Batman (franchise)


The DC Comics character Batman has been adapted into various media including film, radio, television, and video games, as well as numerous merchandising items. The Batman franchise has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

Film

Early films and serials

Live-action

A number of Batman theatrical films have been made. There have also been several attempted projects during the hiatus between Batman & Robin and Batman Begins.

Serials

In 1966, a Batman feature film based on the contemporaneous Batman television series was released. It starred Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, Cesar Romero as the Joker, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, and Lee Meriwether as Catwoman.

Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher series

''The Dark Knight'' Trilogy

DC Extended Universe

''The Batman Epic Crime Saga''

Other live-action Batman film appearances

  • Batman makes a cameo appearance in Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
  • Batman makes a cameo appearance in Ready Player One.
  • Batman makes a cameo appearance in Space Jam: A New Legacy.

    Animation

Solo films

  • Batman appears in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, voiced by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Bruce Wayne appears in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in The Batman vs. Dracula, voiced by Rino Romano.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Gotham Knight, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Under the Red Hood, voiced by Bruce Greenwood.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Year One, voiced by Ben McKenzie.
  • Batman appears in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, voiced by Peter Weller.
  • Batman appears in Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite, voiced by Troy Baker.
  • Batman appears in the DC Animated Movie Universe films Batman vs. Robin, Batman: Bad Blood and Batman: Hush, voiced primarily by Jason O'Mara and by Griffin Gluck as a child.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Assault on Arkham, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in the Batman Unlimited film series, voiced by Roger Craig Smith.
  • Batman appears in Batman: The Killing Joke, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, voiced again by Adam West.
  • Batman appears in Batman and Harley Quinn, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in Batman vs. Two-Face, voiced posthumously by Adam West.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, voiced by Bruce Greenwood.
  • Batman appears in Batman Ninja, voiced by Kōichi Yamadera and Roger Craig Smith in the Japanese and English versions respectively.
  • Batman appears in Lego DC Batman: Family Matters, voiced again by Troy Baker.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Death in the Family, voiced again by Bruce Greenwood as an adult and by Nick Carson as a child.
  • Batman appears in Batman: Soul of the Dragon, voiced by David Giuntoli.
  • Batman appears in Batman: The Long Halloween, voiced primarily by Jensen Ackles and by Zach Callison as a child.
  • Batman appears in Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham, voiced primarily by David Giuntoli and by Jason Marsden as a child.
  • Batman appears in Merry Little Batman, voiced by Luke Wilson.
  • Batman appears in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, voiced by Kōichi Yamadera and Joe Daniels in the Japanese and English versions respectively.

    Team-ups

  • Batman appears in Justice League: The New Frontier, voiced by Jeremy Sisto.
  • Batman appears in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, voiced by William Baldwin.
  • Batman appears in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in Justice League: Doom, voiced again by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman and the Flashpoint timeline Batman appear in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, respectively voiced by Kevin Conroy and Kevin McKidd.
  • Batman appears in JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time, voiced by Diedrich Bader.
  • Batman appears in films set in the DC Animated Movie Universe, voiced by Jason O'Mara.
  • Batman appears in the Lego DC Comics film series, voiced by Troy Baker.
  • An alternate universe variant of Batman, with elements of Man-Bat, appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters, voiced by Michael C. Hall.
  • Batman appears in Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced again by Diedrich Bader.
  • Batman appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, voiced primarily by Jimmy Kimmel and by Nicolas Cage's son Kal-El as a child.
  • Batman appears in Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, voiced by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, voiced again by Troy Baker.
  • Batman appears in Superman: Red Son, voiced again by Roger Craig Smith.
  • Batman appears in Injustice, voiced by Anson Mount.
  • Batman appears in Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse, voiced by Keith Ferguson.
  • Batman appears in DC League of Super-Pets, voiced by Keanu Reeves.
  • Batman appears in Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons, voiced again by Troy Baker.
  • Batman appears in the Tomorrowverse films Legion of Super-Heroes and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, voiced by Jensen Ackles. Kevin Conroy reprises his role as Batman in the latter film.
  • Batman appears in the two-part film Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, voiced by Nat Wolff in Part One and again by Troy Baker in Part Two.

    Web series

  • The Justice League: Gods and Monsters incarnation of Batman appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles, with Michael C. Hall reprising the role.
  • Batman appears in the Batman Unlimited web series, voiced again by Roger Craig Smith.
  • Batman appears in DC Heroes United, voiced by Aleks Le.

    Other

  • Batman appears in The Lego Movie franchise, voiced by Will Arnett.
  • Batman makes a minor appearance in the credits of Shazam!.
  • The DC Extended Universe incarnation of Batman appears in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, voiced by Jorma Taccone.

    Canceled Batman animated films

  • Following the success of the Fleischer Superman cartoons, Fleischer Studios communicated with DC Comics over the possibility of adapting Batman. The communication got to the point of budget discussions as illustrated in a letter dated January 25, 1942, and reproduced in longtime Batman executive producer, Michael E. Uslan's 2011 memoir, The Boy Who Loved Batman. However, it is unknown how far the production of this project went before being abandoned.
  • A second Batman Beyond film was planned for release, but was scrapped due to the controversy surrounding Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Another mention of Batman Beyond film was in 2017 by Bruce Timm and James Tucker, the latter saying that discussions about a possible Batman Beyond film occurred several times at the studio.
  • After the success of Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero, Warner Bros. greenlighted the production of a third installment, entitled Batman: Arkham. Boyd Kirkland, the director of this film, was attached to write and direct. The film would have Batman and Robin facing off against a collection of Arkham Asylum escapees, in addition to Batman finding himself falling in love with a new love interest, planned to be voiced by Angie Harmon. The main cast of Batman: The Animated Series was attached to reprise their roles. Steven E. Gordon also drew some art concept for the film. The film was ultimately cancelled in favor of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, while Batman: Arkham eventually became a successful video game series by Rocksteady.
  • A second film of The Batman titled The Batman vs. Hush that featured Hush as the main villain along with the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman and Clayface was planned for a long time. The film ended up being scrapped. Before its cancellation, producer Alan Burnett had hopes of making one or two more DTV films based on The Batman. A similar film based on Batman: Hush ultimately came out in 2019 as part of the DC Animated Movie Universe.
  • In 2015, Bruce Timm expressed interest in an animated adaptation of the Batman R.I.P. storyline.
  • In a 2016 interview, Jay Oliva mentioned that he had plans to make a sequel to Batman: Assault on Arkham, but following his departure from Warner Bros. Animation, the project was pulled off.
  • Writer J. M. DeMatteis was interested in adaptation of his Batman story arc Going Sane set in the DC Animated Movie Universe.

    Television

Live-action

  • Batman appears in a self-titled series, portrayed by Adam West.
  • Batman appears in Legends of the Superheroes, portrayed again by Adam West.
  • Batman appears in Birds of Prey, portrayed by Michael Keaton.
  • A young Bruce Wayne appears in Gotham, portrayed by David Mazouz.
  • Batman appears in Titans, portrayed by Iain Glen. In his initial appearance in the first season, he is portrayed by stunt doubles Alain Moussi and Maxim Savarias.
  • Batman appears in the Arrowverse series Batwoman, portrayed by Warren Christie. An alternate universe variant of Bruce Wayne appears in the crossover event "Elseworlds", portrayed by Kevin Conroy.
  • Batman appears in the pilot episode of Gotham Knights, portrayed by David Miller.