Despite Michael Keaton's insistence that he's Batman (which he is), there are numerous actors who've donned the cape and cowl over the ages. Some of them have done so in the live-action universe, while others have provided a voice for the Dark Knight in animated productions and video games. Of course, there are names that stick out more than others because of the legacy of their performances. Kevin Conroy, arguably the voice of Batman, revealed to DC Comics that he believes the role is bigger than any actor: "He's such an iconic character. He's such a part of the American cultural landscape. It's an amazing thing to be a part of and to have contributed to."

It's true. Much like James Bond, the fact that the mantle can be passed along proves it belongs to no single person but to everyone. Still, you have to feel sorry for a few of the people whose performances have been seemingly forgotten by time. Some of them weren't particularly memorable or life-changing, but others actually deserved more praise and recognition than they got. Even so, these actors should at least get a nod from fans for portraying Batman in whatever format. Let's not pretend that it's an easy gig. Every time anything related to the Caped Crusader is announced, the internet goes into a complete meltdown and petitions (sigh) get drawn up to remove said person from the part. With so much pressure, it's a miracle that anyone even has the courage to take on such a demanding and highly scrutinized role.

15 SAM ROCKWELL

At one point in time, Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell was earmarked as the ideal Joker for DC films. It hasn't happened yet, but anything's possible in the world of Hollywood. Rockwell, though, has portrayed the Dark Knight before. Yes, you read that right.

Rockwell's turn as the Caped Crusader happened in a 2005 short film titled Robin's Big Date. Written by Will Carlough and directed by James Duffy, it was an unofficial comedic movie that also featured Justin Long as Robin. Naturally, Rockwell brought his A-game as he did everything in his power to ruin the Boy Wonder's love life. It had so many laughs that you'd think it was a Marvel production.

14 JASON SUDEIKIS

Try as you might to forget its existence, Movie 43 was made and it managed to blackmail a handful of Hollywood stars to appear in it. In a spinoff of Robin's Big Date, Duffy and Carlough returned for the "Superhero Speed Dating" segment of the film. Long reappeared as Robin, but Rockwell's Batman was replaced by Jason Sudeikis.

Look, the less we say about this performance the better. There was nothing good about Movie 43 and no actor could've saved it from the train wreck it was. But hey, at least Sudeikis can tell his kids that he played Batman once upon a time, right?

13 PETER WELLER

Fans will recognize Peter Weller as the original RoboCop, but he also ventured into Gotham City and played Batman. His starring role came in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, the 2012 animated film adaptation of the seminal Frank Miller graphic novel.

While it's always risky to tread into such hallowed ground, this movie proved all the doubters wrong and is constantly cited as one of the best DC animated films released. Weller voiced the tired and weary Bruce Wayne to such perfection that it's difficult to reread Miller's story and not hear his voice in your head. In fact, if a live-action adaptation was ever made, he should be allowed to reprise his role.

12 WILLIAM BALDWIN

Funny enough, before George Clooney was horribly miscast as the Nippled Dark Knight in Batman & Robin, William Baldwin was in the driver's seat for the part. Speaking to IESB, Baldwin said, "And that Friday afternoon, I thought I was playing Batman – and then Monday morning, the headlines in the trades said that George Clooney had gotten the part."

Baldwin finally got his chance when he was cast as the hero in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. His voice work and knowledge of the character impressed the audience, leaving us to wonder what could've been had he secured the live-action role years earlier. Oh, well…

11 BEN MCKENZIE

Ben McKenzie is better known for portraying Jim Gordon in Gotham, but he actually played the Caped Crusader before as well. McKenzie lent his voice to Gotham's protector in 2011's Batman: Year One, another adaptation of Miller's work. In fact, it was this film that truly opened the doors to future mature animations of DC's characters.

McKenzie and his fellow co-stars received near universal critical acclaim for their performances, with many reviewers citing how the voices complemented the source material. Unfortunately, we never got to hear McKenzie as the Dark Knight again. Now that Gotham's coming to an end, though, maybe he'll get a chance at voicing the character again.

10 MICHAEL C. HALL

There's an army of people who'd love to see Dexter star Michael C. Hall put on the cape and cowl in the live-action arena. While it's yet to happen, Hall did get a chance to play an alternate version of the character, which was spliced with Kirk Langstrom, in Justice League: Gods and Monsters.

Speaking to Yahoo!, Hall revealed his love for the Bat. "In that particular iteration of the superhero origin story, it was an alternative universe, he was a vampire. But Batman in general, I like him as a superhero, because he's not particularly endowed with superpowers, he's just smart. And the suit!"

9 IKE BARINHOLTZ

DC film fans might recognize Ike Barinholtz for his role as Griggs in Suicide Squad. In case you forgot, Griggs was the Belle Reve officer whom Jared Leto's Joker did that weird tiger growl thing to, then sat on his lap. Yeah. That still doesn't make any sense to us, but whatever.

