Batman. The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader.
Like Madonna – the Material Girl, Queen of Pop, Madge – Batman proves that the more famous you are, the more names you can go by.
With people all over the world celebrating 80 years of Joker-fighting by shining the Bat-signal across notable buildings, Gotham-saving antihero antics, we take a look at everyone who has become the Batman.
Lewis G. Wilson
First, and by all means least, we have Lewis G. Wilson whose turn as Batman hasnt quite made the annals of history.
Wilson was the first and youngest actor to play Batman in a 15-part TV series back in 1943.
Robert Lowery
Lowery took over from Wilson in the 1949 follow-up serial, Batman and Robin.
Adam West
The man who had the first real success playing Batman was Adam West.
Playing him for two years in the camp, over-the-top 1960s TV series, West went on to voice Batman in animated shows like The New Adventures of Batman and the LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham video game.
Michael Keaton
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For nearly 20 years, no one else got to embody the Caped Crusader, until Keatons superstar turn in the 1989 movie Batman.
Though initially derided by fans – according to Uproxx, nearly 50,000 protest letters were sent to the movie studio – Keatons Batman turned out to be a huge success.
Fans and critics praised his portrayal in both Batman and the 1992 sequel, Batman Returns.
Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer was next up protecting Gotham.
He played the role just once in 1995s Batman Forever, which also starred some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Nicole Kidman, Tommy-Lee Jones and Jim Carrey starred alongside the Kilmers Caped Crusader.
The film was a box office success but Kilmer decided once was enough.
George Clooney
Oh, George. Hard to think of a time when George Clooney wasnt one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
But his turn as the Dark Knight in 1997s Batman & Robin was at the beginning of his movie career, having not long left E.R. and a year after Tarantinos From Dusk Till Dawn.
Campy, homoerotic and critically panned, this chapter in Batman history is most remembered for the addition of Bat-nipples to the suit.
(Uma Thurman does have a star turn as the scene-stealing Poison Ivy, though).
Christian Bale
Heres where things get gritty. Christian Bales turn as Batman helped make the comic book hero a fleshed-out, dark antihero.
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First taking on the role in 2005s Batman Begins to glowing reviews, arguably Batmans peak came in the follow-up, 2008s The Dark Knight.
It was considered one of the best films of the decade, took in over one billion dollars and left its mark on pop culture thanks to the tragic passing of Heath Ledger.
Bale was to play Batman one more time in the 2012 follow-up, The Dark Knight Rises.
Ben Affleck
Stepping into the butt-kicking Bat shoes, Read More – Source
