The manyBatmanmovieshave all had their fare share of controversy, butmany of their initially unpopular decisions have aged like a fine wine. Batman is a character that gets a lot of scrutiny with his adaptations from fans, being so beloved as to inspire strong opinions on every errant detail. Whilesome aspects of Batman movies have aged poorly, a wide variety of cinematic choices for the character that were initially deemed unpopular were more than vindicated by the passage of time.
Many announced Batman movie choices fans were initially unsure of have to do with the casting of Gotham’s various important players, not just thelive-action Batmenthemselves, but his roster of villains, as well. Other choices regarding the story, tone, or set dressing of the various Batman films also have come under scrutiny at first, only to justify themselves asvenerated classics in due time. For the most part, Batman audiences are better off trusting filmmakers when they unveil a bold new direction to take Batman in.
10Casting Robert Pattinson As Batman
The Batman (2022)
The first of the three live-action Batmen who got the most negative press upon their casting announcement, Robert Pattinson wasn’t a surefire hit for many dedicated fans.Pattinson is still best-known as Edward Cullenin the hilariously badTwilightmoviesto most, a series that’s nothing short of pure anathema for long-time Batman lovers.
What Robert Pattinson’s detractors failed to realize was his excellence in more recent movies outside ofTwilight’s shadow, likeThe LighthouseorTenet.
As a result, many were unsure that he had what it takes to once again lead a franchise as a brooding protagonist, especially one as important to so many people as Batman. What Robert Pattinson’s detractors failed to realize was his excellence in more recent movies outside ofTwilight’s shadow, likeThe LighthouseorTenet.
The Batman
Cast
The Batman follows a young Bruce Wayne as he investigates a sadistic serial killer targeting key political figures in Gotham. As he delves deeper, he is confronted by the city’s hidden corruption and questions surrounding his own family’s legacy.
In these films, Pattinson exemplified how his physicality, ability to tackle tortured characters, and sheer range of emotion would lend itself excellently to Batman and Bruce Wayne. Sure enough, by the timeThe Batmanwas released,Pattinson was able to win over even the most vocal skepticswith his atmospheric performance.
9Making The LEGO Batman Movie
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Will Arnett’s Batman was one of the most charming parts ofThe LEGO Movie,using a growly Christian Bale impersonationto poke fun at the overly-tragic character while re-imagining him into a sort of apex frat bro. Despite how funny he was, the announcement that Batman would be getting his own focused LEGO film wasn’t fondly received by many Batman movie completionists, who had long grown unused to the idea that Batman could be comedic.
The Lego Batman Movie
The LEGO Batman Movie is a spin-off of 2014’s The LEGO Movie, which centers around the titular hero; where after another day in Gotham City goes wrong thanks to the Joker and other fellow DC villains, Batman tells the Joker he’s a pitiful villain, not worth his time and hurts his feelings. Wanting to prove himself to Batman and get his ultimate revenge, Joker concocts an idea that will require the Caped Crusader to learn how to give up the lone vigilante act and recruit the help of allies Robin and Batgirl.
Extracting a whole plot out of Arnett’s one-note version of the character also seemed to be a Herculean task. However,The LEGO Batman Movieis quietlyone of the best Batman movies in general, let alone among his more humorous incarnations. Despite Batman’s immaturity and oafishness in the film, the story actually has quite a strong emotional core about opening up to new people. For those that gave it a chance,The LEGO Batman Moviewas a pleasant surprise worthy of the Batman IP.
8Making Batman Begins An Origin Story
Batman Begins (2005)
By the time it was Christopher Nolan’s turn to helm a Batman franchise, the character had been through the ringer. After being recast twice in the span of the same quadrilogy, which rapidly eroded the tone of the films from a serious, gloomy melodrama to a campy toy-selling machine,Batman’s public image was in dire straights.
