The 10 Best Portrayals Of Batman, According To Reddit

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The newest game in the Arkham franchise, Gotham Knights, released on the 21st of October, featuring actor Michael Antonakos in the role of Batman. While the game is not centered around the character, playing the role is not to be taken lightly, as he has been performed by some incredible acting talent, both in live-action and animation.

Even a small role as the character will give an actor a chance for their voice to be heard, so doing the character justice is paramount. On Reddit, Batman fans voted through a list to reach their ranking of the greatest Batman portrayals ever.

Val Kilmer – Batman Forever (1995)

With a better movie, Val Kilmer could’ve made an incredibly strong live-action Batman. In his documentary, Kilmer discusses his experience on Batman Forever and why it didn’t pan out the way he had hoped, despite him being beyond excited to play such a legendary character.

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“I think he played Bruce Wayne the best out of the live-action movies,” says Redditor JUGG3RN4UT, differentiating the Batman and Bruce Wayne portrayals. The former of which was likely plagued by the cheesy suit and script, making it hard for the Batman portrayal to be taken seriously.

Diedrich Bader – Batman: The Brave And The Bold (2008)

Following the serious tones of Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: The Brave And The Bold allowed for a more cartoonish approach to the character. This adaptation is more akin to the comics and cartoons of the ’60s and works as a fun series for kids.

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“Brave and the Bold is an amazing show and Bader is a perfect campy Batman,” says Redditor PutItOnthePizza. Campy and comedic approaches can be great for introducing younger audiences to the character, and this series probably carries some nostalgia for Redditors.

Rino Romano – The Batman (2004)

Like with The Brave And The Bold, The Batman animated series took a less dark approach to the character, while still offering some style and substance to the adaptation. “He wasn’t dark and brooding like every popular iteration of him,” described one Redditor.

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The series offered new and interesting designs to many known Batman characters, and later even involved members of the Justice League. Rino Romano’s approach to the character was different, in that it didn’t delve into the themes of Batman’s psychology often.

Will Arnett – The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

“Lego Batman is a fun movie, but it’s ultimately still kind of a parody movie,” says Redditor Ridley824, explaining much of the reasoning for the portrayal’s poll results.

Will Arnett added a necessary comedy element for a fun, family-friendly film adaptation. While The Lego Batman Movie was a blast, Batman is traditionally a serious character, and the serious portrayals will always overshadow the goofy ones. Still, for a feel-good adaptation and satirical approach to the comics, Will Arnett was a blast.

Adam West – Batman (1966)

It’s important in adaptations of fictional works that different approaches are taken. In the ’60s, the brooding, darker Batman may not have fit well, and Adam West filled a necessary gap of superhero television.

“Adam West did “funny Batman” first and best,” says Redditor Ridley824. This era may seem like a joke to some modern fans, but Adam West’s portrayal in the ’60s TV series and cartoons cemented himself to many Batman lovers.

Michael Keaton – Batman (1989)

In many ways, Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns set the tone for how the character should be portrayed in a live-action film and set a golden standard for superhero movie quality. The performance is very memorable for its cultural impact and features a number of Michael Keaton quotes that solidify him as the best Batman.

“His Batman is too much of a careless killer for my taste,” describes the appropriately named fan, A_Dog_Chasing_Cars, regarding Keaton’s performance. Burton definitely added his own definition to the character, including allowing Batman to kill, at times, much to the dismay of dedicated fans.

Christian Bale – The Dark Knight Trilogy (Various)

For many audiences, Christian Bale played the definitive Batman, as The Dark Knight trilogy is the most well-fleshed-out, completed story arc the character has seen in film, so far. While his performance may not be considered the greatest, the movies he played in certainly stand alone in their accomplishments, even having some of the best Christopher Nolan endings.

“Great Bruce, good movies, but his Batman was not a good Batman,” suggests one Redditor, suggesting that Bale aced the Bruce Wayne side of things, but struggled in the actual Bat suit. Some fans believe that Bale’s performance was overshadowed by many of his villains.

Robert Pattinson – The Batman (2022)

“Robert Pattinson, you are by far my favorite live action Batman bar none,” offers fan ab316_1punchd. Had the Reddit poll been narrowed to only live-action Batman portrayals, it seems Pattinson would’ve taken home the gold. Unfortunately for him, fans on Reddit are dedicated to the voice acting portrayals.

For Pattinson’s sake, he made major strides as one of the great Batman adaptations in only one The Batman film. If his films continue to match the quality of the first, he could easily be remembered for having the greatest Batman portrayal of all. One of the only criticisms of The Batman is that it was a superhero movie that ran way too long.

Kevin Conroy – Batman: Arkham Games (Various)

The Arkham video game franchise is a definitive portrayal for many fans, as its take on Batman is considered to be one of the most faithful to the comics. Having Kevin Conroy return for this portrayal sealed the deal for these games to succeed. Kevin Conroy’s is one of the best performances in all the Arkham games, among some great talent.

“When I think Batman I think Arkham” says Redditor MikeOcksLong_. The series of games are incredibly popular, perfectly mixing gameplay with original but exciting Batman tales. Conroy’s voice narrating throughout the whole ordeal is an assuring presence for many Batman lovers.

Kevin Conroy – Batman: The Animated Series / DCAU (1992 – 1995)

Batman: The Animated Series is one of the great accomplishments in superhero entertainment to date. The cartoon defined the character for a generation of audiences, mainly due to the strong writing and voice work from Kevin Conroy.

For many comic readers, Kevin Conroy has become the voice of Batman. Like Redditor Redichu23 says, “Animated series Batman is the goat and always will be.” In a time period where audiences may have been used to the voice of Adam West in Batman cartoons, Kevin Conroy brought out the vengeance and brought out the night. He is Batman.

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