Without a doubt, Batman has more animated and live-action television series than perhaps any other superhero in history. For decades, various interpretations of The Dark Knight, his allies, and the world of Gotham City have been created for the small screen, both in animation and live-action. However, some series are naturally better than others.
From the campy 1960s, the animation boom of the ’90s, to more mature prestige dramas and adult animated comedies in the modern era, it feels as though there’s a Batman show for every kind of DC fan. There are even shows that revolve around other characters living in Gotham beyond Batman himself, both heroes and villains (and even the vehicles in Batman’s garage).
While it will always be fun to see Batman on the big screen with projects like Matt Reeves’ The Batman or DC Studios’ upcoming Brave and the Bold film with Batman and Robin, The Dark Knight has always had a nearly continuous presence on the small screen. Keeping that in mind, here’s our ranking for all 21 series that either have Batman in the title, star major Batman characters, and/or carry a large focus on Gotham City itself.
21
Gotham Knights (2023)
The lead characters of Gotham Knights standing together
Someone’s got to be at the bottom, and the best contender for the worst Batman series is arguably Gotham Knights, despite the promise of its initial premise. Created by the CW, a new continuity was created for the series where Bruce Wayne is murdered. This forces his adopted son named Turner to team up with the children of several Gotham rogues to uncover the truth. However, the show never found its footing, and didn’t even have the advantage of being set in the same universe as the rest of the Arrowverse despite being a short-lived CW series.
The decision to create a brand-new adopted son for Bruce Wayne when Batman already has so many adopted sons to choose from in the comics was fairly divisive. Combined with some poor pacing and the CW already petering out on superhero shows, Gotham Knights left much to be desired, and it certainly didn’t help that it shared a name with a DC video game starring Nightwing, Red Hood, Robin, and Batgirl, which had just been released just a few months prior (and received its own mixed reviews).
20
The New Adventures of Batman (1977)
Batgirl riding on a motorbike Robin and Batman riding in the Batmobile in The New Adventures of Batman
The New Adventures of Batman reunited Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, an animated continuation of their classic live-action series that also featured Bat-Mite for comic relief. While hearing the voices of West and Ward is fun, it features far less depth and nuance than future animated Batman series.
19
Batwoman (2019)
A Gotham-set series that was part of the CW’s greater Arrowverse, Bruce Wayne’s cousin Kate Kane received her own series that saw her protecting Gotham while Batman was missing. Initially played by actress Ruby Rose, her departure after the first season massively changed the trajectory of the show, with Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder taking over as a new version of Batwoman. However, the show’s full potential was never quite reached before the Arrowverse came to an end and started winding down in the 2020s.
18
Bat-Fam (2024)
Batman with his blue and gray suit in Bat-Fam
Amazon’s recently released Bat-Fam animated series takes a more lighthearted take on Batman’s extended family, focusing less on crime-fighting and more on the personalities and relationships of several Gotham’s characters, with Bruce Wayne himself being depicted as an overworked and tired father voiced by Luke Wilson. It’s a fun enough comedy series, though there are certainly better ones later on in this list, and its more stylized animation isn’t for everyone.
17
Kite Man: Hell Yeah! (2024)
Kite Man and Gold Glider flying together, holding handsin Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Season 1 Episode 10Image via Max
One of the unlikeliest DC spin-offs to have ever been made, Kite Man: Hell Yeah! follows the fan-favorite Batman rogue Chuck Brown following his introduction in the animated Harley Quinn series, as he and his girlfriend Golden Glider try to run a bar in Gotham City. Like Harley Quinn, Kite Man is a comedy satire on the DC Universe and Batman mythos. However, it really is just a companion piece that works because of Harley Quinn’s foundation, and many of this world’s best characters are featured in that show as opposed to this one.
16
Batwheels (2022)
Batwheels team
Batwheels is an animated preschool series on HBO Max starring sentient Batmobiles and more vigilante vehicles working together as a team to help keep Gotham safe, including the Batcycle, Batwing, Redbird, and more talking vehicles, while also featuring kid-friendly versions of Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and classic villains (Batman himself is remarkably voiced by Ethan Hawke).
While it’s not targeted toward longtime fans with intentionally basic plots for younger audiences, it succeeds fairly well when it comes to introducing kids to Batman’s world.
15
Birds of Prey (2002)
Premiering shortly after Smallville in the CW’s early superhero days, Birds of Prey featured a version of Gotham in the future where Batman was gone following the Joker’s murder of Selina Kyle. This led to Oracle, Huntress, and Black Canary creating a new team to protect the city. While it only had 13 episodes due to budget constraints, uneven effects, and eventually low ratings, it does deserve some credit for highlighting Barbara Gordon’s role as Oracle, while also being one of the first times a live-action project attempted to expand beyond The Dark Knight himself.
