How to Watch the Batman Movies in Chronological Order

Seven actors person donned the cape and cowl crossed astir 60 years of live-action Batman movies. From campy capers to noir-drenched transgression thrillers, Batman has (to varying degrees of success) glided crossed the gamut of superhero subgenres, though the series’ singular formed of characters and quality to pull apical endowment has enabled decades of relevancy that transcends its comic-book origins.

For those funny successful embarking connected the implicit big-screen Batman journey, we've compiled a mostly spoiler-free* database of each Batman movie ordered by merchandise date, from oldest to newest. At the bottommost of the article, you’ll besides find a breakdown of the Batman movies by director.

Jump to:

• How to ticker successful merchandise order
• How to ticker by director

How Many Batman Movies Are There?

There are 13 Batman movies included connected this database — 11 live-action and 2 animated. While Bats appears successful dozens of films, this database lone compiles feature-length theatrical releases successful which Batman is simply a main character. This excludes the bulk of animated Batman movies (including The Killing Joke, which appeared successful theaters for conscionable 1 day) and movies similar Suicide Squad successful which Batman isn’t a pb figure.

Batman Movie Sets

Although you tin easy watercourse Batman movies online, owning carnal copies guarantees you'll ever person them. If you're looking to drawback a Blu-ray acceptable of your favourite Batman eras, we've gathered immoderate of the champion ones below.

Every Batman Movie successful Order

*Each blurb contains a wide overview of the crippled and mentions the heroes/villains who look successful that film.

1. Batman (1966)

Based connected the palmy Adam West-led TV series, Batman’s theatrical debut came successful 1966 with West erstwhile again playing the Caped Crusader. The movie pitted Batman and Robin (Burt Ward) against the United Underworld: Joker (Cesar Romero), Riddler (Frank Gorshin), Penguin (Burgess Meredith), and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether). The villains are equipped with a dehydrating instrumentality that turns radical to dust.

The campy ‘60s movie was importantly lighter successful code compared to the gritty Batman of today.

2. Batman (1989)

Over 20 years later, Batman returned to the large surface with Tim Burton astatine the helm and Michael Keaton down the cowl. It explores Joker’s root story, mounting up the film’s superior plot: a deadly crippled of feline and rodent betwixt Batman and Joker, with Kim Basinger’s Vicki Vale serving arsenic a emotion involvement for Batman and a pawn for Joker.

Jack Nicholson earned a Golden Globe information for his memorable instrumentality connected the Clown Prince of Crime.

3. Batman Returns (1992)

The 2nd of Burton’s 2 Batman movies is simply a sequel that pits Keaton’s Batman against Danny DeVito’s creepy Penguin, who teams up with Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) to tarnish Batman’s reputation. Christopher Walken besides stars arsenic the villainous industrialist Max Shreck.

It’s 1 of the slightest palmy Batman movies commercially, though it features fantabulous performances from Keaton, Pfeiffer, and DeVito.

4. Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

The archetypal theatrically released animated Batman movie, The Mask of the Phantasm, was based connected the beloved Batman animated TV bid from the ‘90s. The movie was produced betwixt the series’ archetypal and 2nd seasons and released connected Christmas Day 1993.

The Mask of Phantasm explores the interconnected narratives of 3 characters: Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy), Joker (Mark Hamill), and Phantasm (voice histrion redacted to debar spoilers).

Conroy, who died successful 2022, was the definitive dependable of Batman, portraying the quality brilliantly crossed 30 years of TV shows, movies, and video games.

5. Batman Forever (1995)

After 2 films, Tim Burton stepped distant from the franchise, opening the doorway for Joel Schumacher’s brace of Batman movies. Keaton, aboriginal citing originative differences with Schumacher, besides elected not to instrumentality for Forever, starring to Val Kilmer’s 1 and lone crook arsenic Batman.

Batman Forever is astir fondly remembered for its villains: Tommy Lee Jones’s Two-Face and Jim Carrey’s Riddler. The duo, equipped with a mind-reading instrumentality called The Box, is pursued passim the movie by Batman and Robin (Chris O'Donnell). Nicole Kidman besides stars arsenic scientist Chase Meridian.

6. Batman & Robin (1997)

Kilmer was replaced by George Clooney, different one-time Batman, who starred other Arnold Schwarzenegger successful Schumacher’s follow-up, Batman & Robin. The duo faces disconnected against Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze and Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy, who program to frost humanity and regenerate it with Ivy’s mutant plants. Also connected the broadside of bully is Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone), portion Freeze and Ivy are assisted by Bane (played by Robert Swenson, a 6’4”, 400-pound nonrecreational wrestler).

Despite the beardown cast, Batman & Robin is mostly considered the franchise’s worst film: It earned little than immoderate different live-action Batman movie astatine the container bureau and easy holds the worst people connected Rotten Tomatoes. It marked the extremity of Schumacher’s clip astatine the helm and the opening of an eight-year hiatus for Batman connected the large screen.

7. Batman Begins (2005)

Eight years aft the underwhelming Batman & Robin, DC’s flagship leader returned nether the absorption of Christopher Nolan. Nolan and caller Batman histrion Christian Bale introduced moviegoers to a grittier Gotham City.

The trilogy’s archetypal film, Batman Begins, provides Nolan’s instrumentality connected the Batman root story, yet pitting our leader against the likes of eminent DC villains Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) and Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson). Begins besides introduces Nolan’s Pennyworth (Michael Caine), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), and James Gordon (Gary Oldman). Katie Homes plays Bruce’s emotion interest, Rachel Dawes, earlier she was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal successful The Dark Knight.

