Batman, otherwise known as Bruce Wayne, is one of the most popular superheroes of all time. After making the leap from DC comic books into live-action film in 1966, the Caped Crusader has been played by seven different actors so far. Six directors have adapted their visions of the masked hero — ranging from delightfully campy to dark and gritty — and each have left their mark on the character’s legacy.
Check out the JustWatch guide below to find out all you need to know about how (and where) to watch all the Batman movies in order in the United Kingdom!
How to Watch the Batman Movies in Order
The best way to watch the Batman movies is in order of release. With eleven live-action movies (and counting) featuring Batman as the or a main character, including several retellings of his origin story and much jumping between different comic book arcs, it would be quite a challenge to watch the Batman movies in chronological order.
We therefore recommend approaching the Batman movies either in order of release or based on the Batman era. Each era is defined by the actor playing the iconic character.
The Adam West Era
First on the list is the Adam West era of Batman, in which West brought a delightfully campy version of the character to the big screen in Leslie H Martinson’s 1966 Batman. West originally portrayed the character in the Batman television series between 1966 and 1968.
The Michael Keaton Era
Some 20 years later, Tim Burton made his two flamboyant contributions to the Batman universe with Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) for Warner Bros. Both starred Michael Keaton as Batman and brought iconic villains to the screen, including Jack Nicholson’s Joker, Danny DeVito’s Penguin, and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman.
The Val Kilmer Era
In 1995, Joel Schumacher directed his first Batman feature starring Val Kilmer for Warner Bros. While the addition wasn’t the strongest, Batman Forever did give audiences Jim Carrey’s over-the-top version of The Riddler, in addition to Tommy Lee Jones’ manic Two-Face.
The George Clooney Era
In 1997, Joel Schumacher took another crack at the character with Batman & Robin, this time featuring George Clooney as Batman, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr Freeze, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl. The film unfortunately had several defects — including the infamous ‘bat nipples’ on the Batsuit — that have made it one of the more infamous instalments.
The Christian Bale Era
In perhaps the most well-regarded era of Batman so far, Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan rebooted Warner Bros’ Batman with a trilogy starring Christian Bale. The Dark Knight movies have since become the gold standard for Batman films.
In 2005, Batman Begins retold Batman’s origin story and pitted the Caped Crusader against villains Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy). Meanwhile, Michael Caine was introduced as Bruce Wayne’s faithful butler and confidant Alfred Pennyworth, and Gary Oldman as steadfast Gotham police officer Jim Gordon. In 2008, The Dark Knight was released, introducing Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker. The Dark Knight is widely considered the best Batman movie to have ever been made. In 2012, the final instalment, The Dark Knight Rises, brought Tom Hardy’s Bane into the fray and solidified the trilogy as the best in Batman’s history to date.
The Ben Affleck Era
Ben Affleck donned the cowl in Zack Snyder’s two films featuring the character: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). Batman v Superman saw the two iconic characters meet in an epic showdown, while Justice League finally saw Batman share the screen with Superman and other DC superheroes Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. Both films received mixed reviews from critics, although fans were somewhat more forgiving.
The Robert Pattinson Era
In 2022, Warner Bros hired director Matt Reeves to helm The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. The result was a moody noir that brought out Batman’s detective side more than any previous feature. The film received largely positive reviews from both critics and audiences and is intended to be the start of a new trilogy series. The second instalment is scheduled for release in 2026 after some significant production delays.
Some honourable mentions include 2016’s Suicide Squad, which only briefly features Batman, and 2019’s Joker, in which a young Bruce Wayne makes a short appearance.
Where can I watch all the Batman movies in order and online?
Check out our complete list below to see all the Batman movies in order and find out how and where you can stream them. The Batman films are available to stream across several platforms, including Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime Video.
