Since live-action adaptations of superheroes began, no DC character has been put to screen more than Batman; here is every Batman film in order of both chronology and release date. The prevalence of Batman in modern pop culture is easy to see. With upcoming Batman movies and TV shows including The Batman - Part II, Joker: Folie à Deux, and the various The Batman spin-off shows, it is clear that Batman is only rivaled by Marvel's Spider-Man regarding the amount of adaptations that have been made or will be in the future.

While the Batman movies are often ranked worst to best or vice versa based on the differing tones, styles, and atmospheres of each interpretation, there is no denying that all of them warrant their own place in Batman's live-action canon. However, the ever-expanding repertoire of Gotham's Dark Knight on the big screen can lead to some confusion. With that being said, here is every theatrical Batman movie released and how to watch them in order of both chronology and release.

Related: Every Upcoming DC Movie In 2023 And Beyond

Every Batman Movie In Order

Since the early 1940s, Batman adaptations have been common on the big screen. While the influx of shows and movies centered on the Caped Crusader only began in the late 1980s, there were several earlier entries to the live-action Batman canon across a variety of franchises. As such, here is every Batman movie listed in order of release date.

• Batman (1943)
• Batman and Robin (1949)
• Batman: The Movie (1966)
• Batman (1989)
• Batman Returns (1992)
• Batman Forever (1995)
• Batman & Robin (1997)
• Batman Begins (2005)
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Suicide Squad (2016)
• Justice League (2017)
• Joker (2019)
• Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
• The Batman (2022)
• The Flash (2023)

The Best Order To Watch Batman Movies (& Which To Skip)

Regarding the chronological order of the Batman movies, there are plenty of different franchises meaning there is minimal crossover and similarly minimal change between chronology and release. That said, there is a best order to watch the films with some that are best skipped. The three earlier entries of Batman, Batman and Robin, and Batman: The Movie are best skipped given their serial TV nature and low production values despite their iconicity.

Similarly, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin had multiple continuity issues from changed directors and actors to the overall poor production meaning they could be skipped on rewatch no matter their "so bad it's good" nature. Aside from these entries, Suicide Squad and Justice League (2017) are worth skipping as Batman's role in the former film only consists of one or two scenes and the latter has a better version directed by Zack Snyder. With those out of the way, here is the best order to watch the Batman movies upon a rewatch of every single one.

Batman (1989)

While the earlier entries of Batman films have merits in their own rights, Tim Burton's Batman from 1989 was the first live-action film based on the character to show that Batman films could be more than the over-the-top, campy productions of the past. Batman centers on Michael Keaton's titular character taking on Jack Nicholson's Joker amid Batman's war on crime in Gotham City.

Batman Returns (1992)

Following on from Batman was 1992's Batman Returns. In this film, Burton returned as director as did Keaton as the titular character. Batman Returns sees Batman come into conflict with industrialist Max Shreck and Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, this time aided by Selena Kyle/Catwoman who seeks revenge against Shreck. The following two films - Batman Forever and Batman & Robin - saw a significant drop in quality, continuity, and self-seriousness caused by Keaton and Burton's exit from the franchise.

Batman Begins (2005)

Following the failures of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, a reboot of the series was ordered with Christopher Nolan hired to direct. Christian Bale was cast as Batman, with the film opting to delve much deeper into the comic book origin story of the character than Burton's films did. After training with the League of Shadows, Batman Begins sees Bruce Wayne return to Gotham City to fight crime as the titular masked vigilante only to come into conflict with Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow.

The Dark Knight (2008)

The sequel to Nolan's Batman Begins was The Dark Knight. Widely regarded as the best Batman film and best superhero film ever made, The Dark Knight built on its predecessor in every conceivable way and became the gold standard for superhero cinema. The Dark Knight centers on Bruce Wayne's continued war against crime in Gotham City, this time allied by Commissioner Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent. This becomes threatened by the emergence of a criminal mastermind known only as the Joker who wishes to push Batman to see how far he will go to save the city from being plunged into chaos.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Rounding off the Dark Knight trilogy is The Dark Knight Rises. While often considered a step-down from The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises capped off Nolan's Batman series in style with a satisfying culmination of the seven-year story. After taking the fall for Harvey Dent's murder in The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises sees Gotham's eight-year peace - and Batman's retirement - come to an end with the emergence of Bane, a League of Shadows assassin hellbent on destroying Gotham.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

