From movie trilogies to Lego cartoons, there have been many, many portrayals of Batman [1] on the big and small screens over the years. Whether you associate the masked vigilante with Christian Bale [2] or Michael Keaton [3], one thing is certain: each generation has a different take on the superhero. Robert Pattinson [4] is set to play the DC Comics character in the upcoming Matt Reeves-directed film, "The Batman [5]," opposite Zoë Kravitz [6] as Catwoman [7]. The new Batman installment hits theaters on March 4. Continue reading for the complete list of actors who have been lucky enough to slip into the Batsuit and protect Gotham City from destruction.
Lewis Wilson
Wilson originated the role when he played the superhero in the 1943 film serial Batman.
Robert Lowery
Lowery took over the role in 1949 for the film serial Batman and Robin alongside Johnny Duncan as Robin.
Adam West
West played the superhero from 1966 to 1968 in the iconic TV series Batman.
Michael Keaton
Having previously worked with Tim Burton on Beetlejuice, Keaton teamed up with the director again for Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992).
Val Kilmer
Kilmer slipped into the batsuit for Joel Schumacher's 1995 film, Batman Forever.
George Clooney
Schumacher's Batman & Robin (1997) was possibly one of the most controversial adaptations, and Clooney's portrayal was not received well by fans. Clooney himself has even admitted that he thought he destroyed the franchise by playing the role [9]. Maybe the rubber nipples had something to do with it?
Will Arnett
OK, so maybe he was only the voice of Batman, but it still counts, right? Arnett embraces his role [10] in The Lego Movie almost any chance he gets. We'll have to wait until 2017 for his stand-alone film, The Lego Batman Movie!
Christian Bale
Bale is the longest-running actor to play Batman in a film series. He famously adopted the role in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
David Mazouz
While his character on the TV series Gotham hasn't yet grown up to become Batman, Mazouz is one of the youngest actors to take on the role of Bruce Wayne.
Ben Affleck
Step aside, there's a new superhero in town. Affleck continues the legacy in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Kevin Conroy
Conroy voiced Batman in three animated films: "Mask of the Phantasm" (1993), "The Killing Joke" (2016), and "Batman and Harley Quinn" (2017).
Robert Pattinson
Pattinson is the latest actor to take on Batman. He stars as the DC Comics character in "The Batman [11]" releasing on March 4.