14
The Adventures of Batman (1968)
Batman and Robin looking at one another in The Adventures of Batman animated series
Also produced by Filmation, just like 1977’s The New Adventures of Batman, this series featured Olan Soule as Batman and Casey Kasem as Robin, introducing many young viewers to Gotham’s Dynamic Duo through more lighthearted adventures for the very first time. It absolutely deserves credit for keeping up Batman’s presence on television after the end of Adam West’s live-action series and future series starring The Dark Knight that would start to get darker and more grounded. Soule and Kasem went on to reprise their roles in the beloved Super Friends series.
13
Pennyworth (2019)
Pennyworth explored the younger years of Alfred Pennyworth decades before Bruce Wayne became The Dark Knight, with actor Jack Bannon portraying Alfred as a former SAS soldier and spy in an alternate version of England in the 1960s.
While arguably too outside the box to gain widespread attention (there’s a reason it got retitled to Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler), the show gradually accrued more and more DC connections and ties foreshadowing Alfred’s future in Gotham with Batman, like Thomas and Martha Wayne being part of the cast. However, the series was arguably too niche with a tone that very much changed after its first season (seemingly not for the better).
12
Titans (2018)
Beast Boy, Raven, Robin, and Starfire standing together in the DC TV show Titans (2018-2023)
The live-action Titans series focused primarily on Dick Grayson’s Robin and the next generation including Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire, and more heroes as the show progressed. However, Batman’s presence and Gotham City continually grew over time, arguably to the show’s own detriment.
From the Caped Crusader to The Batman · Eight Questions How Well Do You Know Batman? “I’m Batman.”
🦌Bob & BillDetective Comics #27, 1939
🥘The Camp EraAdam West, 1966
🎣Burton & SchumacherKeaton to Clooney, 1989–97
💉The Dark KnightBale & Ledger, 2005–12
🕵The BatmanPattinson & Reeves, 2022–
01
Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. Cartoonist Bob Kane received sole credit for creating the character for the next 76 years — on every comic, every TV series, every film — despite being only half of the real partnership. His uncredited collaborator wrote much of the original story, designed the cowl and cape, invented the name “Bruce Wayne,” named Gotham City, and helped create the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler and Catwoman. DC finally added his name to all Batman credits in 2015. Who?
✓ Correct! Bill Finger (1914–1974). Kane’s original 1939 pitch was a Superman-style figure in a red leotard with a domino mask and bat-wings; Finger talked him into the cowl, scalloped cape, gauntlets and grey-and-black colour scheme that have defined the character ever since. Finger also wrote Detective Comics #27 itself, named Bruce Wayne (after Robert the Bruce and Anthony Wayne), created Gotham as a stand-in for New York, and co-created most of the rogues’ gallery — while signing a 1939 contract that gave Kane exclusive byline credit. Kane received millions in royalties; Finger died poor and uncredited. After a 2014 documentary and a 2015 family campaign, Warner Bros. and DC added “Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger” to every credit starting with Gotham (Fox), Batman v Superman (2016) and forward.
✗ Wrong. The answer is Bill Finger. Jerry Robinson (option A) really did co-create the Joker and Robin alongside Finger and Kane — he was the third member of the early studio — but the cowl, cape, “Bruce Wayne,” Gotham City and the actual script of Detective Comics #27 were Finger’s. Joe Shuster co-created Superman, not Batman. Otto Binder created Supergirl and Mary Marvel. Finger signed away his byline in 1939 and didn’t receive on-screen credit until 2015.
02
Batman: The Movie — released in July 1966 between the first and second seasons of the ABC TV series, featuring the “Holy Whatever, Batman!” tone, the four super-villain team-up (Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman), the shark-repellent Bat-spray, and the Batmobile/Batboat/Batcopter — is generally considered the first theatrical Batman feature film. Two earlier 1940s movie serials don’t qualify as standalone features. Which actor played Batman in this first theatrical feature?
✓ Correct! Adam West (1928–2017), with Burt Ward as Robin and Cesar Romero as the Joker. West played the role across 120 ABC episodes (1966–1968) and the 1966 theatrical feature, hammed up the camp tone to perfection, and then spent decades typecast before reclaiming the role in animated form (Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, 2016) and as Mayor West on Family Guy. The two traps are real: Lewis Wilson played Batman in Columbia’s 15-chapter 1943 serial Batman, and Robert Lowery played him in the 1949 sequel serial Batman and Robin — but those were Saturday-morning chapter plays, not standalone theatrical features. Michael Keaton’s Batman doesn’t arrive until Tim Burton’s 1989 film.