After Nolan's trilogy came the DCEU, a shared universe of DC characters. 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice introduced the DCEU's version of the Caped Crusader played by Ben Affleck. While not an exceptional film, it offers a different take on an older Batman with a great performance from Affleck and an all-time-best Batman action sequence. As such, Batman v Superman's story of Bruce Wayne seeking revenge against the alien who destroyed Metropolis is an enjoyable and unique albeit messy introduction to the DCEU's Batman.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

After the death of Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Bruce Wayne founds a team of metahumans to protect the world in the absence of the Man of Steel. The invasion of Steppenwolf, an agent of Darkseid searching for the Anti-Life Equation, invades Earth forcing Batman and the Justice League to defend the world from evil. The production issues prevalent in 2017's Justice League solidified Zack Snyder's Justice League as the definitive version of the film that had a better script, a more consistent tone, a longer albeit more compelling story, and a fantastic showcase for Affleck's Batman.

The Flash (2023)

The final appearance of Ben Affleck's Batman ahead of James Gunn's DCU reboot came in 2023's The Flash. Set after Justice League, The Flash does not overly feature Ben Affleck's Batman yet gives him a good send-off to make it worth watching last in the DCEU. Simultaneously, The Flash features the return of Michael Keaton's Batman set decades after 1992's Batman Returns meaning it fits well into two different franchises as a capping-off point of both iterations of the Caped Crusader.

Joker (2019)

While not technically a Batman movie, a young Bruce Wayne appears in the film for a few scenes which details his origin in the Elseworlds universe of Joker. Given this, and the exploration of Arthur Fleck as an origin story for the Joker, 2019's film is worth watching as part of the wider Batman filmography.

The Batman (2022)

Another Elseworlds property is The Batman, a standalone exploration of a year-one Batman played by Robert Pattinson. The film features a reimagined Gotham City and sees Batman go up against the Riddler and Penguin with the aid of Catwoman. Given its standalone nature, The Batman is best watched after the other iterations of the character ahead of The Batman - Part II's release in 2025.

Batman's 6 Movie Timelines Explained

Batman's endless iterations on the big screen have caused some confusion over differing timelines. With franchise like Burton's, the DCEU, and the DCU all crossing over somewhat, the confusion has only grown. This was worsened by the confusing continuity of Shcumacher's Batman films leading to a need for the various Batman movie timelines to be explained.

Adam West's Batman Timeline

The original Batman timeline was Adam West's. This timeline consists of the Batman TV series starring West as well as the 1966 film, Batman: The Movie, which served as a continuation. 1966's feature-length film was the last time West portrayed Batman, ending the continuity of this timeline.

Tim Burton & Joel Schumacher's Batman Timeline

Despite two changes in actor for Bruce Wayne with the character going from Michael Keaton to Val Kilmer and then George Clooney, the two Burton movies and two Schumacher movies technically exist within the same timeline. Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin exist as a quadrilogy despite the contrasting actors. This has caused a lot of confusion, yet all four films supposedly exist within the same continuity.

Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Timeline

One of the easier Batman continuities to understand is the Dark Knight trilogy. The three films exist as their own story with no spin-offs or revivals since 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. All three films were made by Nolan and starred the same cast members, making for an easy-to-follow trilogy, unlike the aforementioned timeline of Burton and Schumacher's films.

Zack Snyder's DCEU Timeline

Similar to Nolan's films, the DCEU's Batman has a fairly linear timeline that all exists in one continuity. Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, Zack Snyder's Justice League, and The Flash all makeup Affleck's continuity as the DCEU's version of the character. The Flash ended this continuity ahead of James Gunn's reboot of the character with The Brave and the Bold.

Matt Reeves' The Batman Timeline

An Elseworlds property, 2022's The Batman is its own continuity with a standalone story. Consisting of The Batman alongside the planned TV spin-offs and The Batman - Part II, Matt Reeves' franchise is separate from every other Batman story. Existing within a different continuity to the DCU and Joker, The Batman stands on its own.

Todd Phillips' Joker Universe

The final Elseworlds Batman franchise is the continuity consisting of Joker and its upcoming sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux. Set in another section of the DC multiverse, Joker has no ties to any other version of Batman on film. Aside from the upcoming sequel, Phillips' Joker universe is self-contained and rounds off Batman on film until the inevitable reboot of the Caped Crusader.