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 Image: Bridge City Comics

The Famous Batmans of Hollywood

Over the years, Batman has been one of the most popular superheroes of all. Because of his level of popularity, there has been a television show and many movies that were made on the basis of the character. Through these films and the show, different people have played this popular superhero character, each one lending a slightly different personality.

Adam West
Though not the first television Batman, Adam West is perhaps the most well-known of the TV Batman personas. His off-the-wall portrayal of Batman was met by the most controversy because he took a different take on the character than anyone else had before him or ever had again. After the show went off the air, West continued to make appearances as Batman and voiced the character on several cartoon shows.

Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton is the first movie Batman after Adam West no longer had exclusive hold over the character. Keaton was cast in the role over a long list of other major actors due to his combination of funny and scary characteristics. While fans were concerned about his portrayal of Batman, they were not disappointed in his performance. In fact, Keaton went on to play the role again several years after the original 1989 movie.

George Clooney
While not his best-known part, George Clooney earned the part of the masked crusader in the 1997 film, Batman and Robin. This movie occurred during the rise of Clooney as a star and was supposed to be a major break for him. Unfortunately, this movie did not do as well as projected and many criticized the actor's portrayal of the character. This did not hurt his chances of moving on to become a big star in other movies and television shows.

Christian Bale
The most recent actor to gain the part of Batman is Christian Bale, who starred in the last three Batman movies, which were released in 2005, 2008 and 2010. In each of these movies, Bale was overall well-received. However, many critics complained about his voice in the movies, expressing a desire for Bale to use his natural voice instead of attempting to lower his voice to speak for the character. BaleÕs performances can be found on this website, as well as many other forms of media.

Ben Affleck
Recently, Ben Affleck has been cast in the part of Batman for an upcoming movie that is a sequel to the current movie, Man of Steel. While Affleck was hesitant to take the part at first, he ultimately decided to give the role a chance. One of the reasons cited for his change of heart was convincing words by the movie's director, Zack Snyder. This movie is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2015.

Batman is an American icon that has appeared in television shows and movies throughout the years. Instead of using the same person to play the role throughout the years, there have been many great actors who have taken on this role. Learning about the different ways each one has played the character gives new insight into the movies and allows you to decide which one can be named the best Batman movie ever.

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