Batman is a favorite for both comic fans and hardcore movie critics. This is mainly because he has a very human approach, unlike other superheroes. There are no superpowers to save him; all he has is his body and mind. The Psyche itself of Batman is intriguing, to say the least, and filmmakers are drawn to this unpredictable character.
The different writers of the Batman comics have all voiced how hard it was to bring the true essence of the character. While he is a brooding anti-hero, there is a side of the charm and caring that Batman brings to the table. Balancing all this in a comic book must be incredibly hard. If writing this character is complex, imagine bringing him onto the big screen.
Over the years, we have seen many talented actors pick up the cowl and do their best to become The Dark Knight. While some may not have risen to the occasion, few exceeded expectations. Today, we will look at the brilliant actors who played Batman and determine who is the most popular.
To reach a more accurate conclusion to this list, we dove deep into the crevices of the internet, finding out how many times each of these Batman actors was looked up online (Actor name Batman), and based on this data, we could determine how popular some of them are. Without wasting time, let’s get to it!
#11 Robert Lowery
Searches For Robert Lowery’s Batman: 500
Robert Lowery was a Kansas-born actor who was the second person to play Batman in the 1949 Batman and Robin series. This 15-chapter series was a direct sequel to the 1943 show, Batman. The show turned out differently than expected, much to the fault of illogical sequences and plain bad costumes.
Seriously, the costume was the least Batman-like ever. From ears that were tall enough to be mistaken for buildings and a bodysuit that did nothing for his tummy, it felt like the costume department put little to no effort into this one.
Robert Lowery is also known for his role as Zorro, which he seemed to fit into quite well. Maybe the series makers thought that his experience as a former masked hero might translate to this one, and they weren’t too wrong.
For instance, Lowery seemed to perfectly wear the mask of Bruce Wayne as he proved that he could easily be the smooth-talking billionaire playboy we all love. If only the man had decided to spend more time in the gym, everything would have been a little more believable.
#10 Lewis G. Wilson
Searches For Lewis G. Wilson’s Batman: 1.4K
The only reason Lewis G Wilson sits higher on this roster than Lowery is that Wilson was the first actor ever to play Batman. The 1943 Batman series does not hold much weight in pop-culture history, apart from the fact that it was the first ever to try something like this.
For the effort – A+, for the execution – meh.
Wilson’s Batman looked nothing like what you would expect from an expert martial artist and one of the deadliest people on the planet. The costume had nothing intimidating about it, and it is borderline comical.
That said, there is gratitude that we owe to this man. At the time, westerns were the in thing, and nobody seemed to make movies or TV shows about anything else.
A risk was taken on this one, and for the first time, we were shown that such a comic book character could be brought to the screen. In many ways, Wilson paved the way for numerous actors who would play Batman in the future; for that, we owe him our thanks.
#9 Will Arnett
Searches For Will Arnett’s Batman: 1.7K
If you don’t know this already, Will Arnett was the voice of Batman in the Lego movie, and boy, was he good.
The Lego movie demanded a whole new approach to comedy and charm. When first announced that Batman would be in the film, people were skeptical about how The Dark Knight would fit into all this. There are still a few hardcore fans who don’t exactly approve.
However, they managed to bring a level of comedy to Batman like never seen before, and yet, it did not feel forced. That is all Will Arnett. The charming, funny way Arnett voiced Batman made you smile every time he came on screen.
The Lego movie premiered when several Batman movies had already come out, and we got the brooding, masterful hero many times over. Will’s Batman was fresh, bringing an entirely new audience to the fold.
People who disliked Batman because he was too serious were now laughing away at Will’s Batman as he comically kicked butt. Will Arnett sits higher on this list because people want to know who so brilliantly voiced Batman in the Lego movie. He was so good that they gave him his Lego Batman movie.
#8 Kevin Conroy
Searches For Kevin Conroy’s Batman: 5K
When you think of a cartoon, you don’t picture it to be too serious, especially when it’s a superhero cartoon. However, the Batman Animated Series truly is one for the ages.
A good chunk of us grew up watching this TV show, and it is by far one of the best-animated shows ever made in the history of television. The show stayed true to the dark themes and tones used in the comics, and they were not afraid to play with boundaries.
