Campy Batman Beats Broody Batman

A new, longer trailer for the upcoming “The Batman” film featuring Robert Pattinson was released this past weekend. Director Matt Reeves, known for directing the recent “Planet of the Apes” movies along with the 2010 hit “Cloverfield,” appears to be aiming at an even grittier rendition of Batman than what Christopher Nolan crafted with “The Dark Knight” trilogy. Those movies starred Christian Bale as the sulky superhero, and surveys show it may be tough for Pattinson to push him off the top of the most beloved Batman actors list.

According to a 2019 survey from YouGov, Adam West’s campy, strange portrayal of Batman in 1966 just barely edges out Christian Bale’s serious, moody version created by Nolan. Following closely behind is Michael Keaton’s stiff, enigmatic Batman in Tim Burton’s classic 1989 film. Others down the list include George Clooney and Val Kilmer, with poor Lewis Davis’s Batman from 1943 rounding out the bottom of the list.

Much hype is surrounding this newest Batman movie set to release in 2021. With the recent blockbuster success of “Joker,” many are hoping Pattinson and Reeves can revive the darker side of DC Comics in the cinema. “Wonder Woman” and “Aquaman” were some of DC’s first true successes in the box office apart from Nolan’s Batman films, as “Superman” and “Justice League” failed to attract similar viewership to compete with Disney’s Marvel universe of movies. The "Watchmen" series on HBO has also helped push the franchise to new heights with dark, thoughtful storytelling.