WEIRDO Ranks: Every Live-Action Batman Actor 🦇 (Part 11 of 11)
I am vengeance. I am the night. I AM BATMAN!
Numerous actors have donned the Dark Knight’s iconic cape and cowl in the 80 years since Lewis Wilson first portrayed the character in the 1943 movie serial titled The Batman. Every on-screen iteration of the Caped Crusader has provided something unique to the mythos. However, few have been able to properly capture the dichotomy between Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter ego.
This series seeks to provide my personal ranking of each live-action interpretation of my favorite comic book superhero! I hope you all enjoy, and remember to hit that clap button as well as comment where you would rank each Batman actor on your personal list.
Disclaimer: There are two live-action outings that I either haven’t seen whatsoever or haven’t finished, and those are The Batman & Batman and Robin movie serials that released in 1943 and 1949, respectively. Therefore, I have chosen to leave each of their Batman actors out of this particular ranking. Oh, and if you haven’t seen any of these projects, there could be minor spoilers ahead!
1. Ben Affleck (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder’s Justice League)
“Tell me… Do you bleed?”
Ben Affleck aka the G.O.A.T. was arguably the most hated actor to have been announced as the Batman when Zack Snyder was casting the sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel. Hell, when I read about it, even I screamed, “NOOOOO!” Afterward, Zack Snyder dropped our very first look at Affleck in the iconic cape and cowl, leaving me to say only one thing: “HOLY S***!”
The The Town actor looked like he was ripped straight out of a comic book. He had the size — that training scene though! — the gruff, and the most comic-accurate Batsuit ever displayed on screen. His vengeful stare encapsulates the pain and torment encompassing his entire life, as Affleck’s Bruce Wayne is a morbid, reckless, pain medication-popping, and borderline alcoholic introvert having spent 20+ years fighting crime.
Although maintaining his charming persona in the public eye, Batfleck wholeheartedly convinces you that his character had officially gone off the deep end, consumed by the vindication of his actions as Batman. He’s brutal, agile, and gives zero f***s when it comes to the wellbeing of others, resulting in the best fight scene in any comic book movie ever — yes, I’m talking about the fight in the warehouse! This scene alone displays how much of an absolute force he is to be reckoned with.
Granted, his murderous streak didn’t sit right with a number of fans, but he’s no less murderous than Keaton’s portrayal, for example. This was a jaded Batman pushed to the brink of hell, vowing to do whatever it took to get the job done, and I loved every second of it.
In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Batman rallies the JL together to battle the likes of Steppenwolf, further proving that in addition to his arsenal of useful skills, he is also a natural-born leader, and a full-blown superhero. That fantastical element of the character is what every other iteration sorely lacked, as Affleck’s Batman is the only one I could see going toe-to-toe with a being like Superman. It’s a shame that his solo flick didn’t pan out, but with the actor’s reappearance in The Flash and Aquaman 2, who knows what the future has in store for the best Batman ever!
Well, there you have it folks — my official ranking of all eleven live-action Batman actors that I’ve seen. I hope you guys enjoyed the series, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts as well. Keep on the lookout for future series like this, and thanks for reading. See you next time!
