The world is awaiting the premiere of one of the most anticipated films of 2016, “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice”. The debate has been where Ben Affleck will rank among the stars to play the caped crusader. Although the film has yet to be released, many are saying that Affleck has the potential to be one of the best Batmans to date. Until then, we rank the best actors to play Batman to date on the big screen.
1. Christian Bale (“Batman Begins”, “The Dark Knight”, “The Dark Knight Rises”)
This is a no brainer. Bale’s version of the Dark Knight has set precedence for the role. With a great trilogy of films and great actors playing Batman’s rivals (Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy, etc.), Bale’s role was one of the cornerstone pieces needed to make the "Dark Knight" trilogy one of the greatest set of DC films ever made
2. Val Kilmer (“Batman Forever”)
Kilmer is incredibly underrated. “Batman Forever” wasn’t the greatest film but Kilmer made it bearable. Kilmer was also surrounded by great actors (Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee-Jones) which helped carry “Batman Forever” to $336.5 million at the box office. The film only got a 41 percent rating on rotten tomatoes but in my opinion, remains one of the most underrated superhero films ever made.
3. Adam West (“Batman”- 1966)
To be fair, West was the original Batman. The colorful cartoon style of the TV series and film helped give older audiences a different look at Batman before he was The Dark Knight. Since I’m only 21, I’ve always known Batman as a dark character, beating street criminals with his bare hands. When I watched this film for the first time in a film class, it was interesting to see the character portrayed much lighter. I want to rank West higher but for right now he belongs in the middle of the pack with the other Batmans.
4. Michael Keaton (“Batman”- 1989, “Batman Returns”)
Keaton was an original. He was the first to portray the Batman in the dark setting we know today. Keaton didn’t seem to have that same poise like the others. Keaton was a great Batman but as Bruce Wayne, it was hard to see him as both the caped crusader and the wealthy billionaire. Although Keaton’s role was revolutionary, he wasn’t as great as the others after him.
5. George Clooney (“Batman and Robin”)
Do I need to say anything else? When you think of the worst superhero movies of all time, this one immediately comes to mind. With Mr. Freeze’s ice puns and the bat suit having nipples, Clooney was doomed to fail. Although Joel Schumacher directed “Batman Forever”, he couldn’t hide the flaws this film had. George Clooney is a good actor but this film has to be one of his biggest regrets.
Batman is one of the greatest heroes of our generation and has been portrayed by many actors in a variety of ways. Ben Affleck is definitely up for one of the biggest challenges of his career as he looks to give fans a new look at the Caped Crusader.
