The role of Batman has become somewhat of a modern day Hamlet onscreen. Throughout the years, many actors have played Batman to varied success. It's become a rite of passage of sorts. Tim Burton's adaptation of Batman in 1989 began what would become a revolving door of actors, directors, and other creative teams who would bring their own spin to the DC superhero's world. Burton's film was a blockbuster that helped jumpstart a legendary onscreen run for the famed crusader. Since then, character's immense popularity has generated billions at the box office for the franchise.
Batman has become a lucrative property for Warner Brothers, so much so that the character has been given more time on screen than the rest of the Justice League characters. The DC Extended Universe may have had issues in development, but Batman sure didn't. Even when it seemed that Batman was taking a break after Ben Affleck's turn in Justice League, the DCEU changed plans and Warner Bros. green lit a concurrent Batman, resulting in the Matt Reeves-directed The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. Just like previous iterations, The Batman proved that audiences would always flock to theaters to see the famed Caped Crusader onscreen. These are the Batman movies ranked by box-office numbers.
9 Batman & Robin — $238.2 Million
George Clooney often joked that he killed the Batman franchise with Batman & Robin in 1997. After seeing the boxoffice numbers and critical reception, it's not hard to see why he thought that. Granted it was more of a team effort, Batman & Robin did unfortunately bomb in a spectacular way, recouping little returns on a $125 million budget. The campiness and unusual sexual undertones really did a number on the film, leading to a big screen hiatus for the character that lasted eight years.
8 Batman Returns — $266.9 Million
Burton's sequel to Batman found Michael Keaton's Dark Knight crossing paths with Catwoman and The Penguin. The original film was already relatively dark, but Batman Returns turned up the dial just a little more. Despite some criticisms towards its darker tone, Batman Returns was still a major hit. In fact, it was the highest grossing film in 1992. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for the studio and Keaton and Burton wound up leaving the franchise — that is, until the actor's upcoming return in The Flash.
7 Batman Forever — $336.5 Million
Joel Schumacher took over the Batman franchise with an all new Batman. Keaton was replaced Val Kilmer in the 1995 sequel to Batman Returns. This time around, The Dark Knight grappled with Jim Carrey's Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face. This version of Batman took everything dark and gothic about Burton's films and replaced it with a campiness akin to the Adam West show. While Batman Forever's take on Batman wasn't as popular with fans, it was still a box-office success, out-grossing Batman Returns.
6 Batman Begins — $373.6 Million
If Batman & Robin killed the franchise, Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins brought it back to life. Nolan did away with the neon-drenched toy-commercial aesthetic of the previous films and crafted a darker, grittier, and grounded version of Batman. Christian Bale donned the cape and cowl this time and unlike previous iterations, he had the chance to tell the origin of Bruce Wayne's mission to rid Gotham City of crime. Batman Begins began a successful run of Batman films for Nolan that brought new life to the franchise and, for that matter, comic book films in general.
5 Batman — $411.5 Million
It was in 1989 that Batman became the cinematic juggernaut fans would come to know. The film wasn't a lock to win over audiences, Burton wasn't the obvious choice to direct the film, and Keaton certainly wasn't a fan favorite to take on the role of Batman himself. Known for his comedic roles, Keaton's casting was initially met with widespread backlash. He would go on to prove his doubters wrong, however, once Batman was finally released.
Batman would go on to be a massive hit and would create a longstanding franchise for Warner Bros. The adaptation brought a legitimacy to comic book movies and to the character himself. The duo of Burton and Keaton brought about a new version of Batman that was able to shake the reputation it had earned during its campier era under Adam West.
4 The Batman — $736+ Million
The Batman is the latest film in the franchise, and it came in hot. While thankfully not an origin story, this new take dives into the earlier years of Batman. It follows Pattinson's morose Bruce Wayne in his second year as Batman as he faces off against the Riddler. Per usual, The Batman proved to be another hit. While it could be argued that there are simply too many Batmen on screen simultaneously, Batman fatigue hasn't seemed to set in quiet yet as shown by The Batman's box office numbers.
3 Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice — $836.6 Million
The two most iconic superheroes in comics were bound to face off, and it finally happened in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The quasi-sequel to Man of Steel found Henry Cavil's Superman facing off against Ben Affleck's Batman. Despite nearing a billion dollars at the box office, the film was considered a disappointment, considering the epic crossover between the two characters for the very first time. Despite all of its faults, Zack Snyder's vision was a feast for the eyes, with outstanding visuals and insane action sequences ripped straight out of the comics. Affleck's turn as Batman may have been a bit more violent than normal, but it was a welcome return to a less grounded version of The Dark Knight.
2 The Dark Knight — $1.060 Billion
Nolan had a good start with Batman Begins, but it was The Dark Knight that brought about a new sense of legitimacy to comic book films. The epic film was the first time a Batman film earned over $1 billion at the box office. Not only was it a massive financial success, but it was a hit with critics as well. Often regarded as one of the greatest comic-book movies ever made, The Dark Knight ruled the 2008 box-office and even went on to win an Academy Award when Heath Ledger posthumously won for Best Supporting Actor for his legendary turn as The Joker.
1 The Dark Knight Rises — $1.081 Billion
The Dark Knight Rises was the end of The Dark Knight trilogy, and fans flocked to see how Nolan would end the series. This time, Batman faced off against a physical threat in the form of Bane, played by Tom Hardy. While the movie wasn't as critically beloved as The Dark Knight, it was still well regarded and made even more money at the box office. Its performance was impressive, considering it was released in the same year as The Avengers. The Dark Knight Rises proved that Batman himself is enough to make moviegoers flock to the cinemas.