Five years ago, DC Comics began celebrating Batman Day with a "Batversary" in honor of the Dark Knight. To help you celebrate your XNUMXth birthday the right way, we'll tell you how to watch the Batman timeline movies so you don't miss out on anything.
But, to be honest, it was very difficult. Unlike some movie franchises like Marvel, there's no particular chronology to follow here, especially when it comes to the live-action Batman movies, which have been rebooted multiple times. For example, Warner Bros.'s original Batman Anthology essentially ended and began anew with Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight in 2005.
You need to look more broadly at the cinematic universe to consider where Batman sometimes plays a major or background role, although he is not really noticeable at all. Until Batman showed up in Wonder Woman 2017, he was plotting the movie. Batman Wayne is also mentioned in 2013's Man of Steel.
As a result, we cannot give you one, well-defined browsing order. So let's go.
In what order should I watch Batman?
Attention: This article contains spoilers.
adam west movie
This is a separate movie. This is a good starting point for the films if you really want to watch all the Batman films. It was released by 20th Century Fox in 1966 on ABC.
Batman: The Movie (1966)
The Batman symbol first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. He was originally named "Man-Bat", although he is also referred to as the Caped Crusader or the Dark Knight. It wasn't until 1966 that Adam West took on the important role of bringing the character to life on screen, starring alongside him as Robin Ward. The movie actually premiered after the first season of the Batman TV show, which we'll talk about in a bit.
Batman: The Movie is interesting because it features not one, but four of Batman's most famous enemies: the Riddler, the Penguin, Catwoman, and Cesar Romero's Joker. This pack of supervillains team up to try and defeat Batman in hopes of taking over the world.
Read also on the website: all x-men movies in chronological order
Batman Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. kicked off its line of Batman films with the release of Tim Burton's Batman in 1989. These are not one, but three films that have truly set the bar high for the next 25 years of superhero films. Interestingly, three different actors play Batman in this anthology, and the films themselves vary in subject matter and quality.
There is also an impressive collection of popular actors, Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Batman (1989)
This is the first "modern" Batman film. Michael Keaton takes on the mantle of a caped crusader to clean up the streets of Gotham on the eve of his bicentennial. When a skirmish breaks out at a chemical plant between the police and a group of thugs led by Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), Batman of course reacts. During the ensuing battle, Napier fell into a vat of chemicals and was left there to die.
However, he does appear, having been transformed into the lunatic known as the Joker. Batman attempts to stop him before he poisons the population of Gotham City with the deadly Smylex gas, which causes hysterical laughter in his victims before they are eventually killed.
Batman Returns (1992)
After defeating the Joker, Batman Michael Keaton must fight his next foe, the penguin played by Danny DeVito, who teams up with run-down millionaire Max Shrek (Christopher Walken) to protect the sewers under Gotham. Batman began a romantic relationship with Shrek's secretary Selina Kayla (a.k.a. Catwoman played by Michelle Pfeiffer), and in the end, it's not just the Penguin - it's a plot to kidnap and kill the firstborn citizens of Gotham. As a result, Batman must fight not only with him, but also with Catwoman, who is out for revenge.
Batman Forever (1995)
Michael Keaton and Tim Burton declined to return for another Batman movie, unfortunately for us. Val Kilmer plays Batman this time, he goes up against two villains - Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey). This film also introduces Robin (Chris O'Donnell) to modern audiences.
As Batman tries to leave Two-Face to live a normal life with Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman), the Riddler discovers his true identity thanks to a brain device he invented, leading to a chase, capture, and Bruce.
Batman and Robin (1997)
There is speculation that this movie is the worst of the Batman movie trilogy, but '90s kids might not agree. We think Batman and Robin is worth revisiting.
George Clooney plays Batman, but Chris O'Donnell returns as Robin. Batgirl, the famous Alicia Silverstone also appears in their composition. And the trio enters the fight against Dr. Frost Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman - Ivy. There is also an unexpected twist. This movie is worth watching to see their Bane masked henchman (Jeep Swenson). Perhaps the best part, though, is Doctor Frost's obscure pun.
The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan
Since the end of the first Batman Anthology, the nipple suit has also come to an end. There was a plan for a fifth film to marinate for nearly a decade as Christopher Nolan took over and brought the Batman franchise to new heights.
Batman: The Beginning (2005)
So, it's hard to believe that it took five films to see Batman's full origin story on the big screen. This film (Christian Bale - Bruce Wayne) takes him all the way from killing his parents to his journey through the world, where he learns to fight and gain experience in the League of Shadows Henri (Liam Neeson).
When he finally returns home, he must fight the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), who uses a toxin to cause terrifying hallucinations.
The Dark Knight (2008)
This film serves as a model, perhaps, for all films about superheroes. We see Batman face to face with his most dangerous enemy, the Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger. The Joker takes control of Gotham's organized crime, orchestrates an insidious plot, and mutilates the city's district attorney, Harvey Dent, as Batman tries to force him to break his one rule: refusing to kill his enemies.
The Dark Knight: The Legend Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight comes to his conclusion, with the arrival of Bane (Tom Hardy) in the city of Gotham.
Bruce Wayne became a recluse when he was framed for the murder of Harvey Dent, and as a result, no one saw Batman for eight years. The reality of his life - Bruce's struggle with himself, visits to the doctor - show that his body is starting to break down. This leaves him completely defenseless in the face of doom when a former member of the League of Shadows comes to Gotham to complete Ra's Al Ghul's plan: the destruction of the city.
