Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, Jack Palance.

Technically, Batman’s film career begins in the 1940s with two 15-part serial films, while 1966’s Batman: The Movie is also fondly remembered by some who enjoyed the campy television series it span out from.

However, for all intents and purposes, the Batman film franchise as we know it today began with 1989’s Batman, with visionary director Tim Burton placing a distinctive gothic tone over the proceedings.

The film starred Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne and Jack Nicholson as his arch-enemy the Joker, and while it isn’t hugely faithful to the comic books, it has nevertheless remained a fan favourite.

Rent or buy Batman (1989) from Amazon

Batman Returns (1992)

Starring: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Michael Murphy, Vincent Schiavelli.

Tim Burton and Michael Keaton reunited for this sequel, which saw the introduction of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, arguably the most famous depiction of the femme fatale in film history.

Danny DeVito also stars as Oswald Cobblepot, better known by his criminal alter ego The Penguin, who must be stopped from hatching a sinister plan that puts thousands of lives at stake.

Rent or buy Batman Returns from Amazon

Batman Forever (1995)

Starring: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, Chris O’Donnell, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle.

Joel Schumacher took over for Tim Burton in this third outing, with Michael Keaton also jumping ship to be replaced by Val Kilmer.

The result is a markedly different Batman film, with a zanier tone amplified by Jim Carrey’s outlandish performance as The Riddler.

Tommy Lee Jones also stars as Two-Face, while Chris O’Donnell joined the franchise as Dick Grayson (aka Robin), who would go on to share top billing in the next film.

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Batman & Robin (1997)

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Elle Macpherson.

And this is where the wheels came off the Batmobile.

Joel Schumacher returned to helm Batman & Robin, which leaned a tad too heavily on building a children’s cartoon version of Batman, complete with cheesy one-liners, absurd action and ridiculous villains.

George Clooney inherited the mantle for this edition in a rare career misstep for the world-famous actor, while Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman disappoint as comic book icons Mr Freeze and Poison Ivy.

No one would argue that it’s a good film, but Batman & Robin might carry a certain charm for fans of so-bad-it’s-good movies or those who remember it fondly from their childhood.

Rent or buy Batman & Robin from Amazon

The Dark Knight Trilogy

Batman Begins (2005)

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, and Morgan Freeman.

The rebirth starts here! Christopher Nolan scrapped the ailing continuity of Tim Burton’s Batman universe for a completely new take, which prided itself on being grounded, dark and gritty.

Christian Bale was cast as Bruce Wayne for this origin flick, which recounts his training under the League of Shadows and his first clash will Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow.

Rent or buy Batman Begins from Amazon

The Dark Knight (2008)

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman.

Nolan took things to the next level with the middle chapter of his trilogy, reintroducing The Joker to a whole new generation with an electric performance from the late Heath Ledger.

The film is widely heralded as one – if not the – greatest Batman movie of all time.

Rent or buy The Dark Knight from Amazon

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Morgan Freeman.

The Dark Knight trilogy concludes with this epic finale, which sees the caped crusader go up against a mysterious enemy known as Bane, a powerful figure who might just break the Bat for good.

The film also adds new cast members Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate.

Rent or buy The Dark Knight Rises from Amazon

DC Extended Universe

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Gal Gadot.

With Christopher Nolan keen to move onto other projects, the future of Batman was passed onto director Zack Snyder, as he was revealed to play a key role in his Man of Steel sequel.

When news broke that Ben Affleck had been cast in the role, there was initially an unreasonable amount of outrage, but ironically his performance would go on to be well-liked by most die-hard DC fans.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a divisive film in the Batalogue, as it conjures up a somewhat convoluted way to make the two iconic superheroes fight.

That said, many do enjoy its dark tone and epic action sequences, while the score from Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL is another winner.

Rent or buy Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice from Amazon

Suicide Squad (2016)

Starring: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, Cara Delevingne.

While not strictly a Batman film, the Dark Knight does make a brief appearance in David Ayer’s 2016 antihero flick, and so does two of his most dangerous enemies: Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and The Joker (Jared Leto).

