Batman has been around since 1939, and there have been many different actors to portray the Dark Knight on the small and big screens. Although it's not true, there was a big rumor back in the day that there was going to be a Batman film written and directed by Orson Welles! Thank goodness there's enough Batman to go around, so multiple actors can play the Caped Crusader without too much confusion. These portrayals have ranged from the comical (Adam West from the 1960s television show) to the brutal (Ben Affleck's Batman guns people down) to the silly (Will Arnett provided the voice of Batman in The Lego Movie). Thanks to some very creative people, as well as some nifty technological tools, we can imagine alternate realities in which some of our favorite actors put on the cape and cowl.

Some of these fan castings are quite creative, whereas others are wonderfully ludicrous. Michael Keaton was doing comedic roles before he landed the role of Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, but what other comedic actors would do well wearing the Bat-armor and driving around in the Batmobile? If DC decided to show Batman in the twilight of his life, as per his portrayal in Frank Miller's classic The Dark Knight Returns, what actors could convincingly portray Old Man Wayne? Which one of your favorite action stars could put on the mask and kick butt for real, no stuntman required? Finally, you get to see Armie Hammer in a Batsuit. Even Jaden Smith tries out for the Dark Knight. Don't blink, because you might miss a cameo by Tommy Wiseau. Oh, hi, Batman!

20 CLINT EASTWOOD

Believe it or not, Clint Eastwood was going to be a part of the Batman universe! Rumor has it, if the Batman television show from the 1960s ran for one more season, it would have featured Eastwood as lawyer turned villain, Harvey Dent! Clint Eastwood Two-Face is too good to be true!

In this drawing by Lee-Howard-Art we get a sense of Eastwood playing Batman in his twilight years, and based on the outfit it looks like an homage to Frank Miller's classic The Dark Knight Returns. Eastwood as Old Man Batman? Never say never!

19 JAKE GYLLENHAAL

Although the Marvel Comics Universe snatched up Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio in the sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home, it's absolutely fine nowadays for movie stars to play multiple comic book characters on the big screen. Even Ben Affleck himself played not only Batman and Daredevil, but Superman as well in the film Hollywoodland!

If Marvel and DC let Jake double-dip, then there is a possibility we could see Jake follow his sister and get involved in the world of the Batman. The artwork by MessyPandas shows us how much punishment he could endure as the Dark Knight.

18 JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN

In the DC crossover series Flashpoint, comics history was rewritten and on that fateful night, it was little Bruce that was put down by Joe Chill's gun, not Martha and Thomas. In this alternate universe, Thomas Wayne became the Batman and hunted the Joker, who was his wife, Martha.

The person filling the gun-toting shoes of Batman is Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is evoking some of the cruelty he used to play The Walking Dead's Negan. Thanks to artwork by BossLogic, the glowing red eyes and the menacing grimace makes us say: Negan, who?

17 BILL MURRAY

Believe it or not, Tom Mankiewicz, one of the writers of the 1978 Superman film, was hired to write a feature-length Batman movie. It would have been directed by Ivan Reitman, possibly starred Eddie Murphy as Robin and the man himself Bill Murray was to play the Caped Crusader.

We love ourselves some Bill Murray, but we thought that any fan-photoshopping would put him in the iconic 1960s outfit. However, Danger Rooster Productions took Murray's role very seriously and placed him in equally serious body armor. If Bill Murray is playing Batman, then who the heck would be Joker?

16 JASON BATEMAN

Whoa, what's the deal with having so many comedians play the role of Batman? Sure there's pain in comedy, but is it enough to go out into the night and beat up criminals with your bare hands? Would Lucille Bluth approve of her son going out into the night without taking Buster along with him?

This artwork by BlueMacaw shows us what Michael Bluth may be doing at night when he's not working at the Frozen Banana Stand. Hey, if his brother, Gob, can provide the voice of Batman in The Lego Batman Movie, then why can't his brother do it as a live action character?

