9. Lewis Wilson
The only thing we can credit Lewis Wilson for is being the first one to portray Batman on-screen. While Batman trying to stop an evil scientist from creating a horde of zombies sounds like the plot for an awesome movie, this first run failed miserably. The bad costumes and bad fight choreography didn't do anything to help at all.
8. Robert Lowery
It's cheesy, it's campy, and it's not particularly compelling. But that can be said about most Batman on-screen adaptations prior to Christopher Nolan's trilogy. Robert Lowery's performance isn't really bad but it hasn't really become a classic, either. Lowery's Batman wasn't as bad as Wilson's but it's a case of taking baby steps forward.
7. Val Kilmer
Vanilla. Plain. Boring. It's a Batman movie where we cared more for the villains than Batman. Jim Carrey (The Riddler) and Tommy Lee Jones (Harvey Two-Face) both did amazing as villains of the movie. There's nothing more to say about Kilmer's performance. Next!
6. George Clooney
Clooney could have been ranked higher if the material he had to work with was better. But 99's Batman & Robin was a mess from start to finish and almost single-handedly killed the Batman movie franchise. If you needed one more reason to hate Clooney's Batman, we have two words for you: bat nipples.
5. Joey de Leon
Joey de Leon's Batman is obviously something you don't take seriously. But the comedian's take on the character has become a cult comedy classic which earns him the middle spot on this list. Bat Tea, anyone?
4. Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck might have been the most hated Bruce Wayne in the history of on-screen Bruce Waynes. But that was before people actually saw the movies. Now, he's remembered as an OK Batman who appeared in some not-so-OK movies.
3. Adam West
KAPOW! For many casual fans, Batman will forever be Adam West. His take is the polar opposite of Christian Bale's performance in the Nolan trilogy but that doesn't mean that West wasn't a good Batman. Like the first two entries on this list, the material was campy and cheesy but the biggest difference is that this was actually fun to watch. West was a solid anchor to all the craziness that usually happened around Batman and Robin and will remain as one of the best actors to have ever played the billionaire-slash-vigilante.
2. Christian Bale
What's there left to say about Christian Bale's take on the caped crusader? Almost everyone thinks he's one of the best to ever wear the bat suit and we completely agree. What made his performance so great was that he played Bruce Wayne and his alter ego with a higher level of nuance than we've ever seen. He is the Batman of this generation and Pattinson, as Affleck has already demonstrated, will have a hard time pulling away from Bale's shadow.
1. Michael Keaton
A comedian playing Batman? What a travesty! There were letters and petitions to remove him as Batman and even the studio who produced Tim Burton's take on the superhero was on the fence, to say the least. Thankfully, Burton refused to give in and as a result, gave us one of the best Batman movies ever. For us, Keaton's performance still stands as the ultimate on-screen Batman, striking the perfect balance between West's over the top funny and Bale's perpetual scowl and dark aura.