Lewis G. Wilson

In the first ever “Batman” screening in 1943, Columbia Pictures made an odd choice in casting such an unknown, young actor to portray such a titan of the super hero world. The 15-part serial had a lot of criticism from the audience. His physique was criticized as quite possibly the most peculiar part about his portrayal of the character, as well as his high-pitched voice. The movie didn’t fare well and neither did Wilson’s acting career after that. It’s safe to say that Wilson did not portray Batman the best.

Robert Lowery

The studio learned their lesson and hired a well-known action actor to fill the role. Lowery came out with another 15-part serial follow-up six years later, yet he still had the bright utility belt and the silly pointy ears. Despite the 1940s unique design choices, the serial did much better than its predecessor.

Adam West

Currently the most poked at actor to play Batman thanks to “Family Guy”, Adam West was remembered greatly for his unique voice much like William Shatner in “Star Trek.” Some Batman fans hate him for infiltrating almost every entertainment medium using Batman’s name from TV, radio, print and movies. Other fans love him, however, for his charm and antics. West was typecast as the character though, and the multiple shows went off the air and were seemingly forgotten. It seems that studios do learn from their mistakes though, as we see the character’s portrayal improving with each reboot.

Michael Keaton

When West lost exclusivity of the Batman name, Tim Burton took the helm as director and had big celebrity names to choose from to play the caped crusader. Keaton was chosen amidst fan protests of the film. Despite intense doubts for the film’s quality, it crushed everyone else in the 1989 box office, and Keaton got rave reviews. He was even asked to be in 1992’s “Batman Returns.”

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer in “Batman Forever” is labeled as the most forgettable of the modern Batmen. The movie did well overall, but Kilmer didn’t shine. He had to follow Keaton’s stunning performance, and didn’t get enough positive feedback to continue in the Batcave.

George Clooney

Bat-Nipples. That’s what many remember about George Clooney’s performance as Batman. Clooney’s career was just taking off when he got cast in 1997, and the studio was ecstatic to get him on board. No one is excited about that film anymore. From the homoeroticism, obscure setting choice and the ridiculous addition of nipples on the Bat suit, there were multiple reasons why the film tanked. Not only was it one of the worst Batman films, it is still regarded as one of the worst films of all time.

Christian Bale

All of the Batman films before Bale and Nolan’s trilogy struggled to find balance between Batman’s humor, obscure villains, the suit, gadgets and most importantly the story’s dark side. People wonder what the film would be like with Bale but not Nolan. Nolan reinvented the franchise and was able to make the entire Batman universe real and gritty. The big downside to Bale’s performance, however, was his attempt at an over-manly voice. He was criticized throughout the trilogy for it, but the films overall have set the bar high for other superhero films.

Ben Affleck

Fans were originally skeptical of Affleck being cast, and some still are holding on to that. As the studio shares images from filming and flaunts the new suit, it seems people are giving Affleck the benefit of the doubt. No matter what your opinion is, you have to feel bad for him having put on the mask after Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan’s epic trilogy that set the bar for all superhero movies.