Well, Barinholtz portrayed a much bigger character in the form of Batman in 2008's Disaster Movie. Obviously, the entire thing was a pastiche and inspired by the same toilet humor as other parody films of the time. The scary thing is that Disaster Movie might just be a better film than Suicide Squad.

8 JIMMY KIMMEL

Jimmy Kimmel has a bit of a celeb crush on Ben Affleck, so it's only right that he gets to step into the boots of Affleck's biggest role. The best part is that Kimmel didn't need to undergo any rigorous training, stunts, or costume fittings for his role as Batman in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

All he probably did was drink a lot of coffee, memorize a few lines, and try to not laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Additionally, he got to act and interact with Nicolas Cage's Superman. How many actors can say they've gotten to do that? Long live Bat-Kimmel!

7 TAKAYUKI YAMADA

Takayuki Yamada is a Japanese actor who's featured in a host of Asian films and TV series. Plus, he also provided the voice of Cesar in Dragon Quest Heroes II. He's only 34 years old, but he's built up quite the career for himself already and the sky seems to be the limit for him.

Yamada also had the pleasure of voicing Batman in 2017's DC Super Heroes vs. Eagle Talon. It's an anime film with an interesting premise of the Joker going to Japan to steal the Eagle Talon Society's secret weapons and the Justice League having to stop him. Things go completely bonkers after that, while Yamada brought the same zaniness to Batman.

6 KEVIN MCKIDD

Kevin McKidd is widely known for his role as Owen Hunt in Grey's Anatomy, where he shared a romance with Sandra Oh's Cristina Yang. Hunt was a tough nut to crack and he suffered from a little mental instability – in other words, the archetype for Flashpoint Batman.

In Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, the animated version of the heralded Flashpoint storyline, McKidd voiced Thomas Wayne/Batman. While he might've not been everyone's first choice for the part, his gruff tone won over the doubters in the end. He respected the source material and had excellent chemistry with his co-stars, specifically fellow Grey's Anatomy alumnus Justin Chambers who voiced Barry Allen/Flash.

5 BRUCE GREENWOOD

If you ask DC fans which is the best Batman animated film of all time, a large majority will state Batman: Under the Red Hood. Surprisingly, this was one of the few movies where Conroy didn't voice Bats. Bruce Greenwood, better known as Captain Christopher Pike in J. J. Abrams' Star Trek, was the man behind the voice here.

So good was his performance that he reprised it again throughout Young Justice and more recently in Batman: Gotham By Gaslight. Conroy is indisputably the voice of the character – and will likely be remembered as such – but Greenwood is a close second in terms of quality and delivery.

4 JEREMY SISTO

If you ever read one DC comic-book series in your life, it has to be DC: The New Frontier by the late Darwyn Cooke. It's a seminal work and received an animated film in 2008, which involved Cooke's participation as well.

Among an all-star voice cast, Jeremy Sisto lent his voice to the Dark Knight. Sisto has appeared in a variety of TV shows such as Law & Order and Six Feet Under, as well as Hollywood films like Clueless and Wrong Turn. The role of Batman in Justice League: The New Frontier required a new approach to match the novel take by Cooke, and Sisto duly provided it.

3 DARAN NORRIS

Daran Norris has had a storied career as an actor and voice actor. He's featured in over 400 productions, including the likes of The Fairly OddParents, Transformers Prime, and Samurai Jack. To say he's well-known in animated circles is putting it lightly.

Norris originally appeared in The Batman in a minor role, but got to voice the Caped Crusader himself in 2010's DC Super Friends. Inspired by the original Super Friends series, it was largely used to peddle toys to kids – or to convince parents to fork out more cash. As expected, it found popularity among the younger folk but never really captured the imagination of the older fans.

2 ANTHONY RUIVIVAR

Batman as a franchise is usually a goldmine, so it surprised everyone that Beware the Batman got pulled four months after its debut. Sure, the CGI animation was different from what we were used to, but it wasn't like the series was horrible. It actually tried to do something different with the Dark Knight legend.

The biggest loser was Anthony Ruivivar, who voiced the titular hero. Better known for his time on the TV shows Third Watch and Banshee, Ruivivar brought a new dimension and dynamism to the character. His superhero voicing adventures didn't end after the show, though, as he provided the pipes for Nighthawk in Avengers Assemble.

1 BRANDON SPINK

This one is cheating a bit, since Brandon Spink didn't exactly play Batman in a movie, but he did portray the young Bruce Wayne in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Since then, Spink has used that part as a springboard to land roles in high-profile television series such as Game of Silence and Berlin Station.

While David Mazouz might be the most recognizable actor to portray the young Wayne due to his ongoing role in Gotham, Spink appeared in the most heartfelt and memorable sequence of Batman V Superman. Who could ever forget Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL's "Beautiful Lie" playing over Zack Snyder's striking visual sequence?