All 7 Batman movie directors ranked from worst to best
1. Christopher Nolan
Directed: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
What Christopher Nolan did with the Batman franchise can’t be overstated. He brought it back from the brink of obscurity, reviving the character’s cinematic reputation and taking the saga to its most successful (and arguably greatest) heights yet.
The esteemed director is renowned for taking a more realistic approach with the series (although his first outing did lean into the supernatural territory a bit more), opting for less comical villains and more grounded ones instead. His vision really began to take form in The Dark Knight, which was an immersive thriller that looked as glossy and believable as it was chilling. From the invasive close-ups whenever Heath Ledger’s Joker was around to the expertly-filmed combat sequences, Nolan’s films were an experience.
The same goes for his third outing The Dark Knight Rises, which made use of IMAX cameras to make the franchise look bigger than ever – and it succeeded in doing so, making the stakes higher, the tension exhausting and the overall experience, once again, thrilling.
Nolan’s first Batman movie made $373 million; his last made $1.1 billion. That alone highlights the success of his time as director of the franchise, and his three high-quality movies will forever be a shining example of how to adapt comic book characters in a realistic world. It shouldn’t have worked, but Nolan made it work.
Next. All 12 Batman actors ranked from worst to best. dark
Which of the above directors is your favorite? Do you have a favorite movie starring the Caped Crusader?