Batman has one of the most iconic superhero costumes in comic book history. From the logo on the chest and the cape that flows when he grapples across Gotham City to the utility belt that contains his handy gadgets, Batman's look has stayed in the minds of fans since they first saw him.
Perhaps the most iconic part of Batman's costume is the cowl. Each Batman movie changes the look of the cowl to match the tone of the film. Between the pointy ears and functionality, sometimes they look menacing while other times they appear super silly. Batman's movie cowls are either hit or miss.
10 George Clooney's Sonar Cowl Was Too Busy
Batman and Robin was a stylistic joke of a movie. An embarrassing departure from the original 1989 Batman movie, it almost felt like a completely different franchise. The cowl used by George Clooney is referred to as the Sonar Cowl, and from the beginning of the film, the cowl goes from bad to worse.
When Batman and Robin upgrade their suits for the third act, it's like the crew was afraid to tell them how ridiculous it looks. Good thing the terrible Mr. Freeze suit took attention away. Like other cowls of that era, the pointy ears were a little too tall.
9 Batman Forever's Third Act Cowl Vented Val Kilmer's Frustrations
There's a good reason why Val Kilmer didn't return to the role of Batman after Batman Forever. Initially excited about being Batman, Kilmer told Den of Geek he "was buzzed about being Batman" but hardly for artistic reasons. His first mistake was not reading the script.
The suit itself was close to 100 pounds and effectively deafened the actor. He, unfortunately, had to wear two Batman costumes, the latter having one of the most ungodly styles, including what looks like pointless vents under his pointy ears.
8 The First Cowl In Batman Forever Was Awkward
The first of the two Batman costumes worn in Batman Forever was a little more stylish than its third-act counterpart. Neither costume had a cowl that allowed Val Kilmer to move his neck, an oversight sadly experienced by most of the 1990s Batman actors.
Director Joel Schumacher should have never gone with the upgrade to take down Two-Face and The Riddler. It was a little closer in looks to the one Tim Burton used in Batman and Batman Returns. The cowl still had little functionality and looked awkward when Bats tried to turn his head.
7 The '66 Batman Cowl Is Cheesy Perfection
There will never be another Batman movie like the Adam West Batman movie. The 1966 classic launched the television series, becoming the first full-length film about the Caped Crusader. The costume is identical to the one West wore on the show. Perhaps that's where it should have stayed.
No matter how iconic the Batman movie cowl was, it is still the cheesiest. Although it matched the tone of the show and movie, it still ranks low on the all-time list. Whether a billionaire, millionaire, or pauper, no superhero would be taken seriously with those ridiculous eyebrows. It's amazing.
6 Michael Keaton's Rubber Cowl Looked Good And Stiff
Tim Burton gave fans the first real gothic-looking Gotham City with a dark Batman movie that withstands the test of time. It truly is one of the greatest superhero movies of all time and it looks like it came straight out of a comic book. The cowl makes another appearance in the upcoming Flash film.
As mentioned in the film, Batman's suit is made of rubber, so the cowl serves no purpose for protection. In Batman Returns, Bruce was able to rip it off with relative ease. And the super pointy ears make it seem like he had to adjust the low-riding Batmobile in order to sit comfortably.
5 Batman Begins With A Cowl
Christopher Nolan is another filmmaker with his finger on the pulse of Batman fans. Batman Begins is the first Batman film with a montage of Bruce Wayne building his costume in a newly-minted Batcave. Bruce knows what he needs the suit for and the film makes sure to address each issue.
The bit with Bruce smashing the helmet with a baseball bat showed Batman finally addressing the need for head protection. Buying 10,000 units for protection was a nice touch. However, the suit still suffered from the same problem as the previous cowls. Batman is unable to turn his head.
4 Robert Pattinson's Cowl Has The Right Moves
Everyone is going to disagree where Robert Pattinson falls on the Batman cowl spectrum, and that's ok. He's an incredible actor and will probably nail every character he portrays, and no one should count out his Batman. Pattinson's cowl is not only fashionable, it's the most functional piece of headgear any Batman has had.
The Batman nailed the cowl. Not only did it fit his head, nice and tight around his black eyeliner, but it also allowed him to turn his head. Exploring a world where Batman can turn his head in the second year is worth looking into.
3 The Anti-Superman Tech Cowl
Zack Snyder created a unique cowl for Batman v Superman. In fact, the entire armored suit drew applause from crowds during showings of the 2016 film. Bruce Wayne created the suit to withstand the heat vision and other potentially deadly powers of Superman.
The helmet is made of titanium that contains night-vision lenses with the ability to stream necessary information in front of his eyes. Functionally, it's one of the most helpful cowls when fighting the Man of Steel. The only downside is the completely open mouth area.
2 The Batfleck Cowl Brought The Comics To Life
It's a shame fans won't experience a Batman film with Ben Affleck in front of and behind the lens. It seems he really loved the character and Zack Snyder gave him an incredible cape and cowl to work with. It served so many stylish and functional purposes.
Taking cues from Frank Miller's design for The Dark Knight Returns, the ears were extremely modest and didn't take away from the rest of the suit. The voice-changing feature allowed him to frighten criminals into submission. It must have served a protective purpose because it was incorporated into the postapocalyptic Knightmare scenario in Zack Snyder's Justice League.
1 The Dark Knight Cowl Supremacy
Of all the Batman cowls to reach the silver screen, Christopher Nolan got it right with The Dark Knight. Nolan took his Batman Begins cowl a step further for The Dark Knight sequel, giving the Caped Crusader the ability to move his head and show a greater range of not just motion, but emotion.
The movie finally addressed what every actor and fan has been thinking for years. It looks incredible and is proportionate to Bruce Wayne's head, and with the sonar capabilities that finally gave fans a Batman with white eyes, The Dark Knight cowl is by far the best cowl in live-action.