“Batman” has been one of the most famous comic book superheroes and has immense popularity among fans around the world. If you are also a fan of Bruce Wayne, then here we will tell you how to watch Batman movies.
It’s impressive that a brooding billionaire traumatized by the death of his parents at a young age would dedicate his life to fighting crime in Gotham City.
Unlike other DCU heroes such as Superman, Aquaman and The Flash, Batman lacks powers and possesses a high level of destruction. This has given the character a human touch that fans can identify with.
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In the live-action films, the role of Batman has been played by various actors such as Michael Keaton, George Clooney, and most recently, Robert Pattinson. All of them have made their personal contribution.
To date, eight Batman films have been filmed featuring the comic book hero as the protagonist. We’re obviously referring to live-action feature films.
Ben Affleck joined the roster in Justice League before taking on Superman in Batman v Superman.
If you want to learn more about this superhero, here are the movies in chronological order and by release date.
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batman movies in release order
There are many Batman movies to watch. To make things easier, we recommend that you view them based on their release dates, which are as follows:
- Batman (1966)
- batman (1989)
- Batman Returns (1992)
- Batman Forever (1995)
- Batman and Robin (1992)
- Batman Begins (2005)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (2008)
- Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- The Batman (2022)
Fans first saw a live-action Batman in 1989 with Michael Keaton in Batman Forever before Val Kilmer was cast.
Some may wonder why only one film starring Ben Affleck as Batman is included in the list. The actor was not one of the main attractions of attention in Justice League and The Flash. Fans saw more of his story and overall character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
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batman movies in chronological order
For fans who want to watch the Batman movies in chronological order, there isn’t much difference in the order regarding their release dates:
- Batman (1966)
- batman returns
- batman (1989)
- batman forever
- batman and robin
- Batman Begins
- dark Knight
- the dark Knight Rises
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- batman
While the chronological order is predictable from the start, the timeline of the new Batman film is more straightforward than that of the original.
Here’s a slightly more in-depth explanation of these films.
Batman (1966)
The 1966 film is based on the original 1960s television series starring Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. The Caped Bat and his companions battle some of their greatest villains, including Catwoman, the Riddler, and the Joker.
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It was the first big screen version of the superhero film following the final episode of the series’ first season. This episode aired on May 5, 1966, so it can be assumed that the film is also from that year.
batman returns
Two wealthy members of high society are horrified by the birth of their deformed son and abandon him. He has now been found in the sewers, beneath Gotham City, and has been raised by the Penguin.
Years later, he becomes the Penguin (Danny DeVito) and helps businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) rid Gotham City of Batman (Michael Keaton).
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When Shrek’s assistant Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) is killed for exposing the truth, she transforms into Catwoman, who joins forces with enemies until she sparks a romance with Batman Fly. Can’t feel it.
This may leave fans speechless. According to IGN, although Batman Returns is billed as a sequel to The Batman, it chronologically takes place before it. Artist Joe Quinones revealed that the Batman story takes place in the mid-90s, three years after Batman Returns.
batman
Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton)’s life is changed after witnessing the murder of his parents at the hands of a mobster. Years later, behind his millionaire image lies a crime-fighting man in Gotham City known as Batman.
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He soon meets his greatest enemy, the Joker (Jack Nicholson). He takes control of the city’s criminal syndicate and becomes a threat. While Batman has a bigger concern besides protecting everyone, his girlfriend, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger).
Although it may seem strange that Batman’s first live-action story is not his first chronologically, unofficially it is. The Joker is Batman’s greatest enemy and it makes sense that he would go after the Penguin. Keaton reprized his role in The Flash.
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batman forever
There is no Joker seen in this film with Val Kilmer. Instead, fans meet former District Attorney Harvey Dent (Tommy Lee Jones), who is fatally injured in an accident and becomes Two-Face, joining forces with former Wayne Enterprises inventor Edward Nygma. Who wants to take revenge on Bruce Wayne. He becomes the Riddler and opens a brainwashing machine that affects the entire Gotham City.
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It is not clear when this film will be made. But fans can assume that it follows Keaton’s version of Batman.
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batman and robin
Fans love or hate George Clooney’s 1992 film Batman & Robin. Once again, it did not feature the Joker as the main villain and was the first film to feature Batman’s sidekick.
Batman (Clooney) and his sidekick Robin (Chris O’Donnell) face a new group of villains trying to stop Mister Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from turning Gotham City into an icy paradise.
At the same time, botanist Dr. Pamela Isles (Uma Thurman) is transformed into deadly poison ivy after being sprayed with chemicals. She wants to use Bruce Wayne’s money to finance her research. Both heroes try to foil his plans with the help of Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone).
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Batman & Robin is another film that has no clear chronological line and can be considered a post-Keaton and Kilmer film.
Batman Begins
Christian Bale debuted in Batman Begins, one of the most successful films in the Batman franchise.
A young Bruce Wayne (Bale) travels to the Far East and is trained by Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). He soon discovers the truth behind the League of Shadows, who want to destroy Gotham City. Bruce returns to his city determined to rid it of the scourge that causes so much harm and becomes Batman.
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According to fans on Reddit, the story of Batman Begins takes place around 2005. This is the same year when the film was released. “In early/mid 2004, Batman investigates drugs leading to the Scarecrow, and in late 2004/early 2005 Ra’s al Ghul arrives in Gotham City to complete his mission. “Batman Begins ends on the night of Bruce Wayne’s birthday in 2005,” one fan explained.
dark Knight
Batman (Bale) has managed to take control of crime in Gotham City with the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Prosecutor Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).
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The Dark Knight introduced one of the most famous versions of the Joker ever seen. The evil criminal, played by Heath Ledger, begins sowing chaos and destruction throughout the city. Batman’s morals are challenged when he tries to stop a villain.
The Dark Knight also announces the birth of Two-Face. Like the original release date, the film takes place in mid-2008 and the story ends at the end of the same year.
the dark Knight Rises
The film makes it clear that eight years have passed since the events of the previous film’s story.
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Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon disappear, seeing the fruits of their labor destroyed with the death of Harvey Dent.
Both characters are pushed out of the shadows when a cat burglar (Anne Hathaway) causes havoc while a terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy) has deadly ambitions for Gotham City.
The film takes place eight years after The Dark Knight, so the events take place in late 2016. “The movie ends in early 2017, because Bruce Vanay was in the pit for 6 months and it’s already winter at the end of the movie,” explained a fan on Reddit.
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Following the DCEU franchise event of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice sees Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) facing off against Superman (Henry Cavill).
After the massive damage caused by Superman and Zod’s (Michael Shannon) battle in Metropolis, Bruce sees the famous “Man of Steel” as a threat. In the midst of their battle, Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) has his own diabolical plans for the Krypton-born hero.
The story of “Man of Steel” dates back to 2013, when the film was released. In the film, Batman v Superman takes place eighteen months later, in 2015.
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batman
Still developing his art and image, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) works on the streets of Gotham City as a vigilante called “Vengeance”.
When a sadistic masked serial killer named the Riddler (Paul Dano) begins wreaking havoc and leaving mysterious clues behind, Bruce begins to investigate. With the help of James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), they work to stop him before it’s too late. And
According to CBR, the public learned that Wayans was murdered in 2001 because of a photo of the Riddler. Bruce’s story takes place 18 years after the death of his parents, i.e. in the year 2019.
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And now that you know the order of the Batman movies, you can enjoy an incredible marathon, especially if you are a fan of this nostalgic superhero from the DC universe. Keep reading for more fun information on Dexerto.