Batman movies: A reference guide

So, you want to know about the Batman movies, but you don’t have the time to watch all of the films. No sweat, this post is designed with you in mind!

In this post I will offer up answers to countless Batman movie related questions, to present a reference guide to the Dark Knight and the world he inhabits. This reference guide to the live-action Batman movies will explain the order to watch the films; will highlight the key characters; and will throw in the basic information you need.

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What are all the Batman movies?

Here is a list of all the live-action Batman movies:

• Batman: The Movie (1966)
• Batman (1989)
• Batman Returns (1992)
• Batman Forever (1995)
• Batman & Robin (1997)
• Catwoman (2004)
• Batman Begins (2005)
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Suicide Squad (2016)
• Justice League (2017)
• Birds of Prey (2020)
• The Batman (2022)

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Which Batman movies are connected?

Below is a list of all the live-action Batman movies, grouped together with their corresponding sequels:

Batman 1960s-era

• Batman: The Movie (1966)

Batman Anthology

• Batman (1989)
• Batman Returns (1992)
• Batman Forever (1995)
• Batman & Robin (1997)

Catwoman standalone

• Catwoman (2004)

The Dark Knight trilogy

• Batman Begins (2005)
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The DC Extended Universe

• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Suicide Squad (2016)
• Justice League (2017)
• Birds of Prey (2020)

Joker standalone

• Joker (2019)

The Batman

• The Batman (2022)

If you wish to watch the films in order, you can select a category from above (e.g. Batman Anthology) and work your way through the list. So, if you picked the Batman Anthology you would watch the films as follows: Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997).

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Who are the directors of the Batman movies?

The live-action Batman movies are the work of multiple directors. The directors include Leslie H. Martinson (Batman: The Movie), Tim Burton (Batman/Batman Returns), Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever/Batman & Robin), Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins/The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises), Zack Snyder (Batman v Superman/Justice League), David Ayer (Suicide Squad), Todd Phillips (Joker), Cathy Yan (Birds of Prey) and Matt Reeves (The Batman).

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Who wrote the music for the Batman movies?

The music heard in the live-action Batman movies is the combination of a number of composers and musicians. Those most notable composers of the Batman movie music include Nelson Riddle (Batman: The Movie), Danny Elfman/Prince (Batman ’89), Danny Elfman (Batman Returns/Justice League), Elliot Goldenthal (Batman Forever/Batman & Robin), Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard (Batman Begins/The Dark Knight), Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight), Hans Zimmer/Junkie XL (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), Steven Price (Suicide Squad) and Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker).

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Which Batman movie features Michael Keaton?

Michael Keaton appears in two Batman movies: Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). Across the course of these movies Keaton plays the role of Batman against the Joker (Jack Nicholson), the Penguin (Danny DeVito), Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).

Keaton’s first movie details the origin of Batman, including the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents. If you want to know further details about the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents in Batman (1989), please check out my post: Why were Batman’s parents killed?

Which Batman movie features Val Kilmer?

Val Kilmer appears in Batman Forever (1995). In this movie Kilmer plays the role of Batman against the Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones).

Which Batman movie features George Clooney?

George Clooney appears in Batman & Robin (1997). In this movie Clooney plays the role of Batman against Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) and Bane (Jeep Swenson).

Which Batman movie features Christian Bale?

Christian Bale plays Batman in Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The villains featured across the course of these three movies are Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson), the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart), Bane (Tom Hardy), Talia al Ghul (Marion Cotillard) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway).

Bale’s first Batman movie details the origin of Batman and includes details about the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents.

Which Batman movie features Ben Affleck?

Ben Affleck plays Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017). The villains featured across the course of these movies include Lex Luthor (Jessie Eisenberg), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the Joker (Jared Leto), Deadshot (Will Smith), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), El Diabalo (Jay Hernandez), Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) and Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello).

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How many Batman movies feature Robin?

Robin or a version of Robin appears in the following movies:

• Batman: The Movie (1966)
• Batman Forever (1995)
• Batman & Robin (1997)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

How many Batman movies feature Batgirl?

Batgirl appears in just one movie:

• Batman & Robin (1997)

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What is the best Batman movie?

