Batman begins yet again this March — and this time he’s played by Robert Pattinson, who’ll be making his debut as DC’s Dark Knight in The Batman. With director Matt Reeves’ movie — which is receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews — coming out this weekend, now’s the time to take a look back at every pre-Pattinson actor who’s played the Caped Crusader. Altogether, 11 actors have taken on the part in cinematic history; nine in live action, and two in animation. So let’s go back in time to remind ourselves of the Men who were Batman.
Lewis Wilson
The man who has the honor of being the very first actor to don the cape and (in his case, oversized) cowl is Lewis Wilson, who played the part in the 1943 Batman movie serial, which hit screens just four years after the hero’s creation in the pages of Detective Comics in 1939. While not a major star himself, Wilson’s son, Michael G. Wilson, became the co-producer of the James Bond movies.
Robert Lowery
For 1949’s follow-up serial Batman and Robin, the title role was taken over by Robert Lowery. Douglas Croft was likewise replaced as Dick Grayson by Johnny Duncan. Unlike Wilson, Lowery was a prolific star of the stage and screen, also featuring in the likes of The Mark of Zorro and The Mummy’s Ghost.
Adam West
Fresh off the smash-hit first season of the decade-defining Batman TV series, Adam West reprised Bruce Wayne on the big screen in 1966’s high-camp classic Batman: The Movie, in which he appeared opposite Burt Ward as the Boy Wonder. West reprised the character for two straight-to-DVD animated films shortly before his death in 2017.
Michael Keaton
In 1989, Tim Burton finally brought the character’s darker side to the screen. And, much to the surprise of fans, he teamed up with then-predominantly comic actor Michael Keaton to do it, reinventing the star’s image in the process. Keaton reprised the part for 1992’s Batman Returns, and will do so again this year in both The Flash and Batgirl.
Kevin Conroy
A feature-length spinoff of the seminal Batman: The Animated Series, 1993’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm — which had a limited theatrical run — saw Kevin Conroy voice Gotham’s protector, a gig he’s continued over the decades. He eventually got to play Bruce in live-action, in an episode of TV’s Batwoman.
Val Kilmer
When Burton handed the reins of the Bat-franchise to director Joel Schumacher, Keaton elected not to return a third time, so Val Kilmer was brought into replace him for 1995’s Batman Forever, which also introduced Chris O’Donnell’s Robin. Schumacher and Kilmer clashed on set, however, and he was not asked back for the next film in the series.
George Clooney
Instead, George Clooney stepped in for Kilmer for 1997’s Batman & Robin — something the Ocean’s Eleven star is still apologizing for to this day. The notorious nadir of the franchise likewise saw O’Donnell return as Robin, with Alicia Silverstone joining the fray as Batgirl.
Christian Bale
Eight years later, Batman was reborn in the form of Christian Bale — the first, but not the last, British Batman — in Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed origin story, Batman Begins. The so-called Dark Knight trilogy continued with 2008’s The Dark Knight and 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, with Bale starring in all three.
Ben Affleck
For 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder cast former Daredevil Ben Affleck as a grizzled Dark Knight, opposite Henry Cavill’s moody Man of Steel. Affleck followed this up with a cameo in Suicide Squad, and leading roles in both the 2017 Justice League theatrical cut, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League re-edit. He’ll be back once more in The Flash, though it’s believed he’ll only have a relatively small role.
Will Arnett
While Batfleck appeared glum in live-action, LEGO Batman brought the fun in animated form. Arrested Development‘s Will Arnett debuted as the Caped Minifig in 2014’s The LEGO Movie, before getting his own vehicle in 2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie. His third and, to date, final appearance came in 2019’s The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.
Robert Pattinson
And, last but not least, we come to the man of the hour, Robert Pattinson, who was hired for The Batman after Affleck decided to leave the DCEU behind. Pattinson’s Bruce is a completely unconnected iteration of the character, with the film taking place in his second year of costumed crime-fighting. The star has confirmed that he’s discussed playing the role at least twice more, which may mean he’ll become the first Bat-actor since Bale to complete a trilogy.
The Batman swoops into theaters this Friday, March 4.