In what order to watch Batman movies? [Complete guide]

Table of Contents :

From the shadows of Gotham's back alleys to the spotlights of Hollywood, Batmanthe cape-wearing vigilante, has dominated the silver screen for decades.

If you're ready to discover all the secrets of the masked hero, stay with us to find out the ultimate Batman viewing order in this article.

Watch Batman movies in order of release

Batman in Batman Begins. Mia for Alucare.fr

Here is a suggested order for watching the Batman movies according to their cinema release date :

Batman: The Movieby Leslie H. Martinson (1966)
Batmanby Tim Burton (1989)
Batman: The Challengeby Tim Burton (1992)
Batman Foreverby Joel Schumacher (1995)
Batman and Robinby Joel Schumacher (1997)
Batman Beginsby Christopher Nolan (2005)
The Dark Knightby Christopher Nolan (2008)
The Dark Knight Risesby Christopher Nolan (2012)
Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justiceby Zack Snyder (2016)
Justice Leagueby Zack Snyder (2017)
The Batmanby Matt Reeves (2022)

And keep in mind that in 2026, the movie The Batman 2, also directed by Matt Reeves, is scheduled for release.

If you want to learn about the history of other superheroes, check out in which order to watch Marvel à travers un autre article sur notre site.

Watch the Batman movies in chronological order

Batman in Justice League ©Mia for Alucare.fr

If you prefer to follow history in the Batman movies, here's the order in which you should view all content:

Batman: The Movie (1966)
Batman (1989)
Batman: The Challenge (1992)
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman and Robin (1997)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Suicide Squad (2016)
Batman VS. Superman (2016)
Justice League (2017)
Joker (2019)
Birds of Prey (and the whimsical story of Harley Quinn) (2020)
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
The Suicide Squad (2021)
The Batman (2022)

View Batman movies by collection

Batman in The Batman 2022. Mia for Alucare.fr

You can also see the Batman films according to their directors. Here is a viewing order suggestion in this context.

Films by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher

Batman (1989)
Batman Returns (1992)
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman and Robin (1997)

Christopher Nolan films

Batman Begins (2005)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Films from the DC Cinematic Universe

Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Suicide Squad (2016)
Joker (2019)

Matt Reeves' films

The Batman (2022)
The Batman II (scheduled for release in 2026)

Watch the Batmans considering Bruce Wayne's age

Batman in The Dark Knight ©Mia for Alucare.fr

If you would rather follow the story taking into account Bruce Wayne's age, Here is the order of films not to be missed:

Batman Begins
The Batman
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises
Batman
Batman: The Challenge
Batman Forever
Batman and Robin
Batman VS Superman
Justice League

It is important to note that the actors playing Batman and the villains are different in the films, but this order allows us to see Bruce Wayne age and evolve gradually.

As you may have noticed, Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson tend to play "young" characters. Batman, while Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney invite us to see an older version of the character. Ben Affleck, meanwhile, is ideal in the more aged interpretation of the hero.

We also have an article about the order in which to watch the Spider-Man movies. Please feel free to consult it.

FAQs

What's each Batman movie about?

🎦 Batman movie	📃 Details
Batman (1966)	Adam West plays the role of the masked hero in this film. Four of Batman's most famous enemies, including the Riddler, the Penguin, Catwoman and the Joker are found here.
Batman (1989)	In this work, Tim Burton gives us the all-encompassing the first modern Batman. The hero is played by Michael Keaton.
Batman Returns (1992)	After defeating the Joker, Batman must confront the Penguin Danny DeVito in this film. As the plot unfolds, Batman begins a romantic relationship with Shreck's secretary, Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman played by Michelle Pfeiffer.
Batman Forever (1995)	While Bruce aspires to abandon his vigilante alter ego for live a normal life With Chase Meridian, played by Nicole Kidman, the Riddler makes him realize that he cannot escape his destiny as Batman. Robin, played by Chris O'Donnell makes his first appearance here.
Batman and Robin (1997)	This is a film highlighting the duo trained in the previous opus. They include George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Alicia Silverstone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Uma Thurman, but the film is not considered the best in its category.
Batman Begins (2005)	The film tells the story of the identity creation of Batman. We thus see scenes of the murder of Bruce's parents and Batman's training. A confrontation between the hero and the Scarecrow is on the agenda.
The Dark Knight (2008)	This is one of the best Batman movies according to the majority of spectators. The film includes a confrontation between the hero and his worst enemy, the Joker.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)	This film marks the end of the trilogy Christopher Nolan's darker version of Batman. Here we see Bruce aging and suffering from his final confrontations. The appearance of Bane, a member of the League of Shadows, forces him to stand up. The aim here is to prevent Ra's Al Ghul from destroying Gotham.
Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)	This is a sequel to Man of Steel (2013). The film stars Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne, a hero who has been fighting super-villains for the past twenty years. On the other hand, Superman is a potential threat to the masked vigilante. The latter devises a plan to defeat him.
Suicide Squad (2016)	This is an ideal film for DC Universe fans who particularly appreciate works that focus on villains. It is also preparation for the appearance of the Justice League.
Joker (2019)	This film tells the story of Gotham's greatest villain (the Jokerplayed by Joaquin Phoenix).
Justice League (2017 and 2021) or the league of vigilantes	The film is set two years after the death of Superman. Batman and Wonder Woman join forces to protect humanity from imminent threats. Their plan is to recruit superheroes who will form the "Justice League or the "Justice League."
The Batman (2022)	The role of Batman in this film is played by Robert Pattinson. In this version, Batman teams up with James Gordon to fight Riddler and the Penguin.

What's the best Batman movie?

It's hard to say exactly which is the best Batman movie. However, according to numerous sources, The Dark Knightthe second film in Christopher Nolan's trilogy, is considered the best Batman movie ever made.

In conclusion :

We were able to see theBatman's cinematic universe, including classic films, trilogies, and recent adaptations, highlighting the evolution of the character and storytelling styles.
This includes the various Batman movie series, ranging from the 1966 film starring Adam West to more modern works by Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, and the DC Universe films.
We also saw some tips on theviewing order Batman movies for new viewers and fans, including information on upcoming releases such as "The Batman Part II," scheduled for 2026.

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