Suicide Squad saw a generally negative reception from critics, but did huge business at the global box office.

Rent or buy Suicide Squad from Amazon

Justice League (2017) and Justice League: The Snyder Cut (2021)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, Amber Heard, with J. K. Simmons, and Ciarán Hinds.

Ben Affleck returned to the role of Batman for this mega-budget crossover flick, which was sadly hit by behind-the-scenes trouble when director Zack Snyder had to step down due to a personal tragedy.

Avengers helmer Joss Whedon took over the reins, which led to a film that felt disjointed and inconsistent for many, sparking an insatiable fan campaign for Snyder’s original vision to be realised which was ultimately successful.

Justice League sees Batman assemble a team comprised of Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg when an extraterrestrial threat emerges.

Stream Justice League on Netflix

Stream Justice League on Amazon

How to watch Justice League: The Snyder Cut

The Flash (2022)

Starring: Ezra Miller, Ron Livingston, Michael Keaton, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Sasha Calle, and Ben Affleck.

And here’s where things get complicated. Up to this point, each new iteration of Batman has been neatly separated from the last, with no substantial overlap or cause for confusion.

However, as announced at the recent DC FanDome event, the upcoming Flash movie starring Ezra Miller is set to change all that, with two Batmen announced for the cast.

Ben Affleck will return one last time in a small role, but seemingly he’ll be passing the baton backwards to Michael Keaton, who will be reprising his role from 1989’s Batman.

The exact circumstances of this return aren’t yet known, but it’s believed the film will draw inspiration from popular crossover event Flashpoint, which sees The Flash inadvertently create a wildly different present after travelling back in time.

*The Flash is scheduled for release on 4th November 2022.

Matt Reeves’ series

The Batman (2021)

Warner Bros

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffery Wright, Jeffery Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, with Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell.

The next Batman is currently strapping on his cape and cowl for this moody new trilogy, which will unfold outside of the mainline DC Extended Universe.

Robert Pattinson is teaming up with Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves for this hotly anticipated flick, which was unveiled in an intense teaser trailer at DC FanDome.

The film already has two spin-off series on HBO Max lined up in the form of a series centred on Gotham City Police Department and another on The Penguin, played by Colin Farrell.

There are also plans for sequels in this series with the stars signed on for multiple films.

The Batman is scheduled for release on 4th March 2022.

Other films

Some Batman films aren’t directly linked to any one film franchise and thus can be watched at any time.

Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Warner Bros

Starring: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Abe Vigoda, Stacy Keach.

As part of the DC Animated Universe and a theatrical film spin-off of the acclaimed series Batman: The Animated Series, The Mask of the Phantasm offers a new take on the Caped Crusaders’ origins and also a love story. Just as Bruce Wayne’s long-lost love Andrea Beaumont (voiced by Dana Delany) returns to Gotham, a vicious vigilante emerges in Gotham and begins killing gangsters in an apparent mission of revenge. Mark Hamill features as the voice of The Joker.

The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

SEAC

Starring: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, and Ralph Fiennes.

Off the back of his popular appearance in 2014’s The LEGO Movie, Arrested Development’s Will Arnett lent his trademark gravelly voice to this comedic spin on the Batman.

The film’s light-hearted story involves a classic clash between Batman and the Joker, who is hatching yet another dastardly scheme.

The all-star voice cast includes Michael Cera as Robin, Zach Galifianakis as The Joker, Rosario Dawson as Barbara Gordon, and Ralph Fiennes as Alfred Pennyworth.

Rent or buy The LEGO Batman Movie from Amazon

Joker (2019)

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy.

Director Todd Phillips is behind this recent take on Batman’s arch-nemesis The Joker, which sees Joaquin Phoenix take on the role of the iconic villain.

An origin story set during Bruce Wayne’s childhood years, don’t expect any appearances from Batman himself, but do look out for the interesting way in which this film adapts the DC Comics mythos.

Joker is available to purchase from Amazon

• For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.

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