In What Order Should You Watch the Batman Movies? 2026 Guide

Table of Contents :

To watch movies Batman in the best order, starting with the trilogy of Christopher Nolan : Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, then The Dark Knight Rises.

It’s the perfect introduction: accessible, coherent, and unanimously considered the best adaptation of the Black Knight. Then, you can explore the other universes however you like—by release date, by director, or by series.

Watch Batman movies in order of release

Batman, played by Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan's film *Batman Begins* — Batman in *Batman Begins*. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

The easiest thing to do is to follow the cinema release date. This takes you from the colorful era of the the 1960s until Gotham dark side of Matt Reeves.

Batman : The Movie (1966), by Leslie H. Martinson
Batman (1989), by Tim Burton
Batman : Le Défi (1992), by Tim Burton
Batman Forever (1995), by Joel Schumacher
Batman et Robin (1997), by Joel Schumacher
Batman Begins (2005), by Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight (2008), by Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight Rises (2012), by Christopher Nolan
Batman vs Superman : Dawn of Justice (2016), by Zack Snyder
Justice League (2017), by Zack Snyder
The Batman (2022), by Matt Reeves

One important thing to keep in mind: each actor plays a different version of Bruce Wayne, and not all of these movies are part of the same universe. The trilogy of Christopher Nolan, the DC of Zack Snyder and the Gotham of Matt Reeves are clearly separated.

A sequel, The Batman Part II, has already been confirmed with Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves. Filming begins on Spring 2026, for a theatrical release scheduled for October 2027.

If you want to learn about the stories of other superheroes, check out in which order to watch Marvel.

Watch the Batman movies in chronological order

Batman Joins Forces with the Justice League in Zack Snyder's Movie — Batman in *Justice League*. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

If you'd rather follow the’history Instead of the release date, here are all the feature films in which Batman appears or is mentioned, from the oldest to the most recent in the narrative. Note: This list includes several distinct continuities, not just one single story.

Batman : The Movie (1966)
Batman (1989)
Batman : Le Défi (1992)
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman et 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)

In practical terms, you'll be traveling through several very distinct worlds here. The trilogy of Christopher Nolan forms a closed universe, disconnected from the rest.

Suicide Squad, Batman VS. Superman and Justice League are part of the shared universe launched by Zack Snyder, where Ben Affleck embodies Bruce Wayne. The Batman of Matt Reeves is an independent film with no connection to those worlds.

View Batman movies by collection

Robert Pattinson as Batman in Matt Reeves' *The Batman* (2022) — Robert Pattinson as Batman in *The Batman* (2022). ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

You can also watch the Batman movies by director. This is the best way to maintain a consistent narrative flow, since each filmmaker has created their own universe with its own Bruce Wayne and its own version of Gotham. These four blocks are not consecutive and are completely independent from one another.

Films by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher

Tim Burton sets a dark, gothic tone with Michael Keaton, then Joel Schumacher move toward a more colorful style with Val Kilmer and George Clooney.

Batman (1989), directed by Tim Burton.
Batman Returns (1992), that is Batman, the challenge, still with Keaton in the face of Penguin.
Batman Forever (1995), where Val Kilmer takes on the role again and where it appears Robin.
Batman and Robin (1997), with George Clooney dressed as the Black Knight.

Christopher Nolan's Trilogy

The most acclaimed trilogy. Christopher Nolan assigns the role to Christian Bale and tells a realistic, dark story. It is the best front door if you're just getting to know the character.

Batman Begins (2005), the origins of Bruce Wayne.
The Dark Knight (2008), featuring the unforgettable Wildcard for Heath Ledger.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012), the final chapter of Nolan's *The Dark Knight*.

Movies in the DC Universe (DCEU)

The shared universe launched by Zack Snyder, with Ben Affleck in the role of Batman. Here, the vigilante encounters Superman and the other heroes of DC Comics.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
Suicide Squad (2016).
Justice League (2017), or the version Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).

