By Matteo Martignago, cinematographer and founder of Artistic Hive · Updated July 2026
Here are all the Batman actors in order. Nine actors have played Batman in live-action theatrical films: Lewis Wilson (1943), Robert Lowery (1949), Adam West (1966), Michael Keaton (1989), Val Kilmer (1995), George Clooney (1997), Christian Bale (2005), Ben Affleck (2016), and Robert Pattinson (2022), the current big-screen Batman. Below is the full timeline, where the franchise stands in 2026, and the voice actors who defined Batman off-screen.
Every Batman Actor in Order (1943 to 2026)
| Actor | Years | Films / medium | Era or universe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Wilson | 1943 | Batman (Columbia serial) | Golden Age serial |
| Robert Lowery | 1949 | Batman and Robin (Columbia serial) | Golden Age serial |
| Adam West | 1966-1968 | Batman (ABC TV) + Batman: The Movie (1966) | Camp / Silver Age |
| Michael Keaton | 1989, 1992, 2023 | Batman, Batman Returns, The Flash | Burton Gothic / multiverse return |
| Val Kilmer | 1995 | Batman Forever | Schumacher |
| George Clooney | 1997 | Batman & Robin | Schumacher |
| Christian Bale | 2005-2012 | Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises | Nolan’s Dark Knight |
| Ben Affleck | 2016-2023 | Batman v Superman, Justice League, The Flash | DCEU |
| Robert Pattinson | 2022-present | The Batman; The Batman Part II (2028) | Reeves “Elseworlds” (current) |
| DCU Batman | TBA | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Gunn’s DCU (not yet cast) |
Nine actors have played Batman on the big screen. A tenth, for James Gunn’s separate DC Universe, has been announced but not yet cast (see below).
Who Is Batman Right Now? (2026)
Robert Pattinson is the current live-action Batman. His next film, The Batman Part II, has been delayed several times, from 2025 to 2026 to 2027, and is now set for February 18, 2028, with filming underway in 2026. Matt Reeves has said his films are a standalone “Elseworlds” story, separate from the main DC universe.
Here is where it gets confusing: there will soon be two live-action Batmen at once. James Gunn’s new DC Universe is developing a separate Batman film, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, with Andy Muschietti attached to direct and Christina Hodson writing. As of mid-2026 no actor has been cast in that role, whatever fan sites claim. (One widely shared headline that “Anson Mount is the new Batman” is wrong; Mount is voicing Batman in the animated Batman: Knightfall, not Gunn’s live-action film.)
Lewis Wilson and Robert Lowery: The Serial-Era Batmen (1943, 1949)
Lewis Wilson was the first person to play Batman on screen, in the 1943 Columbia Pictures serial Batman. At 23 he is still the youngest actor ever cast in the role. Movie serials ran as short weekly chapters that ended on cliffhangers, and Wilson’s Batman was light and cheerful, in step with the wartime comics.
Six years later, Robert Lowery took the cowl in the 1949 sequel serial Batman and Robin. At 36 he played an older Batman, in a famously baggy, homemade-looking suit. He was the last actor to play Batman on screen until Adam West arrived seventeen years later.
Adam West Made Batman an Icon of the 1960s
Adam West is the campy Batman a whole generation grew up on. He starred in the Batman TV series on ABC from 1966 to 1968 and in the 1966 feature film Batman: The Movie, playing the role with a straight face while the writing winked at the audience. The show’s “Pow!” and “Bam!” fight cards and West’s deadpan delivery turned Batman into a pop-culture sensation, and his blue-and-grey look defined the character for years.
Michael Keaton Reinvented Batman for Tim Burton (1989, 1992, 2023)
Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) threw out the camp and made the character dark and serious again, with Michael Keaton in the suit. The casting of a comedic actor was controversial at the time, but Keaton’s brooding Bruce Wayne won people over and the film was a huge hit. He returned for Batman Returns in 1992, and then, 31 years later, reprised the role in The Flash (2023), reviving his line “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts.”
