Batman has been gracing the big screen since as far back as 1943. The iconic Caped Crusader hit the big screen just four short years after he was first introduced in DC Comics. Of course, considering it was 1943, the very first theatrical Batman serial was rough. A very young Wilson Lewis played a not very compelling costumed Batman in a plot that was filled with war propaganda and racism. By 1949, Batman had received another far less offensive serial, Batman & Robin. However, the production was pitifully cheap and still didn’t come close to capturing the essence of what we now think of as Batman.

It wasn’t until 1966 that the hero received his first proper theatrical film adaption in Batman. Adam West took on the role and engaged audiences with his campy heroic take on the Caped Crusader. By 1989 Warner Bros. began their initial Batman series which saw Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney take on the role of Batman throughout four films. Sadly, the franchise ended on a sour note when the fourth installment, Batman & Robin badly missed its mark and featured a lackluster Clooney in the role of Batman.