✗ Wrong. The answer is Adam West. The trap is real but technical: Lewis Wilson (1943) and Robert Lowery (1949) both played Batman in Columbia movie serials, but those were 15-chapter Saturday-morning serials, not theatrical features. Adam West’s 1966 Batman: The Movie — with the four-villain team-up and the shark-repellent Bat-spray — is the first standalone Batman feature film. Michael Keaton doesn’t arrive until 1989.
03
Batman: The Animated Series (Fox Kids, 1992–1995) — the Bruce Timm/Eric Radomski production with the deco-noir “Dark Deco” backgrounds painted on black paper — is consistently ranked by fans and creators as the definitive screen Batman. Its central performance is so iconic that the actor reprised it across 30 years, every DC Animated Universe series, and a dozen Arkham-series video games. He died on November 10, 2022, and DC essentially treated his passing as the death of Batman’s voice. Name him.
✓ Correct! Kevin Conroy (1955–2022). Conroy’s key innovation, on his first audition for BTAS in 1991, was to give Bruce Wayne and Batman two distinct voices — Bruce as the lighter, charming playboy and Batman as the deeper, harder-edged growl — a take that became the industry default and was openly copied by Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson on screen. He played the role for 31 years, across BTAS, Superman: TAS, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Batman Beyond (as the elderly Bruce), and every Rocksteady Arkham game. The trap is genuine: Mark Hamill voiced the Joker opposite Conroy on BTAS and is just as legendary in that role. Tim Daly voiced Superman; Will Friedle voiced Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond. Conroy died in November 2022 at 66.
✗ Wrong. The answer is Kevin Conroy. Mark Hamill (option C) is the giant trap — he voiced the Joker opposite Conroy on BTAS for 30 years and is widely considered the definitive screen Joker — but Batman was Conroy. Tim Daly voiced Superman in the DCAU; Will Friedle voiced Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond, with Conroy still playing the elderly Bruce. Conroy died November 10, 2022.
04
Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) earned him an estimated $60–$90 million from a film for which his actual on-screen salary was a fairly modest $6 million — making it, dollar-for-dollar, one of the most famously lucrative single roles in Hollywood history. He achieved this by negotiating an unusual deal structure that other actors immediately tried (and largely failed) to copy. What was it?
✓ Correct! Nicholson took a $6 million base, a piece of the box-office gross (so-called “first-dollar gross” rather than net profits, which Hollywood accounting has a habit of vapourising) AND a percentage of Batman merchandising — the toys, posters, t-shirts, lunch boxes, video games and ride tickets. Batman (1989) grossed $411 million theatrically and unleashed the largest superhero merchandising wave in history, and Nicholson’s royalties on it have reportedly continued accruing for decades. His agent Sue Mengers, and his attorney’s “back-end participation” structure, became the gold standard talent-deal template that A-listers like Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. would later use. Nicholson also negotiated top billing over Michael Keaton (despite Batman being the title character) and limited shoot days. It’s the most-copied bad-guy deal in Hollywood.
✗ Wrong. The answer is C — a percentage of box-office gross plus merchandising royalties. The $6 million base salary was relatively modest by 1989 star standards; the magic was the back-end participation in both ticket sales and the unprecedented Batman toy/poster/lunchbox merchandise wave, which has reportedly continued paying out for decades. Tom Cruise and RDJ later borrowed the same gross-points-plus-merch template. There was no $50M opening-weekend trigger, no equity stake in Warners, and no per-screening micro-royalty.
05
After Ben Affleck stepped down from his planned solo Batman film, Warner Bros. handed the project to a new director who reconceived it as a noir-detective serial-killer story modelled on Se7en and Zodiac, runs 2h 56min, casts Robert Pattinson as a brooding second-year Bruce Wayne, and gives Paul Dano’s Riddler a Zodiac-style cipher gimmick. The Batman (2022) grossed $772 million worldwide. Who directed it?
✓ Correct! Matt Reeves — the Cloverfield (2008), Let Me In (2010), and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) / War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) director. Reeves co-wrote The Batman with Peter Craig, leaned hard into a Fincher-noir detective tone (the Riddler is essentially Zodiac), and got Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman), Colin Farrell (an unrecognisable Penguin), Paul Dano (Riddler) and Jeffrey Wright (Gordon). The film established its own continuity separate from the DCEU/James Gunn DCU. The Penguin (HBO/Max, 2024) followed as a Reeves-produced spin-off, and The Batman: Part II is currently scheduled for 2026.
✗ Wrong. The answer is Matt Reeves — the Cloverfield, Let Me In and Planet of the Apes-reboot director. Nolan made the Dark Knight trilogy (2005–2012); Snyder made Batman v Superman (2016) and Justice League (2017/2021) with Affleck’s Batman; Burton made the 1989/1992 Keaton films. The Batman (2022) is Reeves’s, in its own continuity, with The Penguin (2024) as the spin-off and Part II in 2026.