15 ARMIE HAMMER

For those in the know, you know that Armie Hammer was legit going to play Batman in a Justice League movie directed by Mad Max: Fury Road's George Miller. There are some very low-resolution photos floating around the interwebs of how Hammer was going to look in the film, but we prefer this artwork by BarrettDigital.

Armie Hammer is 6'5" and looks just as dashing in a tuxedo as he does in the batsuit. He's no stranger to action films, playing the lead character in the 2013 film The Lone Ranger as well as starring with Henry Cavill in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

14 SYLVESTER STALLONE

Casting Batman is hard, because you need someone that looks good as a playboy billionaire but also you can believe beats up villains when the sun goes down. When it comes to beating up bad guys, does it get any better than Sylvester Stallone? Similar to the Dark Knight, he's an action hero that literally won't quit.

In this artwork by abdodrawings, based on the gray hair and the outfit, we're getting a Dark Knight Returns vibe, and that totally works for us. Put Stallone in the Bat-armor and have him take down Superman at Crime Alley! Can we buy our movie tickets in advance?

13 GREG SESTERO

Yeah, this one's a little weird. Thanks to the Nerdist, stars of the infamous film The Room Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero decided to do an homage to the interrogation scene from The Dark Knight with Sestero playing Batman and Wiseau playing his archenemy, the Joker.

The DC universe doesn't mind having multiple actors playing the same part (just ask The Flash) and although the comics state that there were as many as three people that have taken on the role of the Joker, we honestly hope that Sestero and Wiseau aren't among them.

12 JOSH BROLIN

He's played Thanos and Cable (as well as a Goonie), so why not be Batman? Josh Brolin did have initial discussions with Zack Snyder about being in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice but Brolin has no regrets about not taking on the Caped Crusader. However, after seeing this fan art, is it too late for him to change his mind?

The artwork is by poumap from artwork initially created by nebezial. The bat-armor has a sleek design and Brolin looks like he could kick some tail as Batman as well as Bruce Wayne. What about Bruce Wayne with the Infinity Gauntlet? Now there's a mashup!

11 JAKE GYLLENHAAL

We just can't get enough of Jake Gyllenhaal as the Batman! Yes, we know, Marvel's got him on lockdown, but there might be enough Jake to go around. The artwork by timmax9 gives us an up-close look at the cowl, and it's got a lot of homages going on.

The neckpiece is reminiscent of the Michael Keaton Batman from 1989, but the shot bat-ears and the furrowed brow reminds us of the most recent iteration by Ben Affleck. The tight, enclosed mouth reminds us of Christian Bale's turn at the role.

10 JADEN SMITH

We wish this was a photoshopped image! Not only did Jaden Smith wear a white Batman outfit, but he also wore it to Kanye West's wedding. Hey, it seems like the Kanye thing to do, right? So with Jaden's dad playing Deadshot in Suicide Squad, could the two clash on-screen in a Batman movie? Unlikely, but it also reminds us of another comic character.

Nemesis was a character created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven, and in a nutshell, the character was a bad version of Batman that wore all white. Those familiar with the character might be getting that vibe from Jaden in the photo.

9 IDRIS ELBA

There was a big rumor mill going on about Idris Elba being the next James Bond. The role might go to Richard Madden, formerly from Game of Thrones, so now that Heimdall is no longer, can we please put Elba into another superhero franchise? Why not Batman?

DerekDwyker agrees with us, and his artwork shows off Idris Elba, partially suited up, monitoring the situation on the Bat-computer in the Batcave. He's looking like a true detective, something that previous Batmen have lacked in the past.

8 JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is back as Batman! In the previous artwork, he had a cowl on that showed off his glowing red eyes. Without his mask, we can see the intensity in his stare, and we're reminded why Morgan was cast as Negan on The Walking Dead.

