for the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne from Kevin Conroy and has been doing an amazing job since. O'Mara truly embraced the role as he's starred in 11 animated features including Batman: Hush, Batman Vs. Robin, and multiple animated Justice League films.
The actor is also known for his live-action roles in Amazon's Agents Of Shield, but he is best known for his voice work as Batman.
Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck is an incredibly well-known and famous actor but had a relatively short-lived run as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Affleck is featured as the Dark Knight in four films, including Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, and Suicide Squad.
Ultimately, Ben Affleck's comic-accurate performance as Batman was well-received by fans, but the films he starred in as the legendary superhero did not perform very well critically. The actor even had a solo Batman film planned but it was eventually scrapped to move forward with Pattinson's The Batman.
Will Arnett
Will Arnett is an unbelievably talented comedic actor who is best known for his hilarious roles in BoJack Horseman, but he also starred as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the Lego franchise's highly successful and popular Lego movies.
2017's The Lego Batman Movie is a fun fan-favorite adaptation of the character that sees Bruce Wayne discovering he accidentally adopted a son as he fights the usual villains who are trying to take over Gotham. Arnett's uniquely fun and comedic take on the character makes it extremely popular among families.
Adam West
Adam West is the original live-action Batman as he played the titular character in the original film adaptation that was released in 1966, Batman: The Movie.
Adam West's iconic performance as Bruce Wayne influenced a lot of the modern-day live-action and animated portrayals of the character as many actors did their best to update and put their own unique spin on the actor's performance. West also starred as the Dark Knight in the original live-action television show that aired from 1966-1968 titled, Batman.
Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy is best known for his iconic voice work as Bruce Wayne/Batman and is widely considered by fans to be the best-animated version of the Dark Knight. Conroy has reprised his role as the caped crusader more than any other actor as he's starred in over 14 animated films, 16 animated television shows, and 13 video games as the character.
His credits include legendary animated feature films like Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm, and Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker.
Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson is the newest actor to put on the mask and cape in Matt Reeves' The Batman. The film is a dark and gritty take on the character and see's a young Batman/Bruce Wayne going up against the Riddler as he begins murdering key political figures in Gotham.
Pattinson is best known for his starring roles in the Twilight franchise as well as incredible performances in indie hits like one of Matt Reeves's best movies.
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton is another iconic actor that's played the titular role of Batman/Bruce Wayne and is many fans' favorite interpretation of the character. Keaton is the second actor to play the role in a live-action film, behind Adam West, and starred in two feature films in the late '80s and early '90s.
Batman and Batman Returns were both directed by Tim Burton and feature incredible performances from all-star casts featuring Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Keaton's performance is still considered one of the best Bruce Waynes.
Christian Bale
Despite only acting in three Batman movies, Christian Bale is the most popular opinion among fans as the best Batman of all time. This is in part because of Bale's incredible performance in all three movies as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and also partially due to the unbelievably high quality of all three films in the series.
Bale played the titular role of the Dark Knight in Christopher Nolan's iconic The Dark Knight Trilogy which includes The Dark Knight Rises. All three films feature incredible performances from tremendous actors like Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy, and Morgan Freeman.
