Superman may be renowned as the first and most famous of DC Comics’ heroes, butin the 21st century there has not been another superhero who has been more popular thanBatman.Although there was a brief instance in which it felt like theBatmanfilm franchise did not have a future afterBatman & Robinproved tobe a massive box office failureand major critical disappointment, a series of strong decisions lead Warner Brothers to turning the Dark Knight of Gotham into the most important film character of his time.
Batman is one of the few film characters that can withstand multiple iterations; while there has obviously been a lot of interest in the main live-action films, there are also many animatedBatmanspin off shows and solo films focused on villains such as Joker and Harley Quinn. Here is every live-action Batman movie of the 21st century, ranked.
8‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)
Directed by Zack Snyder
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justiceis a complete failure that sank the DC Extended Universe before it got the chance to begin, asZack Snyderrushed to create a showdown between Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) before the audience got a chance to know either of the characters.It’s a film filled with plot holes, bad dialogue, overtly obvious metaphors, and a bafflingly terrible performance byJesse Eisenbergas Lex Luthor.
The biggest issue withBatman v. Superman: Dawn of Justiceis the characterization of Batman himself, as Snyder decides to depict him as a violent vigilante who is willing to kill anyone that gets in his way, including Superman. It says a lot about the failings of the film that, given no other options, Author’s perspective is far more understandable to that of either Bruce or Clark.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
7‘Justice League’ (2017)
Directed by Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon
Justice Leagueis a film that is hard to judge on its own, as it is obviously something that was made by committee. After Snyder left the film in order to deal with a family tragedy,Joss Whedonstepped in to handle the reshoots; although Whedon certainly helped brighten the tone andgive more humor to some of the characters,Justice Leaguenever had the same sense of whimsy that Whedon had brought to his work onThe AvengersorBuffy the Vampire Slayer.
Justice Leagueis rushed and has a dull storyline,as the main villain and the plot to revive Superman are very underwhelming. While Affleck still at least felt engaged in the material inBatman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, his performance inJustice Leagueis far more stilted, as it was evident that the Academy Award winning director ofArgohad much better things that he could be spending his time doing.
Justice League
6‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ (2021)
Zack Snyder’s Justice Leagueis only slightly better than the theatrically released version of the filmbecause it has a more complete story, and actually gives some screen time to both Cyborg (Ray Fischer) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa). However, Snyder’s film is still excruciatingly long and very short on story, as the added running time is mostly filled with slow motion shots that feel repetitive of the much better work he did in300andWatchmen.
Zack Snyder’s Justice Leagueisn’t intelligent enough to work as a deconstruction of the characters, but it’s not nearly entertaining enough to be a work of populist blockbuster filmmaking. While casting Affleck as the Dark Knight was a brilliant decision on the part of Warner Brothers, it is deeply unfortunate that he was forced to work with a filmmaker that does not seem tounderstand why Batman is a hero.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
5‘The Flash’ (2023)
Directed by Andy Muschetti
The Flashisn’t really a film about Barry Allen, asEzra Miller’s version of the titular speedster is onlypart of a larger team of characters, including the return ofMichael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne for the first time sinceBatman Returnsin 1992. Although Keaton is by far the best part about the entire film,The Flashis just as incoherent as any of the other films in the DCEU, and it doesn’t make it any easier that Miller is incredibly obnoxious and hard to take seriously.
Batman’s story arc inThe Flashcould have used more screen time, as the film doesn’t really engage with the way that the character’s story arc ended after the events ofTim Burton’s films. Hopefully, Keaton will one day get the chance to reprise his role as Batman in a film that is not beholden to the massive creative mistakes made by the DCEU.
4‘The Batman’ (2022)
Directed by Matt Reeves
The Batmanis easily the darkest film in the franchise to date,asMatt Reevesdecided to take a noir-esque take on the Dark Knight that was heavily indebted toSe7enandChinatown. The most brilliant decision made inThe Batmanwas to have a version of Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) who had already begun taking to the streets to become a crimefighter, but had not yetlearned the difference between seeking revengeand actually being a hero.
Pattinson gives a mature, introspective version of a younger version of Batman, but the film’s real strengths are its villains;Paul Danois terrifying as a version of the Riddler inspired by domestic terrorism and right-wing extremists,Colin Farrell’s performance as the Penguin was a simply transformative work of acting and makeup, andZoe Kravtizoffered a fresh new perspective on Selina Kyle.
The Batman
3‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight Risesis one of the rare superhero films that actually feels like it has stakes and an emotional ending, which has become very uncommon in superhero films, given thatRobert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man,Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier,Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, and Cavill’s Superman have already survived their deaths.
The Dark Knight Risesis an incredible feat of spectacle that questions whether a society can be built on lies, but also shows the perseverance and emotional strength that has always made Batman such an engaging character. Although itfeatures some of the greatest action sequences ever seenin a superhero film, many of the best moments inThe Dark Knight Risesare smaller, such as the heartbreaking conversations between Bruce (Christian Bale) and his loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine) about the future of the Wayne dynasty.
2‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
Batman Beginswas the first film to ever truly examine Batman’s origins, as it showed how childhood tragedy turned him into a bitter young man desperate to take out his anger on the criminals that have made Gotham City into a living hell; however, Bruce’s story arc grows into a more complex one, as he learns that it takes both forgiveness and patience to allow a society to heal from the trauma inflicted upon it.
Christopher Nolan brilliantly utilizes a non-linear narrative structure to show Bruce’s resurgence, withBale giving the most emotionally intelligent performanceas Batman in history. Although the film serves as a great introduction to Nolan’s world, it also featured some outstanding villains, includingCillian Murphy’s fan-favorite role as the psychologist Dr. Jonathan Crane, who would use his power over Arkham Asylum to take on the mantle of “Scarecrow.”
Batman Begins
1‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
The Dark Knightis one of the best films of the 21st century,as it proved that blockbuster filmscould also have intelligent political ideasand feature awards worthy performances. Nolan crafted a brilliant examination of escalation and idealism, showing how society finds it far easier to put their faith in faceless vigilantes than real people who may have flaws.
The Dark Knightwas perfectly suited for a post-9/11 erain which the dynamics behind crime and industry were very different, but it also featured all of the DC comics lore that fans could ask for.Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker didn’t just earn him a very well deserved posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but a place within the pantheon of the greatest screen villains of all-time. It’s a film that still stands powerfully above every comic book film released since.