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That’s not even to mention the multiplecanceled Batman filmsleading up to Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy, which further cast doubt as to whether Batman could ever dominate theaters again. With all that being the case, Nolan’s announcement thatBatman Beginswould be an origin story focused on Bruce’s early days fighting crime and the training he received to transform himself into a one-man army was met with hesitance.
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is the inaugural film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, featuring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. Released in 2005, it follows Wayne as he transforms into Batman to combat the pervasive corruption in Gotham City, creating a new identity to fight crime outside the system.
Batman’s origin had already been explored via flashback in 1989’sBatman, and audiences were unsure that a concept could carry a whole film. Luckily,Batman Beginsended up being just the thing the franchise neededto wipe the slate clean and start over with an excelent serious Batman story.
7Casting Ben Affleck As Batman
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
The entirety of the DCEU was rife with controversy, and Batman’s place in it was no exception. The closest thing Batman ever got to a solo movie in the entire universe,Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicemade waves when it was announced that Ben Affleck would be playing the Caped Crusader.
Affleck’s previous attempt at portraying a cowl-wearing vigilante in 2003’sDaredevilhad some disastrous results, and even the most loyal Snyder apologists were worried that Affleck would once again fumble an iconic superhero character. Shockingly,Ben Affleck truly stepped up to the role of Batmanthroughout the DCEU.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features the iconic clash between Gotham’s Dark Knight, played by Ben Affleck, and Metropolis’s Man of Steel, portrayed by Henry Cavill. As these two heroes confront each other, a looming threat endangers humanity, setting the stage for larger challenges ahead in the DC Extended Universe.
It’s easy to tell through his performance thathe has a deep respect and admiration for the character, injecting an amount of passion into his film appearances that simply wasn’t present inDaredevil.Affleck still might not be many people’s favorite Batman, but he deserves kudos as a solid live-action interpretation of the beloved hero.
6Casting Heath Ledger As The Joker
The Dark Knight (2008)
To this day,The Dark Knightremains thebest Batman moviefor many people, thanks largely to Heath Ledger’s brilliant interpretation of The Joker. From his chilling, insidious laugh to his genuinely funny sense of humor,Ledger forever changed the characterwith his haunting performance.
It may be difficult to imagine, but there was a time when Heath Ledger’s casting was not only looked upon with unfavorability, but downright outrage. At the time, Heath Ledger was best known for his tender acting inBrokeback Mountain,an LGBTQ Western romance film that carried a far different set of tones and expectations compared to a Batman movie.
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the second installment in the Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale as Batman. Released in 2008, the film follows Batman’s alliance with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent as they combat the organized crime that threatens Gotham, facing the menacing Joker.
Most fans didn’t think Ledger had it in himto pull off such a famous villain, andthe first glimpses at his ratty green hair and smeared makeupdidn’t convince skeptics any better. Of course, actually seeing him in action is a much different story, and instantly converted nonbelievers into how amazing of a casting decision Ledger’s Joker truly was.
5Casting Michael Keaton As Batman
Batman (1989)
Heath Ledger was far from the first Batman movie casting choice to be met with forgotten criticism upon announcement back in the day. Going even further back to the late 80s, the transformation of Batman from a campy pun-spewing hero to a brooding force of vengeance seemed to be hampered by the casting of Micheal Keaton as The Dark Knight himself.
At the time,Keaton was best known for comedies likeBeetlejuice, Mr. Mom,andTouch and Go.Knowing that Tim Burton was trying to bring Batman back to his comic roots with a more serious movie portrayal, the concept of a mostly comedic actor wearing the cape and cowl didn’t sit well with dedicated fans.
Batman
Batman is a 1989 superhero movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. The film features Jack Nicholson’s chilling portrayal as Jack Napier, who turns into the Joker and reigns terror on Gotham. Kim Basinger also stars in the film as Vicki Vale, along with Michael Gough as Bruce’s trusty butler named Alfred.
However,Micheal Keaton was able to prove his acting range withBatman, balancing both a stoic performance as Batman himself and a smooth billionaire playboy as Bruce Wayne. Even if he does have moments of levity, Keaton does a great job keeping things serious throughout his three movie appearances as Batman.
