Batman in film

Adaptations of Batman in other media
Adaptations of Batman in other media
	Batman actors since 1943. Top to bottom, left to right: Lewis Wilson, Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Robert Pattinson.
Created by	Bob Kane; Bill Finger;
Original source	Comics published by DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #27 (1939)
Films and television
Film(s)	Serials Batman (1943); Batman and Robin (1949); ABC spin-off Batman (1966); Original film series Batman (1989); Batman Returns (1992); Batman Forever (1995); Batman & Robin (1997); The Dark Knight trilogy Batman Begins (2005); The Dark Knight (2008); The Dark Knight Rises (2012); DCEU Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016); Suicide Squad (2016); Justice League (2017); Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021); The Flash (2023); The Batman series The Batman (2022); The Batman: Part II (2027); DCU The Brave and the Bold (TBA); Miscellaneous Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993); The Lego Batman Movie (2017); Joker (2019); Joker: Folie à Deux (2024);

Batman, a superhero created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger for comic books published by DC Comics, has appeared in nearly every form of media, including film since the 1940s. Columbia Pictures supervised the first film adaptations with Batman (1943) and Batman and Robin (1949), deviating significantly from the source material. 20th Century Fox then released a theatrical spinoff of the American Broadcasting Company's (ABC) live-action television series about the character in the 1960s, starring Adam West. After several years in limbo, Warner Bros. Pictures purchased the copyrights and developed a succession of Batman films in the late twentieth century, two directed by Tim Burton and another pair by Joel Schumacher. Michael Keaton portrays Batman in the Burton films, while Val Kilmer and George Clooney feature as the titular hero in the Schumacher films.

Warner Bros. spent the turn of the millennium in another protracted development period, leading to the production of a reboot trilogy featuring Christian Bale as Batman: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The creation of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), a media franchise bound by a shared universe, spawned additional works. Ben Affleck plays the character in the DCEU films, beginning with the Zack Snyder-directed entry Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Affleck, Keaton, and Clooney's Batmen have also appeared in crossover films within the DCEU. The Batman (2022) and The Brave and the Bold will revamp the established continuity of the live-action films with incarnations of Batman portrayed by Robert Pattinson and another actor. Joker (2019) features a depiction of the character as a civilian, predating his transformation into a vigilante. Numerous actors voice Batman in animated film.

The Batman films are generally successful and comprise the tenth highest grossing film franchise of all time, grossing over $7 billion globally. Critical opinion of films vary substantially. For example, The Dark Knight trilogy was critically acclaimed, whereas other films, such as Batman & Robin (1997) and those of the DCEU, were not well reviewed in the media. Occasionally, Batman films attract Academy Award recognition for acting and technical achievement.