From the animation to the dialogue to the writing, everything was perfect. Even hearing the opening theme song to the show can bring goosebumps. However, even with all this, there is one important component that made the show what it is – The voice of the great Kevin Conroy.
Kevin Conroy might just be the best voice of Batman yet, and there are very few who would debate otherwise. When Batman spoke on this show, you believed him.
Every word had gravitas, and it was like Conroy was truly living as Batman. It was a spectacle to watch, and his stint as the animated Batman brought him recognition like never. He was also the first actor to switch his voice from Batman to Bruce Wayne when needed. He is why many 90s kids grew to love The Dark Knight so much.
Honestly, Kevin Conroy’s voice will forever be ingrained in the Batman ethos.
#7 Adam West
Searches For Adam West’s Batman: 52K
Adam West’s Batman is the first time we see the character in color, and for many, he was their first introduction to the Caped Crusader. There is some debate about whether West captured the true essence of Batman in all his brooding glory. The short answer is – no.
However, we think there is an excellent reason for that. You see, when the Batman series came out in 1966, many of the people watching TV were stay-at-home moms and children. West’s Batman was a more colorful hero who waged a two-person war on criminals who were out to loot and destroy his city. He did so with gadgets that seemed impossible for anyone to have, a Batmobile that was just cool, and a costume that looked as close to the real thing as they could then.
Even West refers to himself as “The Bright Knight.” The point is that the show was made for kids, and with what we have listed about it, it was a commercial success. Children would flock to the TV to see what would happen, and each episode left them with a cliffhanger that would make them return.
West’s Batman has a special place in pop culture and also the Batman ethos as one of the first successful attempts at bringing us a proper live-action caped crusader.
#6 George Clooney
Searches For George Clooney’s Batman: 82K
Batman fans have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Clooney’s Batman. Okay, we’ll be honest. It’s more hate than love.
The 1997 Batman & Robin movie was one of the least successfully executed superhero movies in the last few decades. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say it is a guilty pleasure for most Batman fans.
The movie tried to stay a little too close to the source material, and any realism that the movie could have had was lost. It was like the filmmaker took everything from the comics and then some. The Bat-debit card? Not a good idea.
The movie boasts a star-studded cast with some of the biggest actors of the time, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, and Alicia Silverstone.
George Clooney also made sense as the choice to play Batman because he looks like a dream and is a brilliant actor. Frankly, he played the role of Bruce Wayne to perfection. We even got to see very comic-accurate costumes that he looked perfect in. If anything, The ladies certainly loved him in a tight suit that showed off his muscles.
#5 Val Kilmer
Searches For Val Kilmer’s Batman: 98k
Batman Forever was the third installment of the Batman film series and probably not the best-liked. Val Kilmer had to wear the shoes left behind by Michael Keaton, and those are some pretty big shoes to fill.
However, Val is revered for being one of the best actors to play Batman then. Val Kilmer brought a level of darkness to the character like never before. There was nothing specific that he did, but the subtle body language and the way he decided to play the character made us believe that this person was a deeply disturbed individual and that he was fighting many internal demons, which is precisely who Batman is.
The movie did not see much success but is still held pretty high among hardcore fans. The film saw a strong cast, including Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, and Nicole Kidman.
Each of these actors did a wonderful job with their character, but it was Val Kilmer’s Batman that made you want to sit through the entire more. Kilmer gave us something new, something we did not know we needed. For that, we are eternally grateful.
#4 Michael Keaton
Searches For Michael Keaton’s Batman: 145k
For many hardcore fans of The Dark Knight, there can be no one who plays the character better. The 1989 Batman movie was the first time we were introduced to Keaton wearing the cowl, and guess what? We were instantly hooked.
Michael Keaton had already proved himself an outstanding actor in many movies and, as Batman, grappled his way into our hearts, never to leave. Keaton played the hero in the original and the sequel, and it was so good that we wanted more.
It would be hard to describe the impact that Michael Keaton’s Batman has on pop culture. If you’re in doubt, take a look at the latest Flash movie trailer. We are given Keaton’s Batman all over again, and it is one of the best parts of the trailer. From the iconic costume to the Batmobile, Keaton was too good, and our wish for him to return seems to have been granted.
