Only one Batman actor can be considered the best

Batman has been a staple of the movie industry for decades now. He's been a staple of the comic book industry for even longer than that, but it's hard to imagine a time when he wasn't a box office titan either. And that's for good reason, because he headlined two theatrical serials in 1943 and 1949 before starring in his own movie in 1966 (which was based on the ABC TV series). But that legacy took a whole new, game-changing step forward when Tim Burton's Batman arrived in movie theaters in 1989, offering up what was arguably considered the world's first modern superhero blockbuster.

Over the years, plenty of actors have portrayed the Caped Crusader. From Lewis Wilson, Robert Lowery and Adam West's early adaptations to the modern world of Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson, we've seen a number of unique portrayals and takes on the character, and all of them have resulted in passionate responses from fans.

But the truth is that there is only one actor who can be truly considered the definitive version of the Dark Knight. Having seen all of them, analyzed them countless times and enjoyed endless hours of the hero's live-action adaptations, it really needs to be said that there is only one definitive Batman.

Michael Keaton is - and always will be - the definitive live-action Batman

"I'm Batman." Arguably the most iconic phrase in the history of cinema. The power that it wields is second-to-none and the aura around it alone is enough to prove that anyone worthy of uttering those words is not to be messed with. For they are, indeed, Batman.

We owe the grandeur of that phrase to Michael Keaton, who said it in the 1989 Tim Burton movie Batman when The Dark Knight told a thug to tell all his friends about him. "What are you?!" the terrified thug screamed in his face. Keaton responded simply, but firmly: "I'm Batman." And history was made.

This wasn't the first time that the words had ever been heard together on the screen. Adam West's beloved Caped Crusader introduced himself multiple times throughout the 1966 Batman TV series, but it was the first time they had been said with such power, such gravitas. Michael Keaton's Batman wasn't just introducing himself, he was making a statement. And that statement was received; loud and clear.

Keaton was at the center of what many consider to be the first modern superhero blockbuster, but his performance was so convincing that he has since become the yardstick for what a good Batman needs to be. That's pretty impressive considering his initial casting in the role caused outcry from DC Comics fans who thought his reputation for being a wonderful comedy actor meant that he would take the Caped Crusader back to the more colorful direction of the '60s TV series. But he turned in a stoic, unnerving, eerie performance that captured everything Batman should be, and has stood the test of time as everything that any actor playing the role should aspire to be.

Batman is a complex, divided character and he encapsulated that in his performance in the 1989 film. Bruce Wayne is a strange individual who, although comfortable behind the facade of the perfect billionaire who has it all, isn't all that comfortable in his own skin. But the eccentric man is more than comfortable when he suits up as The Dark Knight and fights for justice as a vigilante at night. The way that Keaton so effortlessly captured this dichotomy between Bruce's two alter-egos is quite literally the stuff of legend.

It's not something that people would have particularly thought about when thinking of Bruce Wayne back then, but it's something that is so inherently associated with the character these days. We owe Keaton's take on the character a lot on that front.

I mentioned that Keaton's take on the character has stood the test of time, and we needn't look any further than 2023's The Flash movie, in which he reprised the role for the first time in 30 years. Although that film was somewhat divisive, Keaton's performance was once again acclaimed by audiences, with many citing his return as Batman the best part of the movie. And honestly, it's hard to argue with that.

While Batman very much set the stage for the modern superhero movie, the landscape has changed in the nearly 40 years since its release. And yet, there was Keaton's Batman, perfectly at home in a 2023 DC blockbuster as if he were a regular part of the DC Universe at the time. That's how you stand the test of time, and it goes a long way in arguing the case that he is indeed the best Batman of them all. It wasn't a cameo, it wasn't a guest appearance; he was one of the main characters in the movie, and he felt every bit as relevant, every bit as formidable as he did in the '80s and the '90s.

There have been many great actors to wear the cape and cowl over the years, all of them a part of this incredible legacy of the Man who would be Bat. But Michael Keaton's performance stands above the others as the finest example of what Batman stands for, who he is, and what he could be. That is a whole legacy in and of its own right, and it's just one of the many reasons as to why he is the best of them all.

Just as you hear Kevin Conroy's voice in your head when you read a Batman comic, when you think of what Batman would look like in real life: You think of the long ears, the haunting visage, the eerie silhouette, and the man of few words. You, quite simply, think of Michael Keaton's Batman. For that is the personification of The Dark Knight. And it always will be.