When it comes to Batman, he is the true persona while Bruce Wayne is the mask that he puts on. That has been a tradition in comics, shows, games, and movies alike. As a result, it has become a staple for each actor who takes on the role to develop voices for Batman, Bruce Wayne, and even the fake Bruce Wayne for the public eye.
Some actors change their voice when playing Batman while others change for Bruce Wayne. It's always fascinating to see, or in this case hear, what the actor creates; especially in scenes where Batman threatens someone or has a simple conversation with a villain.
George Clooney
Due to the nature of the whole process making Batman & Robin, it's hard to blame George Clooney for not putting in the extra effort to create a Batman voice. Still, the final product resulted in Batman and Bruce Wayne being the same exact performance which was George Clooney giving the bare minimum.
It's a reflection of the infamously panned quality of Batman & Robin as a whole. George Clooney likely could have been a great Batman with an equally good voice if only he had been given a better film.
Christian Bale
Most of what is shown in The Dark Knight trilogy holds up really well but Batman Begins, he has three voices: his regular Bruce Wayne voice, the more famous monster-like voice he uses to interrogate, and a calmer voice that is still gruff.
The gravelly voice is a nice balance when he's talking to either Jim Gordon or Rachel Dawes. However, this voice was only in Batman Begins; in The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan stuck with the louder, more over-the-top voice for every scene featuring Batman. As a result, fans grew to find the voice grating and hard to understand.
Adam West
Adam West is not meant to be the dark and menacing vigilante and more of a family-friendly superhero. As a result, Batman not really changing his voice is not as much of a concern in either the 1966 series or the movie based on said series. With that said, there is a difference between Batman and Bruce Wayne with Adam West though it is subtle.
As Bruce Wayne, Adam West sounds more charming and suave whereas Batman has a classic superhero voice that could easily fit in the Super Friends or old-school radio plays. The best way to detect the difference is when Batman has to swap between both personas on two different phones in one episode.
Will Arnett
Like Adam West, Will Arnett is not supposed to be a traditional Batman. Will Arnett is essentially the parody version of Batman, sporting a voice that sounds like every gruff Batman voice merged together. Will Arnett is always charming and hilarious as this man-child version of Batman.
Nearly every line Will Arnett says with his deep and scratchy voice stole every scene in The LEGO Batman Movie. However, Will Arnett did manage to showcase some depth to his performance with the few but important emotional scenes.
Michael Keaton
It was actually Michael Keaton's idea to create a different voice for the Batman persona. In a way, without Michael Keaton, there wouldn't be the voice-changing aspect that is now a staple of Batman portrayals. Keaton's voice is much more subtle, adding just enough grit to it to make a difference and seem imposing.
In both Batman and Batman Returns, the Batman voice is one that ages like fine wine, especially in the sequel. When Batman interacts with either Danny DeVito's version of Penguin or Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman, his Batman voice enhances the scene and makes for some of the best moments.
Val Kilmer
Though Batman Forever is not everybody's cup of tea, most can agree that Val Kilmer was never the problem. As Bruce Wayne, it's another suave Val Kilmer performance which he always excelled with so he was able to portray that side with ease.
As Batman, however, Val Kilmer changes his voice to a much deeper and booming octave with some gruff that is somewhat reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series. As a result, whenever Kilmer finally has the chance to lead the scene as Batman, he's arguably the best thing about Batman Forever.
Robert Pattinson
This might change as Robert Pattinson's version of Batman evolves across multiple films. Currently, his Batman voice is effective as he comes off as one of the most imposing versions of the character yet. He nails that classic pulp detective voice harking back to classic noir films of the past.
Robert Pattinson ranges from really quiet and whispery to loud and downright scary at times, especially when he's talking with Paul Dano's Riddler. However, currently, his Batman has not created the playboy billionaire mask yet so his Bruce Wayne and Batman are purposefully the same which could change in future films.
Ben Affleck
In the real world, if a famous person changes their voice, it's still possible to tell that it's them especially if they have a distinct voice. For example, no matter how growly he got, it's always possible to hear Christian Bale. Ben Affleck has a voice that is almost impossible to miss so he and Zack Snyder did something different for his Batman.
Instead of changing his voice, Ben Affleck's portrayal of Batman for the DCEU wears a voice modulator that warps his voice into an almost demonic voice that properly masks his real sound. Ben Affleck also does well in swapping between his fake and real Bruce Wayne personas in seconds, portraying the cocky billionaire mask surprisingly well.
Kevin Conroy
Kevin Conroy got his start on television but was able to bring his voice to the big screen with two theatrically released animated movies. Kevin Conroy has been the definitive voice actor of Batman for thirty years' worth of content, including the Batman: Arkham games, and for good reason. Conroy practically perfected the difference between Batman and Bruce Wayne.
He performs the role with Batman being the true persona, so even when he's out of the mask, he still sounds like Batman. It's only when he's in public as Bruce Wayne does he change his voice. In films such as Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm, Kevin Conroy's Batman voice has become so iconic that even when reading comics, he is the voice that fans picture in their head.
