In honor of Batman Day, we’re taking a look at some of the A-listers who have had the honor to play the role of Batman throughout the years.
Holy Batman Day, Batman! September 21, also known as Batman Day, is a day of celebration for Batman fans and comic book connoisseurs around the globe. The character of Batman made his first appearance in comic books way back in 1937, which makes him a little over 80 years old! Not only has the Batman been an important comic book hero since the golden days, his character has been prominent in pop culture, too.
The first major blockbuster Batman film came from director Tim Burton and starred Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson in 1989. Tim Burton also directed the follow-up film, Batman Returns, in 1992, which also starred Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, and Danny DeVito as the Joker. Although Tim didn’t direct the third installment of the superhero franchise, he moved to a producer role for the next film, Batman Forever, in 1995.
Christian Bale took over the role as Batman in the 2005 film Batman Begins, and starred alongside Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, and Katie Holmes in the box office success, which grossed $375M. He reprised his role as Batman in the 2008 film, The Dark Knight Rises, which also starred the late Heath Ledger. Ben Affleck took over Batman duties from 2016 – 2017, and most recently, it was announced that Twilight alum Robert Pattinson would play the role of Batman in the upcoming 2021 film, The Batman.
The Bel Ami actor received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike over the casting decision; however, in an interview with Variety, Pattinson said, “To be honest, it was less vitriolic than I was expecting. It’s much more fun when you’re an underdog. There’s no expectation of you.”