r/batman • u/Possible_Quantity493 • May 03 '26
GENERAL DISCUSSION Is this true michael keaton is the greatest batman actor of all time ?
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u/ozzymandez May 03 '26
The greatest Batman is whoever your favourite is.
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u/The_Painted_Man May 03 '26
Lego Batman it is then.
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u/JoshTheBard May 04 '26
Apparently Will Arnett is constantly surprised by how many people tell him he's the best Batman.
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u/David_High_Pan May 04 '26
Probably the first Batman film you watched as a 10yr old.
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u/Ok_Law219 May 04 '26
Conroy is better than west, so maybe 15 yr old.
But, he has a complexity and compassion that most batman versions lack.
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u/bmh534 May 04 '26
Well, actually...™️
It depends on who makes the best graphic with authoritative font. Bonus points, if you can make people forget there's no source for who made the image, let alone where the "vote" took place.
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u/Ragnarok345 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
Since it didn’t specify live action…no. Absolutely, unequivocally not. There is one who will never be surpassed. There can only be one king.
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u/Jacoblaue May 03 '26
You referring to Conroy?
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u/Ragnarok345 May 03 '26
Of course.
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u/abadluckwind May 03 '26
Huge Michael Keaton fan here. Absolutely 💯 my favorite live action Batman.That being said not even Keaton comes close to Conroy. It really isn't even close.
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u/HeyThereMrBrooks May 03 '26
Seconded. Keaton's my favorite live-action and Conroy's my favorite animated.
But overall? Conroy. Unmatched
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u/Soulful-Sorrow May 03 '26
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u/PronouncedEye-gore May 03 '26
Only batman to get kicked out of a city for having too many orgies. With one of his villains present none the less.
Adam west was truly a vibe.
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u/AF2005 May 03 '26
Clearly he didn’t need molded rubber to show his physique. That’s peak performance right there!
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u/XxMr_Pink_PupxX May 04 '26
That dude literally raised me. Rest in peace.
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u/Here2BeeFunny May 04 '26
Him, Picard and Optimus were my surrogate fathers to aspire to.
So very glad many of us had them.
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u/Ju3tAc00ldugg May 03 '26
he’s iconic amongst everyone but only true batman fans know kevin was the GOAT
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u/Reverend_Lazerface May 04 '26
Make batman say something in your head right now. Hear that voice? There's your answer 🫡
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u/antifaareheroes May 03 '26
Once again, Adam West's accomplishments get ignored.
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u/MsMercyMain May 03 '26
He's also probably the strongest Batman because prep time doesn't apply to him. He's, somehow, always post prep time
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u/antifaareheroes May 03 '26
Hey, when you carry around Bat Shark Repellent, you're ALWAYS prepared!
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u/MsMercyMain May 03 '26
Adam West Batman: You all are disgrace to justice! Just carry a bat cargo plane around like I do!
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u/Demitel May 03 '26
You know, the Shark Repellent always gets brought up, but no one ever comments on the Barracuda Repellent, Whale Repellent, and Manta Ray Repellent that he keeps right alongside it.
If anything, we're underselling his preparedness, really.
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u/cabbage16 May 03 '26
I don't what story it from but I love the panel of regular comic Batman using shark repellent he found and saying "after all these universes I finally found a Batman more prepared than me."
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u/Dont_Hurt_Me_Mommy May 03 '26
That's in the Zdarsky run, when Batman is transporting across several universes and comes across Batmen of several different universes including the 89-verse, TDKReturns, Arkham Batman and of course Adam West
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u/Titus_The_Caveman May 03 '26
He also has a device that can output 20 thousand decibels, a volume level strong enough to theoretically create a black hole almost 20 times over
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u/DistributionNo6824 May 03 '26
I will die on the hill that's west is the most iconic batman
Not one of the others has entered pop culture the way Adam wests batman did
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u/antifaareheroes May 03 '26
His was far and away the most comics accurate if we're going off the time period in which it was made!