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#3 Christian Bale
Searches For Christian Bale’s Batman: 156k
Christian Bale plays a no-nonsense Batman. Until the Dark Trilogy, Batman was never portrayed so seriously, and the darkness of it all was just what we all needed. Christian Bale has always been a tremendous actor who commits fully to his roles, and he left no stone unturned with his Batman.
From reaching Batman’s body goals to learning Wing-Chun, Bale was the perfect Dark Knight: the hero we did not deserve but the one we needed.
What made people gravitate towards Bale’s Batman was the fact that he was grounded in reality. He was not portrayed as a rich boy who had all the gadgets and was unbeatable by his enemies. This Dark Knight traveled the world learning about criminal minds and mastering every fighting art form he could get his hands on.
Then, he reached Gotham and played the role of a protector and playboy all too perfectly. The Dark Knight Trilogy will go down as one of the best trilogies ever made. Christopher Nolan’s genius, combined with Bale’s relentlessness, gave us absolute magic.
#2 Ben Affleck
Searches For Ben Affleck’s Batman: 186k
Leading up to Zack Snyder’s vision for the Justice League, much debate has been about whether Affleck was a good choice for Batman. Some argued that he looked too big in the suit, some argued that he looked too old, and the oppositions were many.
That said, this was the first time we got a Batman who interacted with other superheroes from the DC universe, and it was interesting to see how he fit in with all these powerhouses.
It became increasingly clear that he was the perfect Bruce Wayne. The man had a ‘game,’ and he knew it. As Batman, he seemed to take his role very seriously. This gritty Batman worked out very hard and was constantly monitoring threats to the world, as expected by Batman.
For the most part, Affleck was believable as Batman, and maybe if we see him again, he will bring something more to the table. He certainly is one of the biggest Hollywood names to wear the cowl, and it makes absolute sense that his name was searched for so many times.
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#1 Robert Pattinson
Searches For Robert Pattinson’s Batman: 430k
When it was first announced that Pattinson would be our newest Caped Crusader, Batman fans were the least bit happy. The Twilight series did him no favors to that end. Everyone believed that Pattinson would not be able to fit the bill, but he made sure no one ever doubted him again.
The Batman introduced us to a very different version of the hero. Unlike the others, where he is already an experienced hero, here we see Batman in his first few years as a crime fighter.
Most importantly, there is something that other filmmakers forgot that this movie did – that Batman is a master detective. We see Robert play Batman as a smart clue-finder that does not need to use his fists all the time. Although, he isn’t too shy about that either.
People were surprised by how well Pattinson did as Batman, and it’s safe to say that his version of the character is as close to the comic book version as possible.
Most Popular Batman Actors Of All Time
As we said, we dove into the deepest parts of the internet and found exactly how many times each of these Batman Actors (Actor Name Batman) had been googled in a month. This careful analysis gives us a clearer picture of which Batman actor is the more popular of them all.
| Batman Actor | Monthly Searches (Global) |
| Robert Lowry | 500 |
| Lewis G. Wilson | 1.4K |
| Will Arnett | 1.7K |
| Kevin Conroy | 5K |
| Adam West | 52K |
| George Clooney | 82K |
| Val Kilmer | 98K |
| Michael Keaton | 145K |
| Christian Bale | 156K |
| Ben Affleck | 186K |
| Robert Pattinson | 430K |
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Batman Actor With The Most Searches
This gives a slightly different data set wherein only the actor names were searched for. It may not have been directly linked to their roles as Batman, but we have included it in case this information may be helpful to you.
| Actor Name | Searches |
| Robert Lowry | 100 |
| Lewis G. Wilson | 70 |
| Adam West | 5.4K |
| Will Arnett | 6.4K |
| Michael Keaton | 8.1K |
| Kevin Conroy | 9.6K |
| Val Kilmer | 11K |
| George Clooney | 19K |
| Ben Affleck | 29K |
| Christian Bale | 51K |
| Robert Pattinson | 84K |
This concludes our list of some of the best Batman Actors of all time. Each of you may have a different reason as to why you think your favorite Batman actor is the best. Please let us know in the comments below which one of these brilliant Dark Knights you are fond of and why!
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