A new take on the Dark Knight, The Batman hit theaters in 2022 with a new face under the cowl, which also meant yet another new creative mind behind the camera for the latest reboot of one of DC's most popular characters. The Batman serves as the sixth live-action iteration of Batman with even more directors who have left their mark on the character.
With the success of The Batman leading to comparisons with previous versions of the Dark Knight that have appeared on the big screen, the debate has escalated over which director handled the character better. From the early 1940s to merely a fortnight ago, the live-action directors of Batman have handled the character in various ways, offering fans a new understanding of the Batman mythos and his motivations.
8 Lambert Hillyer And Spencer Gordon Bennett Directed The First Live-Action Serials
The first live-action adaptation of the Dark Knight appeared on the big screen in Batman, a 15-chapter film serial directed by Lambert Hillyer that first hit theaters in 1943. Batman introduced lasting concepts like the Batcave but also imagined the character as a US agent fighting during World War II.
Director Spencer Gordon Bennett directed the 1949 sequel New Adventures Of Batman And Robin, The Boy Wonder which continued the same premise from the original series. Although, Batman never faced off against any known villains, and the comic character wasn't fully realized on the big screen.
7 Leslie H. Martinson Brought The '60s TV Show To The Big Screen In Batman: The Movie
The film serials inspired the live-action Batman TV series, which aired in the '60s and starred Adam West in the titular role, alongside Burt Ward as Robin the Boy Wonder. Director Leslie H. Martinson brought the Caped Crusaders to the big screen in 1966 with Batman: The Movie.
Martinson largely worked in TV, which made him the perfect choice to adapt the characters to the silver screen against some of their biggest villains from the show. Batman: The Movie features a few unforgettable moments that fans have carried with them for years, though the film doesn't stack up to some of the versions that came later.
6 Joss Whedon Oddly Aimed For A Lighter And More Comical Batman In Justice League
When Zack Snyder left the production of 2017's Justice League, writer/director Joss Whedon was brought on board to finish the film with several reshoots that greatly altered the story and the characters. Batman played a large role in Justice League as he assembled the team, though Whedon's reshoots altered the character from his darker roots in the DCEU.
He became lighter and more comical, which ultimately failed to impress the majority of fans. This led to the later release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, which retained the Batman that had appeared previously in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.
5 Joel Schumacher Embraced The Camp Of The '60s Series With A Dark Modern Touch
1995's Batman Forever was the third movie in the franchise and launched in 1989, though it was the first to be directed by Joel Schumacher. The dark setting of the first two movies was blended with the camp that fans recognized from the '60s TV show.
It was a jarring shift that proved successful enough to continue the series, which led to Schumacher's return for 1997's Batman & Robin. The sequel doubled down on the bright neon and campy villains which ultimately brought an end to the franchise. Schumacher's two entries in Batman's filmography also attempted to introduce Batman's partners, unlike some other entries.
4 Zack Snyder's Older Batman Was Influenced By Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns
Director Zack Snyder helped launch the DCEU in 2013 with Man Of Steel which introduced a new take on Superman before he was pitted against a new Dark Knight in 2016's Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Ben Affleck starred as an older and more brutal version of Batman who was based on Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.
While there's no doubt that Snyder is a visionary director, the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League proved that he doesn't quite have the self-editing skills of other live-action directors. Also, he didn't follow many of the character's rules set in the comics, like the important no-killing rule.
3 Tim Burton Put The Darker Knight In A Gothic Gotham For Batman And Batman Returns
The first live-action adaptation of the character following the '60s version was directed by Tim Burton and hit the big screen in 1989 as Batman. Michael Keaton starred as a darker version of Batman than TV fans were used to, though comic fans had been watching the shift happen for years.
Gotham City was given a dark gothic redesign and the 1992 sequel, Batman Returns, reinforced Burton's vision to the point that it received some controversy for being too scary for children. Burton's Batman movies are still celebrated by fans, and he has directed several other hit films that make him stand out further as one of Batman's best directors.
2 Matt Reeves Brought A New Comics-Accurate Version Of Gotham City To The Batman
Fans eagerly raced to theaters in 2022 for the newest take on the character in The Batman from director Matt Reeves, which starred Robert Pattinson in the titular role. The Batman followed the Dark Knight in his second year as a vigilante in Gotham City, which focused on his relationship with the GCPD and the trauma he still dealt with from his parent's death.
The Batman also featured a Gotham City unlike any seen on the big screen before, which felt like a gritty, lived-in city with problems that required heroes like Batman. Reeves is also the director behind the best parts of the rebooted Planet Of The Apes franchise and a few other hits, pushing him past other fan-favorite Batman directors.
1 Christopher Nolan Explored A Grounded But Resourceful Batman In The Dark Knight Trilogy
While it's arguable that Matt Reeves' take on The Batman is the best Batman story told on the big screen, there is no denying the mark left on the character by director Christopher Nolan. His reboot of the franchise hit theaters in 2005 and explored Bruce Wayne's origins in Batman Begins.
Christian Bale starred as Batman again in 2008's The Dark Knight and 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. The franchise featured a grounded Batman with advanced technology as he faced off against his greatest foes. As celebrated as The Dark Knight trilogy is, Nolan's impressive filmography speaks for itself and earns him the top spot until at least Reeves' follow-up.