Batman has been gracing the big screen since 1943. The iconic Caped Crusader starred in his first film just four short years after he was 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 filled with war propaganda and racism. In 1949, Batman starred in 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 take on the Caped Crusader. In 1989, Warner Bros. began its initial Batman series, which saw Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney consecutively take on the role of Batman over the course of four films. Sadly, the franchise ended on a sour note when the fourth installment, Batman & Robin, missed its mark with a lackluster Clooney in the role of Batman.

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