This comes down to personal preference. Those who like Batman Forever might not care for Batman Returns, while those who love Justice League may have no time for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Of the live-action Batman movies, The Dark Knight (2008) has the highest score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a rating of 94%, suggesting it is the best received movie of the series.

What is the worst Batman movie?

This is also something which comes down to personal preference and is completely open to debate. However, most fans regard 1997’s Batman & Robin as the worst Batman movie.

I’ve written a post which explains why Batman & Robin is singled out as ‘the worst’ Batman movie. Please check out ‘Why is Batman & Robin considered the worst Batman movie?’ for more details.

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What are famous Batman movie quotes?

There are a lot of famous Batman movie quotes – the series is just so darn quotable! Here are some of the best (and most memorable).

• “Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb.” – Batman (Batman: The Movie)
• “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” – The Joker (Batman ’89)
• “Never rub another man’s rhubarb.” – The Joker (Batman ’89)
• “Meow.” – Catwoman (Batman Returns)
• “Let’s start this party with a bang!” – Two-Face (Batman Forever)
• “Tell the fat lady, she’s on in five.” – Riddler (Batman Forever)
• “I want a car. Chicks dig the car.” – Robin (Batman & Robin)
• “As I told lady Freeze when I pulled her plug, this is a one-woman show.” – Poison Ivy (Batman & Robin)
• “There’s nothing to fear, but fear itself.” – Scarecrow (Batman Begins)
• “Why so serious?” – The Joker (The Dark Knight)
• “Let the games begin” – Bane (The Dark Knight Rises)
• “Tell me, do you bleed?” – Batman (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)
• “The worst part of having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don’t.” – Arthur Fleck (Joker)

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Who are Batman’s girlfriends/love interests?

In the live-action Batman movies the Caped Crusader has numerous love interests. Writers/directors treat the character a little like James Bond and often feel that he needs a new romance with each movie.

Batman’s love interests are as follows:

• Vicki Vale (Batman ’89)
• Selina Kyle (Batman Returns/The Dark Knight Rises)
• Dr. Chase Meridian (Batman Forever)
• Julie Madison (Batman & Robin)
• Rachel Dawes (Batman Begins/The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises)
• Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul (The Dark Knight Rises)

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Which movies feature the Joker?

The Joker appears in the following movies:

• Batman: The Movie (1966) – Cesar Romero
• Batman ’89 (1989) – Jack Nicholson
• The Dark Knight (2008) – Heath Ledger
• Suicide Squad (2016) – Jared Leto
• Joker (2019) – Joaquin Phoenix

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What movies feature the Batmobile?

All of the live-action Batman movies feature the Batmobile, however, there are various versions of the Batmobile throughout the movie series. Fans will forever debate the best iteration of the Batmobile, but each offers something different from the one that came before.

The Batmobile isn’t the only Bat-vehicle featured in the Batman movies. Numerous vehicles appear across the series, with the following being the most notable:

Batcycle (Batman: The Movie), Batboat (Batman: The Movie), Batcopter (Batman: The Movie), Batwing (Batman ‘89/Batman Forever/Batman v Superman), Batsub (Batman Returns), Redbird (Batman & Robin), Bathammer (Batman & Robin), Batgirl’s Batcycle (Batman & Robin), Batpod (The Dark Knight), and The Bat (The Dark Knight Rises).

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Where were the Batman movies filmed?

The Batman movie series have been shot in various locations across the world, with the most notable being Pinewood Studios (Batman ‘89/The Dark Knight), Warner Bros. Studios Burbank (Batman Returns/Batman & Robin/Catwoman), Chicago (Batman Begins/The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises/Suicide Squad), and Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden (Justice League). Additional locations throughout the series have included California, New York, London, Iceland, Hong Kong, Toronto, Glasgow, and Sgwd Henrhyd in Wales, amongst many others.

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The above reference guide should give you the basics of the Batman movie series and should be referred to as a go-to list (cheat sheet) for the series as a whole. As the series progresses or if more details are required, I will continue to update this post accordingly.

Thank you for stopping by. Should you want further information about the movies, you might like to read my post ‘why is Batman forever?‘, or you can check out the recommended posts below.

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