Batman is undoubtedly one of the most famous and beloved superheroes of all time, he was created by DC Comics on March 30, 1939 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Since he was successful with his first comics, the company realized that it was necessary to take the next step, to bring the character to reality with television series and movies. Throughout his appearances there have been many versions of Batman played by different actors at different times.
Batman made his first television adaptation appearance in 1949, ten years after the superhero was created, and to this day still film adaptations continue to be made and series that have had an impact on followers. Next, we leave you the year and the actors who have played the different versions of Batman.
Lewis Wilson (1943)
The first actor who had the chance to bring Batman to life in 1943, a few years after the character's comics became famous. He appeared on a TV show in a very simple outfit and basic stories, but that was enough to propel the superhero to gain more popularity with viewers and followers who rated this adaptation as a resounding success. It should be noted that this Lewis Wilson's Batman only had 15 episodes, and subsequently did not have a sequel, since Columbia Pictures did not want to have the participation of the actor again. However, this was the beg inning of a long life for the night knight.
Robert Lowery (1949)
Batman returned to TV screens in 1949, this time portrayed by Robert Lowery in a new series of 15 episodes called "Batman and Robin", where the two companions worked together to stop the villains who appeared in Gotham city. The costume in this version was very similar to the previous Batman, although with certain details that slightly improved its appearance, such as the size of the bat on the chest and the material of the fabric.
Adam West (1966-1968)
It is without a doubt one of the best known Batman series of all time that lasted from 1966 to 1968 where the character was played by Adam West. It was the first time that fans could see the superhero in a color television adaptation and with higher quality than the previous versions, being produced by ABC. Despite the fact that this was not completely faithful to the essence of the character because it was more like a children's version full of a lot of humor, it managed to become an international series even reaching Asia, which gave Batman more reception making him one of the most famous superheroes of the time.
Unlike its predecessors, the costume of this it had more developed details They caught the attention of many people, since it was a little more similar to that of the comics, since it had the yellow logo with a smaller bat, a helmet that better represented the appearance of the character, and very striking colors.
Michael Kleaton (1989-1992)
Batman hits theaters in 1989 with a film adaptation produced by Tim Burton and played by Michael Kleaton (same actor who plays the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecomming). This was the first time they tried to show fans what Batman was really like, from his serious and dark personality, to the way he interacted with his enemies and his combat tools. Here it was possible to see one of the best-known versions of the Joker as the main villain. ´
We must consider that the evolution of the suit was seen here a lot, since created a more reality-driven design with rigid material, a helmet with many details and black with the belt and yellow logo. It should be noted that a sequel was also made in 1992, although neither of the two films became as famous, but they did have a good reception at the box office.
Val Kilmer (1995)
Tom Burton returns with the idea of continuing to give life to Batman in 1995 with his partner Joel Schumacher, but with a new actor as the protagonist, Val Kilmer. Unfortunately this version it was considered one of the worst Lagging far behind the previous two films because they wanted to make a more childlike Batman, which also had unnecessary and illogical moments when developing the plot. However, the suit was very similar to Michael Kleaton's Batman.
George Clooney (1997)
Val Kilmer's Batman was not the only failure that emerged after this series of films, after a few years, Joel Schumacher resumed the project, although this time calling it "Batman & Robin" with the participation of George Clooney with the role of Bruce Wayne . This version has been one of the most disappointing of all because it does not meet the full parameters to present a true Batman. First that a lot of absurd things happen during the plot, and second that they changed the costume of the character at every moment only to sell more action figures, but that did not work, since the designs they presented were very crazy and were not for nothing coming from the comics. In fact, the actor assumed the mistake they made in a interview with the Graham Norton Show.
"Let me say that we really destroyed the franchise, you know? At least until someone came and revived her, changing her completely. At that time I thought it would be a good move for my career (playing Batman). Well it wasn't. ”
This was said by the criticism he received after making the film Batman 1997, and confirms that it was something that seriously affected his career after seeing the adaptation where Cristian Bale appears.
Christian Bale (2005-2008-2012)
After having gone through several failures in the cinema, Christopher Nolan prepares to produce a new film in 2005 to revive the character in its maximum splendor along with the actor who took the role of the protagonist, Christian Bale. Followers no longer believed in the film adaptations of Batman, but it managed to captivate them so much that it was a resounding success,
In these movies they created an amazing armor suit completely black in color and with accessories that go hand in hand with advanced military technology. On the other hand, they also presented the Joker played Heath Ledger, considered one of the best performances of the villain.
Ben Affleck (2016)
The last Batman to make an appearance in theaters, Ben Affleck was the actor who had the chance to bring the character to life in 2016 in the Batman vs Superman movie, which kicked off a new connected DC universe. This film received very negative reviews for the development of the plot and for the few moments of action it has. Subsequently, Affleck resumed the role of the night knight for the Justice League movie, another tape that was not well received by the followers. Due to this, the next Batman movies in this universe were canceled.
David Mazouz (2017)
In 2017 the series "Gotham" began which tells the story of the events that happened in Bruce Wayne's adolescence and shows how he grew and evolved with the help of his largest dome Alfred. Here the protagonist is played by David Mazouz, and it has been a series that has received excellent reviews, as it shows the origin of several characters in the franchise.
Robert Pattinson (2021)
Robert Pattinson will be the next actor to portray the Dark Knight in a film adaptation slated to be released in 2021. This is being directed by Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark with the name of "The Batman", and it seems to be the reboot of a new story based on another universe. Even the costume is very different from previous versions.
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