06
Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin (1997) — with Bat-nipples on the suit, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze spitting ice puns (“Let’s kick some ice!”), Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy, Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl, and an estimated $238 million box-office failure on a $125 million budget — is widely regarded as one of the worst superhero films ever made. It killed the live-action Batman franchise for eight years until Batman Begins (2005). Who played Batman in it?
✓ Correct! George Clooney — in his only outing as Bruce Wayne, between his ER fame and Out of Sight. Clooney has publicly apologised for the film for nearly thirty years; he told Entertainment Weekly he “destroyed the franchise” and routinely thanks fans for their hostility. The trap is Val Kilmer, who played Batman in the previous Schumacher film, Batman Forever (1995) — he was originally signed for two but exited due to scheduling and reported disputes with Schumacher. Keaton played Batman in Burton’s 1989 and 1992 films (and returned in The Flash, 2023). Bale arrived eight years later in Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005). The Bat-nipples were Schumacher’s, the ice puns Schwarzenegger’s, the apology Clooney’s.
✗ Wrong. The answer is George Clooney. Val Kilmer (option B) was Batman in the previous Schumacher film, Batman Forever (1995) — he then exited and Clooney took over for Batman & Robin. Keaton was Batman in Burton’s 1989/1992 films (and returned in The Flash, 2023). Bale arrived in Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005), eight years after Batman & Robin killed the franchise.
07
Cesar Romero’s Joker on the 1966–1968 ABC Batman series — white grease-paint, green wig, red lipstick, manic giggle — remains one of the most-cited comedic TV villains in American history. Romero, a leading-man matinée idol since the 1930s, agreed to the role on one condition: he refused to do a specific thing for the makeup. You can still see what he refused if you look closely. What did Romero refuse?
✓ Correct! Romero refused to shave his trademark moustache — reportedly a vanity rule he’d had since the 1930s — so the makeup department simply caked white grease-paint over it. If you watch the 1966 episodes or Batman: The Movie (1966) on Blu-ray, you can clearly see the moustache bristles poking through the white paint above his lip. It’s one of TV’s most-cited “visible-prosthetic” quirks — later parodied by Burt Ward and explicitly nodded to in the 2016 animated Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (Romero was already dead, having passed in 1994, but the animation reproduces the moustache underneath the makeup). Romero played the role for all three TV seasons and the 1966 feature.
✗ Wrong. The answer is shaving his moustache. Romero had had his trademark Latin-lover moustache since the 1930s, refused to lose it for any role, and the makeup department simply painted white grease-paint over it — if you look closely on Blu-ray you can see the bristles poking through under his lip. The wig, the high-pitched giggle and the purple gloves were all things he gladly did.
08
Todd Phillips’s Joker (2019) — the standalone, R-rated, $1.07-billion-grossing Joaquin Phoenix vehicle that exists outside any DC continuity — was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, the most of any comic-book-derived film at the time. It won Best Actor for Phoenix. It also won exactly one other Oscar that night. Which?
✓ Correct! Best Original Score, Hildur Guðnadóttir — the Icelandic cellist and composer who, in the same awards cycle, won the Emmy and Grammy for Chernobyl (HBO, 2019). Joker’s score (anchored by the haunting cello motif during Arthur Fleck’s bathroom dance) was her breakthrough; she became the first solo woman to win Best Original Score since Marilyn Bergman in 1984 (and the fourth ever). Phillips lost Best Director to Bong Joon-ho for Parasite, which also won Best Picture, beating Joker’s nomination. The film’s screenplay nomination was Adapted (because it’s based on existing DC IP), not Original — option C names the right category but it lost to Jojo Rabbit.
✗ Wrong. The answer is Best Original Score — Hildur Guðnadóttir (also the Chernobyl composer that year). She became the fourth solo woman ever to win the category. Phillips lost Best Director to Bong Joon-ho (Parasite); Best Picture also went to Parasite; the screenplay nomination was Adapted (not Original) and lost to Jojo Rabbit. Phoenix’s Best Actor + Guðnadóttir’s Best Original Score are Joker’s two 2020 Oscar wins.
The Bat-Signal Has Faded · Final Scorecard Your Gotham Standing
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/ 8
World’s Greatest Detective — or a Gotham red herring?
Iain Glen’s older Bruce Wayne played a surprisingly significant role as Dick Grayson evolved from Robin to Nightwing. Likewise, the show also heavily featured Jason Todd’s evolution from Robin to Red Hood, Scarecrow as a predominant season villain, and several other Bat-Family characters who all became central to the show’s story, like Tim Drake’s Robin and even Barbara Gordon. However, the show often pulled focus to Gotham, Batman, and his allies and away from the other Titans, resulting in consistently inconsistent writing and uneven character arcs. Nevertheless, the arcs for Bat-Family characters like Dick Grayson and Jason Todd specifically were fairly well done.