4Making Pattinson’s Batmobile A Car Again
The evolution ofthe Batmobile in moviesis quite the interesting lineage to follow. First appearing as a funky sports car in Adam West’sBatmanseries,the famous vehicle slowly became more militaristic, utilitarian, and tank-like as time went on, culminating in the Tumbler ofThe Dark Knighttrilogy fame and Ben Affleck’s jet fighter on wheels inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
By the time first images of Robert Pattinson’s Batmobile were shown off, some fans who had gotten used to these designs expressed critcism. Pattinson’s Batmobile is more of a traditional muscle car with some added jet engine power haphazardly welded to the back, not impressing a vocal minority of tank Batmobile aficionados.
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However, these qualms were made irrelevant by the fact thatPattinson’s Batmobile is behind one ofThe Batman’s best scenes, the highway chase with Penguin. Growling with a furious vengeance, the Batmobile is almost its own character in the film, looming in the distance like a horror movie monster and screeching with power Batman barely has a handle on.
3The Addition Of Rachel To The Dark Knight Trilogy
In his adaptation of the Batman mythos, Christopher Nolan wasn’t afraid to make some big changes in order to suit his own desires and unique brand of storytelling. Part of this authorship meant the introduction of several original characters into Gotham City’s streets, most importantly, Rachel Dawes.
Considering that Batman already has so many important love interests to pull from in the comics, including Vicki Vale, Catwoman, and Talia al Ghul, the need for a wholly original civilian romance option rubbed some prospective audiences the wrong way. However,Rachel soon became almost a ubiquitous name in the Batman mythosthanks to Nolan’s Batman universe.
Katie Holmes does a decent enough job inBatman Begins,butrecasting Rachel with Maggie GyllenhaalinThe Dark Knighttruly allowed the character to shine.Rachel is greatfor not only giving Batman a motivation and a stronger link to Bruce Wayne’s world, but for acting as a boots-on-the-ground perspective on Gotham’s war on crime from the legal side of things.
2Drowning Colin Farrell In Prosthetics To Become The Penguin
The Joker isn’t the only Batman villain to have had some controversial casting choices. Initially, Colin Farrell seemed to be an utterly bizarre choice for the role of The Penguin, being an Irish actor known for meditative dramas likeIn BrugesandThe Lobstermore so than superhero blockbusters.
In fact, his previous attempt at a cinematic comic book villain as Bullseye inDaredevilwas one of the most laughably strange superhero movie choices ever. All that besides,Farell isn’t exactly an obvious fit for The Penguin physically. It’s truly a testament to Farrell’s acting ability that he’s able to disappear into the prosthetics of Oz Cobb so swimmingly.
Few actors working today vanish into a role as completely as Colin Farrell does with The Penguin.
His thick New York accent andbombastic personality as The Penguin works wonders in Matt Reeves’The Batmanuniverse, convincing audiences enough not only to enjoy him inThe Batman,but in his own solo dedicated spin-off show as well. Few actors working today vanish into a role as completely as Colin Farrell does with The Penguin.
1Batman Being Older In The DCEU
A consequence of Ben Affleck being cast as Batman was the fact that the decision would leave the character as the oldest cinematic interpretation of Bruce Wayne yet. When he was cast inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck was already 43 years old, over a full 10 years older than Henry Cavill.
This was another talking point brought up against Affleck when his casting was announced, with some fans unsure as to how an older Batman would realistically keep up with The Man of Steel. However,an older, wiser, grizzled veteran Batman ended up being just what themovies of the DCEUneededto string themselves together.
After so many origin stories and fresh starts, it was great to see an experienced Batman that had already been made somewhat cynical by many years of superhero work, and Affleck worked well as a mentor-type character to heroes like The Flash. It’s hard to say if cinema will ever see a middle-agedBatmanever again, making the choice only age better as time marches on.