Val Kilmer and George Clooney: The Schumacher Years (1995, 1997)
Joel Schumacher took over and turned up the color. Val Kilmer played a smoother, brighter Batman in Batman Forever (1995) before stepping away after a single film. (Kilmer died in April 2025.) George Clooney followed in Batman & Robin (1997), the neon entry Clooney himself has been apologizing for ever since. Its poor reception put the film series on ice for nearly a decade.
Christian Bale’s Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012)
Christopher Nolan rebooted the character with a grounded, realistic take, and Christian Bale carried it across three films: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The Dark Knight, with Heath Ledger’s Joker, is often called the best comic-book film ever made, and many fans still rank Bale as the definitive live-action Batman.
Ben Affleck’s Older Batman in the DCEU (2016-2023)
Ben Affleck played a bigger, older, world-weary Batman in the shared DC universe, starting with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and continuing through Justice League (2017) and its 2021 Snyder cut. His final appearance came in The Flash (2023). Affleck was also set to write, direct, and star in a solo Batman film that was reworked and eventually dropped.
Robert Pattinson: The Current Batman (2022-present)
Matt Reeves rebooted Batman again with The Batman (2022), and Robert Pattinson plays a younger, second-year Dark Knight who leans on fear and detective work more than gadgets. The film was a critical and box-office success, and Pattinson is signed for a trilogy. The Batman Part II is scheduled for February 2028.
The Voice Actors Who Defined Batman
Ask animation and video-game fans who the real Batman is, and many will not name a live-action star at all. These are the voices that defined the character off-screen.
| Voice actor | Best known for |
|---|---|
| Kevin Conroy | The definitive Batman voice: Batman: The Animated Series (1992) onward, the DC animated films, and the Arkham games. Died in 2022. |
| Will Arnett | The comedic Batman of The Lego Movie (2014) and The Lego Batman Movie (2017) |
| Jason O’Mara | Batman across the DC Animated Movie Universe (2014-2020) |
| Roger Craig Smith | Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins (2013) and Arkham VR |
| Diedrich Bader | Batman in the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold series (2008-2011) |
More Than 80 Years of Batman
Batman first appeared in DC Comics in 1939, and every actor since Lewis Wilson has brought a different one. As a cinematographer, what stands out to me is how much of that identity is visual: Burton’s high-contrast Gothic, Schumacher’s neon, Nolan’s naturalistic IMAX realism, Reeves’ Fincher-style noir. Each Batman is as much a lighting and lens choice as a performance. With Pattinson’s trilogy continuing and a separate DCU Batman on the way, a tenth live-action Batman is already coming.
Batman Actors FAQ
Who was the first actor to play Batman?
Lewis Wilson, in the 1943 Columbia Pictures serial Batman. He was 23 at the time, still the youngest actor ever cast as Batman.
How many actors have played Batman?
Nine actors have played Batman in live-action theatrical films, from Lewis Wilson to Robert Pattinson. If you count TV and voice roles, the number is higher, with Kevin Conroy the most famous voice Batman.
Who is the current Batman in 2026?
Robert Pattinson is the current live-action Batman, from Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022). His sequel, The Batman Part II, is set for February 2028.
Is Robert Pattinson still Batman?
Yes. Pattinson remains the current theatrical Batman and is signed for Matt Reeves’ trilogy. His Batman is a standalone “Elseworlds” story, separate from the new DC Universe Batman that James Gunn is developing.
When is The Batman Part II coming out?
February 18, 2028. It has been pushed back several times, from 2025 to 2026 to 2027 to its current date, with filming underway in 2026.
Who will play Batman in James Gunn’s DC Universe?
No actor has been cast yet. Gunn’s DCU is developing Batman: The Brave and the Bold with director Andy Muschietti, but as of mid-2026 the role is uncast. It will be a separate Batman from Pattinson’s.
Who voiced Batman in the animated series?
Kevin Conroy voiced Batman in Batman: The Animated Series (1992) and stayed the character’s defining voice across films and games for three decades, until his death in 2022.