8. The Dark Knight (2008)

Nolan followed up connected his Batman debut with the champion Batman movie of each time. The Dark Knight is Nolan’s mentation of the eventual comic-book showdown: Batman vs. Joker.

Heath Ledger turns successful an Oscar-winning show arsenic a cunning, terrifying, believable, and sadistically charming Joker. The dynamic betwixt Ledger and Bale, alongside a propulsive crippled and fantabulous supporting performances from Maggie Gyllenhaal (Rachel Dawes) and Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent/Two-Face), led IGN to sanction The Dark Knight the champion superhero movie ever. It's besides the 2nd astir palmy Batman movie astatine the worldwide container office, grossing implicit $1 cardinal USD.

9. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Nolan’s Batman trilogy concluded successful 2012 with The Dark Knight Rises. In Christian Bale’s last Batman performance, The Dark Knight faces disconnected against Tom Hardy’s imposing Bane.

Rises had the intolerable task of surviving up to The Dark Knight, but comparisons aside, the movie was a monolithic success: It’s the highest-grossing Batman movie of each clip and the third-highest-rated connected Rotten Tomatoes.

In summation to returning galore staple characters from Nolan’s erstwhile Batman movies, Rises introduces Anne Hathaway arsenic Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt arsenic constabulary serviceman John Blake.

10. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Four years later, Batman entered the DCEU successful Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Ben Affleck’s Batman starred other Henry Cavill’s Superman successful the big-budget conflict of DC’s astir celebrated heroes.

It’s a messy, action-heavy blockbuster that brings unneurotic galore of the biggest names successful DC Comics: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), and Lois Lane (Amy Adams), to sanction a few. The movie besides serves arsenic Zack Snyder’s setup to Justice League.

BvS is among the most-profitable Batman movies astatine the container bureau and among the worst-reviewed connected Rotten Tomatoes.

11. The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

The 2nd of 2 animated movies connected this list, The LEGO Batman Movie is simply a fun, cameo-packed escapade centered astir different Batman-Joker conflict.

Will Arnett arsenic Batman leads a dependable formed directed by Chris McKay (Renfield). Supporting formed members see Zach Galifianakis arsenic Joker, Michael Cera arsenic Robin, Rosario Dawson arsenic Barbara Gordon, Channing Tatum arsenic Superman, Billy Dee Williams arsenic Two-Face, Conan O'Brien arsenic Riddler, and Zoe Kravitz arsenic Catwoman (before she portrayed the quality successful 2022's The Batman).

The LEGO Batman Movie besides pulls successful characters from crossed the satellite of LEGO, including King Kong, Voldemort, Sauron, Gremlins, and others. It’s the second-highest-rated Batman movie connected Rotten Tomatoes down lone The Dark Knight.

12. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Zack Snyder’s Justice League, aka the Snyder Cut, is simply a revamped and re-released mentation of the 2017 Justice League film. Ben Affleck reprises his relation arsenic Batman for the biggest DCEU crossover lawsuit to date.

Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman enlistee a squad of superheroes — Henry Cavill's Superman, Jason Momoa's Aquaman, Ezra Miller's Flash, and Ray Fisher's Cyborg — to support the satellite from Steppenwolf and Darkseid.

We’ve opted to see the 2021 Snyder Cut alternatively of the archetypal 2017 release, though its presumption connected the database would beryllium the aforesaid regardless.

13. The Batman (2022)

Matt Reeves’s crook astatine the helm began with 2022’s The Batman, a moody transgression thriller that IGN awarded a uncommon reappraisal people of 10/10. Robert Pattinson stars arsenic a pained, antisocial mentation of Bruce Wayne/Batman investigating the execution of Gotham City politician Don Mitchell Jr.

Joining Pattinson is Zoe Kravitz arsenic Catwoman, Colin Farrell arsenic Penguin, Paul Dano arsenic Riddler, Jeffrey Wright arsenic James Gordon, Andy Serkis arsenic Alfred, and John Turturro arsenic mobster Carmine Falcone.

It’s a must-watch movie for Batman fans and the archetypal successful what DC brag James Gunn has called Reeves’s “Batman Crime Saga,” which is planned crossed 3 films. It's arguably 1 of Robert Pattinson's champion films to date.

Batman Movies By Director

Leslie H. Martinson Batman Movies successful Release Order

• Batman (1966)

Tim Burton Batman Movies successful Release Order

• Batman (1989)
• Batman Returns (1992)

Joel Schumacher Batman Movies successful Release Order

• Batman Forever (1995)
• Batman & Robin (1997)

Christopher Nolan Batman Movies successful Release Order

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

Zack Snyder Batman Movies successful Release Order

• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Matt Reeves Batman Movies successful Release Order

• The Batman (2022)

Theatrically Released Animated Batman Movies successful Release Order

• Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
• The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

Upcoming Batman Movies

The Batman – Part II (2026)

The adjacent Batman movie is The Batman – Part II, a sequel to 2022’s The Batman erstwhile again directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson. There’s nary connection connected crippled details yet, but we cognize the film’s scheduled merchandise has been pushed backmost to October 2, 2026.

A 3rd movie is expected to follow, arsenic Reeves’s Batman saga is planned arsenic a trilogy.

The Brave and the Bold (TBD)

The Brave and the Bold is an upcoming diagnostic movie astir Batman that volition beryllium heavy influenced by the comics from Grant Morrison. Directed by Andy Muschietti (The Flash, It), The Brave and the Bold volition beryllium portion of the caller DCU helmed by James Gunn. Gunn has besides confirmed that Robert Pattinson volition not beryllium the DCU Batman.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies arsenic a freelance writer for IGN.