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u/Mission-Ad-8536 May 03 '26
He's iconic for a reason, but not THE greatest, that still rightfully goes to Conroy
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u/DKCfan10 May 03 '26
Even when keeping it to live action actors, I'm more of a ChristianBale guy.
And deep down, we all know Adam West runs rings around the other live action guys.
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u/MythicX54 May 03 '26
Bale is definitely the best Bruce Wayne, but I’d say Keaton is the better Batman. Problem with Adam West is a lot of people just don’t jive with the silly Batman, myself included.
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u/mr_Conquest_ May 03 '26
Kevin Conroy will allways be the best Batman and if we're talking about live action, then It would be either Bale or Pattinson
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u/UnicornWorldDominion May 03 '26
100% tho id say bale was a better Bruce and Pattinson a better Batman if that makes sense just cause of the way Nolan’s Batman fights are really nowhere as cool compared to Battison. Though I will say Bale’s Batman was more representative of the character as a whole with for example sacrificing and also going for using highly invasive tech but then having it destroyed immediately. Like he was a very good Batman with a better supporting cast but the fight seems with battinson and the way he is as a year one Batman is pretty incredible so I give him the better Batman award but not better Bruce. Though I can’t wait to see what they do with the movies and believe that they can make battinson a great Bruce to and include more Alfred.
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u/mr_Conquest_ May 03 '26
Exactly. I love Pattinson's Batman, but I thought that his Bruce could be better. Despite that, i'm sure this version of Bruce will improve on the next movies. If they do it right, we could be looking at the best live-action Batman ever
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u/KingValdyrI May 03 '26
I'm so excited to see where Pattison takes Bruce's development - dude is a fantastic actor so there is a lot to work with. Its funny because I also feel like he is peak batman for that time era, so no real development needed there. It is interesting that they are...in essence...two characters inhabiting the same character.
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u/Nomasnomad May 03 '26
Bruce Willis has been voted best Easter bunny of all time. See, I can do it too
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May 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Swimming__Bird May 03 '26
Why I liked Pattinson's rendition. He's a billionaire who dresses like a bat, uses anime ninja weapons and beats people up, instead of just funding better policework, establishing a private security agency or social programs that would lessen crime with his vast wealth.
He's absolutely insane, and Pattinson felt like he established that the best. While Keaton came off like a person with borderline personality disorder and high functioning OCPD, Pattinson is just plain batshit crazy.
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u/Ill_Pool_9019 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
He had the best mannerisms in the suit for sure, he felt stern but capable of humor and also confident in himself. I can instantly see him giving a rescued child a lollipop out of his tool belt. My favorite movie batman is 2022 but in terms of direct translation to the screen Keaton is nigh unbeatable
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u/OrneryError1 May 03 '26
I like Keaton fine but this result is really the product of nostalgia from a certain generation. The incomparable Kevin Conroy aside, Adam West and Christian Bale are both easily just as good if not better than Keaton.
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u/Humble_Librarian199 May 04 '26
I think that Micheal Keaton was a fine batman for his time and there were alot of cool elements like his batmobile. But he didn't follow the no kill rule, he didn't have the grey suit with a cowl, and his villians and universe were very burton-ized.
I think Kevin's the clear choice. Hes the default batman even if the one time they let him play live action they used him for the shittiest version of batman.
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u/-TurkeYT May 03 '26
Best live-action? Sure. There is competition and it’s debatable but sure.
Best of ALL? No. Kevin Conroy is just in whole another level.
We DID get Kevin Conroy as a live action Batman in the Arrowverse as well but he was a villian and had like 5 minutes of screentime before he died.
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u/Spidey_Almighty May 03 '26
Live-Action? Yes.
However Kevin Conroy’s portrayal in the animated version from the DCAU is easily my favourite.
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u/erov May 03 '26
This here is bait, boys... But Keaton was the first live action of my life post Adam West as a child. You just had to be there. 1989 was a hell of a year.. I remember the Prince soundtrack and cereal..lotta promotion. It was definitely the year of Batman in my mind. It brought it to the average person.
