What Batman movies feature Superman?

By Alex Wiggan

Image: ©Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment

In comics and on television, the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel have a friendship that stretches back decades. From the pages of The World’s Finest through to episodes of Super Friends, the friendship, trust and respect that exists between the two characters is legendary.

But what about when it comes to the big screen? When did Batman and Superman first meet on film? Have they had lots of adventures together or are their cinematic pairings few and far between?

In this post I will answer a heap of questions about Batman & Superman on the big screen, including the all-important question, what Batman movies feature Superman?

Let’s take a look.

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What was the first Superman film?

Although Superman appeared in a theatrical serial in 1948, Superman’s first feature-length adventure was the 1951 black and white movie, Superman and the Mole Men. The role of Clark Kent/Superman was played by George Reeves, who would also play the part in the television series, Adventures of Superman.

What was the first Batman film?

As with Superman, Batman appeared in movie serials during the 1940s, including 1943’s The Batman and 1949’s Batman and Robin. However, the Caped Crusader’s feature-length debut came in 1966 with Batman: The Movie, which starred Adam West – the same actor who played the role on the Batman TV series.

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Was Superman mentioned in Batman: The Movie or was Batman mentioned in Superman and the Mole Men?

No. Neither character was mentioned in their colleague’s movies. The pictures existed as separate entities with no crossover to the wider DC Universe whatsoever.

When was the first time that Batman was mentioned in a Superman movie?

The first time Batman was mentioned in a Superman movie was 2013’s Man of Steel, in a blink-and-you’ll miss it moment. During a fight scene between Superman and General Zod, the Wayne Enterprises logo could be seen on the side of a satellite. This reference to Bruce Wayne was a subtle nod to Batman’s existence.

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What was the first time that Superman was mentioned in a Batman movie?

The first time Superman was referenced in a Batman movie, was during Batman Forever (1995) when Bruce Wayne mentioned that “the circus must be halfway to Metropolis by now”. This was during a conversation with Dick Grayson and was a reference to Superman’s home city.

The first time the character was specifically mentioned was during the opening moments of Batman & Robin (1997), when the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder exchanged words about the Batmobile.

Robin: “I want a car. Chicks dig the car.”

Batman: “This is why Superman works alone.”

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What was the first time Batman and Superman appeared on the big screen together?

The first time Batman and Superman appeared in the same movie was during 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the sequel to Man of Steel. In this film Ben Affleck played the role of Batman opposite Henry Cavill as Superman.