Matt Reeves' Batman

The new version, powered by Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson. A younger Batman, more of a detective, in a Gotham very dark. This universe is separate the DCEU and everything else.

The Batman (2022).
The Batman Part II (scheduled for release in 2027).

A separate point on Joker (2019), with Joaquin Phoenix : This film is not part of any of these collections. It is a standalone story, classified as "out of continuity" (label Elseworlds). In fact, Batman only appears there as the young Bruce Wayne.

Watching the Batman movies while considering Bruce Wayne's age

Batman, played by Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan's *The Dark Knight* — Batman in *The Dark Knight*. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

These movies don't tell the same story, and each Bruce Wayne lives in a separate universe. So there is no official timeline connecting them. You can, however, have fun ranking them according to the’the age at which the hero appears on screen, from the youngest to the oldest. This is a fan's take, not an official timeline.

Batman Begins (Christian Bale (begins his role as a vigilante)
The Batman (Robert Pattinson, a young and fallible Bruce)
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises
Batman (Michael Keaton, 1989)
Batman : le Défi
Batman Forever (Val Kilmer)
Batman et Robin (George Clooney)
Batman VS Superman
Justice League

Along the same lines, you can check out our article on the order in which to watch the Spider-Man movies.

FAQs

What's each Batman movie about?

Batman Movie	Details
Batman (1966)	Adam West plays the role of the masked hero. You'll encounter four famous enemies there: the Riddler, the Penguin, Catwoman and the Joker.
Batman (1989)	Tim Burton sign the the first modern Batman at the movies. The hero is played by Michael Keaton.
Batman Returns (1992)	After the Joker, Batman faces off against the Penguin of Danny DeVito. He forms a relationship with Selina Kyleaka Catwoman, portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer.
Batman Forever (1995)	Bruce Wayne dream of a normal life with Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman). the Riddler drives him to embrace his destiny as a vigilante. Robin, played by Chris O’Donnell, makes its first appearance.
Batman and Robin (1997)	This film highlights the Batman and Robin duo developed in the previous work. Cast: George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman. It remains one of the least popular of the saga.
Batman Begins (2005)	The film tells the story of identity creation of Batman. You'll see the murder of Bruce's parents and the hero's coming of age. He is locked in a confrontation with The Scarecrow.
The Dark Knight (2008)	Often cited as the Best Batman Movie by the audience. It depicts the showdown between the hero and his worst enemy, the Joker.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)	This film concludes the trilogy of Christopher Nolan with an even darker black knight. You see Bruce growing older and suffering from his latest battles. The arrival of Bane, a member of the League of Shadows, forces him to get back on his feet to save Gotham.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)	Continued from Man of Steel (2013). Ben Affleck plays Bruce Wayne, who has been fighting crime since about twenty years. He sees in Superman a threat and devises a plan to deal with it.
Suicide Squad (2016)	A great movie if you're fan of the DC Universe and stories centered on villains. He is also preparing for the arrival of the Justice League.
Joker (2019)	This film tells the story of the origins of the Joker, played by Joaquin Phoenix. This is a story in a class of its own (label DC Elseworlds), outside the main continuity.
Justice League (2017 and 2021)	The story takes place two years after the Superman's Death. Batman and Wonder Woman join forces to recruit superheroes and form the Justice League. The version of 2021 is the assembly of Zack Snyder.
The Batman (2022)	The role is played by Robert Pattinson, edited by Matt Reeves. Batman teams up with James Gordon to track down the Riddler and the Penguin. It's a separate universe, also part of the Elseworlds series.

What's the best Batman movie?

It's hard to say for sure, since tastes vary so much from one fan to another. But according to many sources, The Dark Knight, the second installment of the trilogy by Christopher Nolan, remains the Best Batman Movie never achieved.

If you're just starting out, start with the Black Knight trilogy. Then move on to the other universes as you please: the movies from Tim Burton, the era Ben Affleck on the DC side, or the The Batman of Robert Pattinson.

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