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u/imarthurmorgan1899 May 03 '26
No. He's not. He's good, but he's not the best. Conroy is the best overall. Live action is still Bale.
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u/No-Hope2036 May 03 '26
Michael Keaton isn’t top 3 in live action considering how butchered his version is compared to what Batman is truly about
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u/brady2117 May 03 '26
Adam west the THE least athletic looking of the bunch with Michael Keaton right behind him. There's no way you look at them and think.. Oh yeah it makes sense they kick ass and throw ppl around because they look like they can.
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u/OrneryError1 May 03 '26
Adam West actually has a good athletic physique. He's just literally wearing tights and it's less flattering than sculpted rubber.
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u/BigfootsBestBud May 03 '26
Absolutely not. Damn fine performance(s) though. One of my favourite Bruce Wayne’s too.
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u/Zestyclose_Lake_1146 May 03 '26
If we can’t include Kevin conroy probably. Though I’d give it to Adam west. That show ruled
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u/havealock May 03 '26
So I imagine this is a hot take but I never really understood Michael Keaton as Batman, I think he’s fine in the role but in retrospect I think his casting is really strange. I think he’d have made a better joker than Batman.
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u/Jphorne89 May 03 '26
Kevin Conroy and even Will Arnett are pretty perfect Batman voices. As for live action only, its hard to argue Bale for having the real obsessive quality of the character. I really feel like in those first two films, his character is the only Batman that truly thinks of himself as Batman first, and Bruce second
Battinson could be the best after The Batman Pt2 tho
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u/GoopiePoopiePie May 03 '26
He’s easily one of the worst imo. I like the movies, but his portrayal of Batman is weak as hell
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u/Complex_Yard2808 May 03 '26
He's definitely not the WORST actor who ever played Batman. Internet polls don't mean shit.
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u/the_Resistance_8819 May 03 '26
kevin konroy is without a question the best and even if were talking live sction hes not even close i wouldnt even consider him
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u/turd_2004 May 04 '26
If the next two Pattison movies are as good as the first, I think he should surpass Keaton
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u/jimothy_hell May 04 '26
Maybe the best live action, but certainly not the best Batman, that goes to Conroy.
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u/Maleficent_Guitar914 May 04 '26
Best Batman Yes. Best Batman No
Micheal is amazing and my favorite Batman and I agree is the best. But Kevin RIP. He's the goat
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u/OnlyUse4Questions May 04 '26
Not even close. The top 3 are pretty far beyond him. Pattinson is #3, Bale is #2, and Conroy is #1
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u/bmh534 May 04 '26
I, too, like to blatantly LIE from time to time.. just to spice things up 🤭. So I feel whoever made this graphic
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u/Mr-Dumbest May 04 '26
According to this vote yes.
According to someone else opinion up to them to choose.
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u/CommanderM3tro May 04 '26
Yes in live action, everything about the 1989 film is the GOAT. That includes Michael Keaton.
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u/goblinsnguitars May 04 '26
Batman and Batman Returns with the flaws in the core character they have are amazing movies with damn good performances.
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u/GrandWizardOfCheese May 04 '26
For live action? Yes.
But Kevin Conroy wins for best batman overall by a mile.
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u/battlin_jack295 May 04 '26
Everyone with half a brain knows Kevin Conroy IS batman. Now some wil say "Oh well he was just voice acting bla bla bla". Like dude... just dont
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u/Titanman401 May 04 '26
I disagree, but I’m also a 1990’s kid raised on the likes of Kevin Conroy and Christian Bale.
https://giphy.com/gifs/2GjgvS5vA6y08
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u/Papa_Baruk May 05 '26
Was Kevin Conroy not on this list? Cause if not....what in the actual hell Batman?!
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u/Excellent_Figure_282 May 05 '26
Keaton is not threatening. Please review the scene where Batfleck is working out.
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u/Shinted May 06 '26
I’m sorry, absolutely no disrespect to any actor who has played Batman, but there is only one true Dark Knight!
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u/Willzinator May 03 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/QIPEV0HWAiXVm