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Michael Keaton - Michael Keaton was something of a controversial casting in 'Batman' from 1989. However, he added some distinct charm to Tim Burton's blockbuster.
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Michael Keaton - "In terms of what Tim and I discussed for the movie, I knew we were right on," he told the Guardian. And he certainly was, ranking second-place as the fan-favorite Batman, with 38% of the vote!
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Michael Keaton - Keaton went on to score an Oscar nom for 'Birdman.' Some say the film was based on Keaton's own experience as Batman.
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Adam West
- For many fans, Adam West was the best actor who played Batman, but he surprisingly didn't rank among the top five in the Hollywood Reporter poll.
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Adam West - The late star built up a cult fanbase, who adored his comical performances in the 'Batman' series from the '60s.
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Adam West - "I learned a long time ago that because people love Batman, I should too," Adam West said. He always had a love/hate relationship with the complex character.
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Val Kilmer - Kilmer is a legend of the action movie genre. However, he ranked below Ben Affleck in the poll, with only 17% of respondents thinking he was the best.
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Val Kilmer - He starred in 'Batman Forever' in 1995. In the film, Batman squared off with Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and The Riddler, played by Jim Carrey.
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Val Kilmer - Apparently, Kilmer and Carrey grew close during filming, and they bonded over the deaths of their fathers.
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George Clooney - Clooney joined an all-star cast for 'Batman & Robin' in 1997. He appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, and Alicia Silverstone.
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George Clooney - Talking with Graham Norton, the actor said, "I thought at the time this was going to be a very good career move. It wasn't." That said, he ranked as the third-best Batman, with 19% of the vote.
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George Clooney - A popular rumor is that George Clooney refunds fans who saw the film and were disappointed.
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Christian Bale - Before Christian Bale, Batman could be brushed off as a silly character you see in comic books. However, with 'Batman Begins,' Bale created a new energy for the franchise.
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Christian Bale - 'The Dark Knight' was a huge hit, and though much of the praise was saved for Heath Ledger, Christian Bale gave an incredible performance as the complicated hero. That's why he's the most favored Batman, with 39% of the vote.
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Christian Bale - In the final film, 'The Dark Knight Rises,' Christian Bale concluded his story as Batman. But who did he pass the baton to?
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Ben Affleck - Fans were generally split about Affleck's portrayal of Batman. Some loved his aggressive nature, while others found the character a bit too cold.
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Ben Affleck - However, Affleck still added his own spin to Bruce Wayne. He was given an emotional story line, one that hadn't been tackled by previous portrayals. Perhaps that's why he surpassed Val Kilmer with 18% of voters calling him their favorite.
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Ben Affleck - Affleck was actually slated to direct his own Batman film, but dropped out of the production in 2017.
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Will Arnett - Sure, Will Arnett only played Lego Batman, but in the actor's words "Lego Batman doesn't know that he is an animated character."
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Will Arnett - It wasn't just a one-off either, as Arnett has voiced Lego Batman in three movies and several other projects, with more on the way!
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Will Arnett - "I approached him as a character I'm playing with an inner life," he told USA Today.
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David Mazouz - David Mazouz was another actor who showed fans an unseen side of Batman.
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David Mazouz - The rising actor plays young Bruce Wayne in 'Gotham,' a crime series which premiered in 2014.
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David Mazouz - "At this point in his life, he's angry, he's scared, he's compulsive, and he's lonely. He's looking for any meaning to his parents' death," the actor told Collider.
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Josh Hutcherson - You may know Hutcherson from films like 'The Hunger Games' and 'The Kids Are All Right.' Turns out the actor actually played Batman back in 2004.
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Josh Hutcherson - That's right, a young Josh Hutcherson voiced young Bruce Wayne in 'Justice League Unlimited.'
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Josh Hutcherson - He hasn't returned to the character since, but some fans thought Hutcherson would be the perfect choice for The Dark Knight.
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Kevin Conroy
- You might not recognize Kevin Conroy, but the man is considered a hero by true Batman fans. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Kevin Conroy
- Conroy voiced the character in 'Batman: The Animated Series,' and other features. (Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)
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Kevin Conroy
- He was the first voice actor to use two different voices for Batman. Michael Keaton had previously done this in Tim Burton's films. See also: Brilliant batman villains that you probably forgot about
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Who is the best Batman of them all?
George Clooney says it "physically hurts" him to watch his Batman
© <p>Getty Images</p>
We've had so many Batmans throughout cinematic history that a while back the Hollywood Reporter ran a poll to discover how they ranked amongst fans. Unsurprisingly, Michael Keaton ranked in the top two, just one percentage point off Christian Bale.
George Clooney has shared his opinion on who the worst Batman is, as he recently got candid with Howard Stern about just how "physically" painful it is for him to watch his 1997 'Batman & Robin.' He maintained he couldn't have done it any differently because, "It's a big machine," and he was just an actor doing his job. But, Clooney confessed, "I'm terrible in it," and he added that the writer Akiva Goldsman was responsible for the "terrible screenplay," and the late Joel Schumacher would have admitted it didn't work as well.
But what do viewers think about the Batmen? While it’s clear the Zack Snyder-directed era starring Affleck had very poor results (i.e. bombed at the box office), he’s surprisingly not people’s least favorite!
With that said, let's take a look at the best actors who have played Batman over the years.
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