On September 26, one of the most famous comic book superheroes receives his star on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. We remember the actors who embodied the image of Batman on the big screen
Bruce Wayne, known to all fans of films and comics as Batman, will become the first superhero to be awarded a personal star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and will be included in the Guinness Book of World Records (GWR): the record will be recorded by official GWR judge Michael Emprick.
The Dark Knight’s star will appear alongside the stars of one of his creators, Hollywood animator and screenwriter Bob Kane, as well as actor Adam West, who played Batman back in the 1960s . On this occasion, we recall who else played this brutal character.
“On Thursday, September 26, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will honor Batman with the 2,790th star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. Batman’s story of determination and wisdom has inspired generation after generation around the world. He is vengeance. He is the night. He is Batman.”
From a statement from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
1940s: Where the Bat-Man’s Film History Began
The first actor to play the Bat-Man was 23-year-old Lewis Wilson. The actor became Batman in the first TV series of the same name, which aired in 1943 , 4 years after the comics appeared. For Wilson, this role was his film debut. He subsequently starred in several more projects, and then left his film career. The series was not super popular, and no one could have imagined that Bruce Wayne would become a superhero several decades later.
The sequel to Batman was released in 1949 under the title Batman and Robin, with the participation of other actors – the role of the Dark Knight in the 15-episode film, which also did not claim to be a blockbuster, was played by Robert Laurie. Then, Batman was forgotten for almost 20 years. Only in 1966, a new series and a full-length film of the same name appeared with Adam West in the lead role. On the wave of popularity of the series, the actor became a real star, but he did not have such successful roles anymore. The series was on the air for two years, when its ratings fell – the project was closed. And the directors did not remember the Dark Knight for almost 20 years.
1980s: Batman Returns
The triumphant comeback to the screens happened in the late 1980s. Director Tim Burton took on the TV project . In 1989, a superhero film was released, distinguished by Burton’s signature gothic style. Michael Keaton played the Bat-Man in it . The film also starred such stars as Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger, and the main villain, the Joker, appeared in the storyline .
Burton’s film marked the beginning of the Batman film series from Warner Bros. The film grossed over $400 million, with a budget of $48 million. It was also the first film about Bruce Wayne to win prestigious film awards – an Oscar for Best Artist and the Presidential Award for Best Picture by the American Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, the Saturn Award. It was largely thanks to him that the fashion for superhero films emerged in Hollywood.
On the wave of success, Burton was offered to direct a second film. In Batman Returns (1992) , Keaton was joined by other stars – Michelle Pfeiffer, who played Catwoman , and Danny DeVito. The latter got the role of the new main villain in the storyline – the Penguin.
The role of the Dark Knight was Michael Keaton’s finest hour – repeating the success was not easy and did not happen soon. The actor was saved by perseverance and self-irony – in 2014, the black comedy “Birdman” was released . In it, Keaton played almost himself – an actor, the star of an old film about a superhero, trying to regain his former glory. For this role, he received his first Oscar. And in 2023, the 72-year-old actor unexpectedly for many viewers became Batman again – in the DC Extended Universe film “The Flash”.
Batman’s place is never empty
In 1995, the third film in the Batman Forever series was released. Burton was replaced as director by Joel Schumacher, and Keaton by Val Kilmer. The creator of the superhero, Bob Kane, comparing Kilmer with his predecessors, called Val the best incarnation of Batman on screen. However, Kilmer did not get the role of the Dark Knight in the next film. According to rumors, one of the main problems was that the actor insisted on his vision of the scenes and constantly argued with members of the film crew.
The role of the Bat-Man in the new project, Batman & Robin (1997), the fourth film in the series, went to George Clooney. However, the actor’s star status did not save the film from failure and discontent among film critics. They unanimously called Clooney the worst Batman in the history of cinema. The film was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Awards in 11 categories. Clooney did not play any more superheroes. But he made an exception for the film Flash, where he appeared as Bruce Wayne in a cameo. And when the actor was asked on a TV show whether he ever had to apologize for Batman & Robin, Clooney replied that he always apologizes. In one of his interviews, the actor even joked that the film was so bad that it “destroyed” the Batman franchise of the late 1990s.
2000s: A New History
In the early 2000s, director Christopher Nolan wanted to film his own version of a superhero story . Thus, one after another , Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) were released . Christian Bale successfully played the role of Batman in them . Before filming, the actor had to gain weight and build muscle. His efforts were not in vain: the films were recognized as some of the best in the “cinematic chronicle” about the life and exploits of Bruce Wayne. The Dark Knight became the first superhero film to gross more than $ 1 billion at the box office and the highest-grossing film of the year. However, all the awards went not to Bale, but to Heath Ledger, who played the Joker.
In 2013, the DC Extended Universe was launched , which, of course, couldn’t do without the Bat-Man. In the films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017), the superhero was Ben Affleck. This replacement caused great discontent among numerous fans of the comics and the three previous films, who demanded Bale’s return. The producers, however, liked everything. They planned for Affleck to continue playing Batman, and even become a co-writer, director and screenwriter, but circumstances interfered with their ambitious plans. Not least of all, the actor’s alcohol addiction, which he subsequently spoke about on numerous occasions. In the end, the Dark Knight costume went to Twilight star Robert Pattinson, who also turned out to be a long-time Batman fan.
Batman: To Be Continued
After being approved for the role, Pattinson seriously took up his physical training. He even mastered the technique of Brazilian jiu-jitsu . The producers did not think long about the title – the laconic “Batman” was chosen. Filming of the film was delayed due to the pandemic. Therefore, viewers were able to see the new Dark Knight only in 2022. The film with Pattinson in the lead role was conceived as the first in the shared Batman universe. Within its framework, the release of at least two sequels and two spin-off series is planned. The first sequel is scheduled for worldwide release in the fall of 2026.
Also in 2023, the DC Extended Universe released The Flash, where viewers were able to see Batman played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. The script for its sequel has already been written, so comic book fans will soon have a chance to see the Dark Knight on screen again.