The artwork is by MayDayPayDay and it really gives us a glimpse into what a Batman from the Flashpoint alternate DC universe would look like. Since Morgan played Thomas Wayne in flashbacks in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, perhaps the plan for him to be Batman was there all along?

7 ROBBIE AMELL

For the record, we know that Robbie Amell is already involved in the DC Universe. On the small screen he played Ronnie Raymond (one-half of the superhero Firestorm) in the Flash TV series, and in real life is the first cousin of Stephen Amell, who is the star of Arrow.

Firestorm has a variety of superpowers, and as we all know Batman is just a very, very determined man wearing a suit filled with gadgets. However, in this artwork by BossLogic, Robbie is wearing the suit quite well, and looks like he could even give his cousin a good fight.

6 SCOTT ADKINS

It's great when an actor has a specific look for a role. So what if they can't fight? Get them a body double that can! However, it's great when an actor also can throw their own punches and launch their own kicks. That's why we present to you Scott Adkins as Batman.

The artwork by PunchingPuppies shows Adkins in Bat-armor, but as someone who's had a black belt in Taekwondo at 19, we don't think he'll be needing the protection. Adkins looks like he's ready to beat down a slew of people in Batman's Rogue's Gallery. So, where's Bane at?

5 OSCAR ISAAC

Is there a shortage of actors? Not only is Oscar Isaac Poe Dameron from the latest Star Wars trilogy, but he was also the namesake villain in X-Men: Apocalypse as well as the voice of Gomez Addams for the upcoming animated Addams Family movie. Save some roles for other people, Oscar!

Just when you thought he couldn't play every role, artwork by iMizuri shows us what Isaac would look like if he got into the Batsuit opposed to an X-Wing. Flight suit, tuxedo, bat armor... Oscar doesn't have to try hard to look good, and the above artwork proves that statement true.

4 BILL MURRAY

Could even Bill Murray take himself seriously if he was playing Batman? In the above artwork by PopChartLab, Murray can't even keep a straight face. Admittedly, we think he might be sucking in his gut for this one, and even if his face was covered by a cowl, we'd be able to make out his smirk from a mile away.

What kind of things would Bill Murray's Batman have in his utility belt? Silly string? An expandable golf club? The list of joke items are endless, but you have to admit: the more you think about it, the more Bill Murray as Batman kind of grows on you, no?

3 JON HAMM

At one point, Jon Hamm was rumored to be playing Superman, and now that Ben Affleck might be out, Hamm's name is making the rounds as a possible replacement for the Dark Knight. How does Don Draper compare to Bruce Wayne? Can Hamm jump from one suit to another?

Although Hamm has been having fun playing comedic roles on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Children's Hospital, the artwork by BossLogic reminds us that Hamm can be quite serious when he wants to, and the wear and tear on his face is also reflected in his armor.

2 JASON BATEMAN

This seems like a more believable version of a Jason Bateman Batman. Comedic actors clad in armor has been done before, just ask Michael Keaton. But this version of Batman in which Bateman has a silly smirk lets us know that this Batman is a bit more chill.

The artwork by Screwball2 gives us a Batman we haven't seen since the Lego version: a comedic Dark Knight who doesn't take himself too seriously and is someone that we can laugh with. Who's he looking at? Gene Parmesan? Ice? How much could it cost to be Batman? Ten dollars?

1 JAKE GYLLENHAAL

Oh, Jake Gyllenhaal as Batman... we don't think we can quit you. Affleck, as of 2018, is 46 years old, and Gyllenhaal is 37, so if Jake did become the Caped Crusader, he would be around the age Christian Bale was when he was in The Dark Knight in 2008 (Balee was 34 at the time).

Would Gyllenhaal play an older Batman, or a Batman in his prime? The above artwork makes him look youthful but containing the confidence of an older man. How was the sweet artwork made? You can watch this video to see how the photoshopping was ultimately done to create the final artwork by L0DEr!