Batman movies don’t share one continuous storyline. The character has been rebooted on the big screen several times: the four Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films are connected to each other, Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is a separate story, and Matt Reeves’s The Batman exists in its own universe. So the right order depends on whether you want a quick introduction to the character or the full history of Batman on screen.
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The short answer: where to start
- For a first introduction: Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.
- For a dark, modern, standalone detective story: Matt Reeves’s The Batman, then the TV series The Penguin.
- For the classics with a gothic Gotham: Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
- For all the live-action films: use the release order below, keeping in mind where one universe ends and the next begins.
The main Batman movies in release order
1989
Batman
The start of Tim Burton’s gothic series starring Michael Keaton.
1992
Batman Returns
A direct continuation of Burton and Keaton’s story.
1995
Batman Forever
The same series, but with a different director and Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne.
1997
Batman & Robin
The end of the Burton and Schumacher run.
2005
Batman Begins
The first film in Christopher Nolan’s standalone trilogy.
2008
The Dark Knight
The sequel to Batman Begins and the centerpiece of the trilogy.
2012
The Dark Knight Rises
The finale of Nolan’s story.
2016
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The debut of Ben Affleck’s Batman in the shared DC universe.
2017
Justice League
Continues Affleck’s storyline; more important for this continuity than for the main route.
2022
The Batman
The start of Matt Reeves’s separate universe starring Robert Pattinson.
2024
The Penguin
The series continues exploring the criminal underworld of Reeves’s The Batman.
The first four entries form one continuity, but the changes in director and lead actor noticeably shift the tone. Nolan’s trilogy is completely standalone. Ben Affleck’s version is only worth watching if you want to make sense of the films in the shared DC universe. Reeves’s The Batman and The Penguin are a separate, modern storyline you can jump into without any preparation.
The order for a first watch
Christopher Nolan’s trilogy
- Batman Begins
- The Dark Knight
- The Dark Knight Rises
This is the most cohesive route: first Bruce Wayne’s origin and the birth of Batman, then the conflict with the Joker and the conclusion of the story. The films are built as a complete trilogy, so after the third one there’s no must-watch sequel to hunt for.
After Nolan: The Batman and The Penguin
- The Batman
- The Penguin
Matt Reeves’s story doesn’t continue Nolan’s. Here, Bruce Wayne is only just starting out as a detective, and Gotham is shown through a criminal investigation. The TV series The Penguin takes place after the film and expands on the story of Oswald Cobblepot. This route works well for viewers who are more interested in detective stories and crime drama than in superhero spectacle.
Batman’s film universes: what to watch together
The Burton and Schumacher series
Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns set the gothic style and the look of Gotham that largely defined Batman on screen. Batman Forever and Batman & Robin technically continue the series but turn it into a brighter, lighter adventure. It’s worth watching all four films back to back: that way, it’s easier to see how one franchise went from a dark fairy tale to an almost comic-book pop aesthetic.
The Nolan trilogy
Nolan presents Batman as a hero in a realistic crime world. Batman Begins explains Bruce’s motivation, The Dark Knight puts his rules to the test, and The Dark Knight Rises closes out the story with an arc about fear, power and the price of a symbol. This trilogy is still the best entry point because it doesn’t require any knowledge of the comics or other DC films.
Ben Affleck’s version in the shared DC universe
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Justice League
- Zack Snyder’s Justice League — an alternate, extended version of the same team-up story
- The Flash — an optional epilogue for this version of the character
This Batman is older and operates in a world where superheroes already exist. The continuity isn’t connected to Nolan’s or Reeves’s films. It’s a good pick after the main films if you want to see Batman alongside Superman, Wonder Woman and the Flash.
Animation and TV series
You don’t need the animated films to follow the live-action film series, but some of them are strong standalone stories. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm complements the classic animated series, while Batman: Under the Red Hood and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns are best watched separately, as adaptations of specific comics. There’s no need to add Gotham, Titans and Pennyworth to the main route: they’re standalone TV stories with their own rules.
How the box office changed from film to film
The chart shows the worldwide gross of the main live-action films. It isn’t a quality ranking: the results depend on budget, marketing, release window, competition and the growth of the international market. It’s meant to show how interest in the character grew with Nolan’s reboot after a slump at the end of the classic series.
Do you need to watch the movies in chronological order?
With Batman, what matters isn’t the chronology of events but the boundaries of each film universe. You can’t slot Batman Begins in after Batman & Robin as a sequel: they belong to different film universes, and Batman Begins starts the story from scratch. If you don’t want to sort out the different continuities, start with the Nolan trilogy, then watch Reeves’s The Batman. Save the classic four-film series and the Affleck movies for later.
FAQ
In what order should you watch the Batman movies for the first time?
Start with Christopher Nolan’s trilogy: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Then watch Matt Reeves’s The Batman.
Is The Batman with Robert Pattinson connected to Nolan’s trilogy?
No. It’s a separate film universe and a new version of the character. You can watch it without having seen Nolan’s films.
Do you need to watch the Ben Affleck movies?
Only if you’re interested in the shared DC universe. They aren’t required for getting to know Batman’s standalone stories.
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