Batman in DC
When Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight came out, in another obscure firm, you've probably never heard of it. Oh wonder DC started making his own comic films. So it made sense for a universe of its own, with a massive backlog of characters, to create its more cinematic universe with Batman at the center.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Batman v Superman takes place 18 months after the events of 2013's Man of Steel. Ben Affleck portrays a version of Bruce Wayne who has been fighting bad guys for 20 years. He sees Superman (Henry Cavill) as an existential threat to humanity. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) carries out his plans to fight Superman, including obtaining a pile of kryptonite and access to General Zod's body.
Batman learns of Lexcorp's kryptonite stash and steals it, allowing him to create a kryptonite suit to defeat Superman.
Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad follows a group of imprisoned DC Universe criminals such as Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) who are offered a reduced sentence in exchange for a very dangerous mission where they are unlikely to survive. In the film Ben Affleck's Batman in several scenes during the formation of the Justice League.
Justice League (2017)
It's been two years since Superman's death, and humanity still hasn't recovered from his loss. Ben Affleck as Batman and Wonder Woman Gal Gadot have already begun the process of forming a team that can help protect humanity from a threat they could never hope to stir up on their own.
However, they soon discover that they are no match for the being known as "Steppenwolf", who plans to use a device known as the mother box to transform Earth into a desert planet as his own. (See the director's cut, which has 31 minutes of extra time.
Joker (2019)
The Joker is the origin story of Batman's greatest enemy. Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is an unstable man who hopes to become a comedian. We see him turn into the lunatic known as the Joker. The movie also shows us the death of Bruce Wayne's parents one more time, just in case you haven't seen it.
It is difficult to place the Joker on this scale for several reasons. It's the start of a new story in 1981 - but when writer/director Quentin Tarantino wrote the script, he wanted it to be a standalone movie that had nothing to do with the DC Extended Universe. However, since then, the Joker has been nominated for 11 Oscars, and Warner Bros., the company that owns the rights to Batman, has announced another Batman reboot starring Robert Pattinson as Batman.
Batman in TV series
There is no "correct order" here as they are all off and not chronological. Therefore, we recommend watching them in order of release. You can watch it before or after the movies. It won't make much of a difference, although it's possible to watch Batman 1966 before Batman: The Movie.
Batman (1943 - theatrical series)
This is the very first live action Batman, and stars Lewis Wilson. This is the 15th chapter of a series from Columbia that premiered in theater and is now available on YouTube.
Batman and Robin (1949 - theatrical series)
Other serial productions from Columbia like Batman (Robert Lowry) and Robin (Johnny Duncan) and fight against the Master. This series, which was also in theaters, is sometimes referred to as The New Adventures of Batman and Robin.
It is currently available on YouTube as well.
Batman (1966 to 1969 - TV series)
This is Adam West's first appearance as the Caped Crusaders - even before his 1966 live-action film. He maintains the role for three seasons on ABC, making the character comical, especially when compared to modern versions of The Dark Knight.
Gotham (2014 to 2019 - TV series)
Gotham premiered in 2014 on Fox, which follows young Commissioner Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as he begins his career after the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents. She also has a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazus), who is dealing with the death of his parents, being raised by Alfred (Sean Pertwee). The series introduces many villains that will create problems for Batman in the future.
Titans (2018 to present - TV series)
Titans is coming to The CW and follows the story of Dick Grayson, otherwise known as Batman's sidekick, Robin. He left this burden behind, even though he became the leader of a group of heroes known as the Titans. The main plot in the series is built around the former Robin and his relationship with Bruce Wayne, in the Titans - Ian Glen.
Pennyworth (2019 to present - TV series)
If you've ever wondered how Alfred raised Bruce Wayne, Epix has a show for you: Pennyworth. He follows the butler, long before he was a butler. Instead, he shows him how a young man, fresh out of service as a member of the SAS, is trying to start a security company in the 1960s.
More of a spy thriller series than a superhero show, with Alfred, played by Jack Bannon, being targeted by groups that want to take over London. Luckily, he has support from an American group that just happens to be led by Batman's parents.
Movies about Batman
Adam West Film
- Batman: The Movie (1966)
Motion Batman Anthology
- Batman (1989)
- Batman Returns (1992)
- Batman Forever (1995)
- Batman & Robin (1997)
The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan
- Batman: The Beginning (2005)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- The Dark Knight: The Legend Rises (2012)
DC Extended Cinematic Universe
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- Suicide Squad (2016)
- Justice League (2017)
- Joker (2019)
TV series
- Batman (1943 - theatrical series)
- Batman and Robin (1949 - theatrical series)
- Batman (1966 to 1969 - TV series)
- Gotham (2014 to 2019 - TV series)
- Titans (2018 to present - TV series)
- Pennyworth (2019 to present - TV series)
Bonus List: Animated Batman Movies
So, there is a long list of animated Batman films and series that range in quality and importance.
- Batman: The Animated Series (1992 to 1995 - TV animated series)
- Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010 - animated film)
- Batman: Year One (2011 - animated film)
- The Dark Knight Returns (2012 - animated film)
- Batman: The Killing Joke (2016 - animated film)
- Lego Batman (2017 - animated film)