Ever since the Caped Crusader has been brought in to existence, people from around the world have been imagination in different forms of physical and mental adaptions. Undoubtedly he is one of the most iconic characters in history. Certainly, all of that has been magnified exponentially by his influence in the live-action capacity, mostly the cinema. Here we see the evolution of Batman over the decades in live-screen adaption.
Evolution of Batman
Batman (1989)
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Michael Keaton
Villains: Joker / Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson)
Batman Type: Michael Keaton’s Batman was too dark and too violent.
Story: Jack Napier is effected by a chemical and creates a personal vendetta of killing off every person that led him in making him in to this thing. As you would expect, Jack Napier turned Joker wreaks havoc in Gotham city and good guy Batman comes to save the day (probably night).
Nominations/Wins: Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins and 21 nominations.
Batman Returns (1992)
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Michael Keaton
Villains: Penguin / Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito), Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), Catwoman / Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) (on-again and off-again lover)
Batman Type: In the sequel he proved to be much darker and violent than he was in the prequel.
Story: Penguin joins up with wicked businessman Max Shreck to topple the Batman for good once and for all. Selina Kyle turned Catwoman then teams up with Penguin to destroy the Batma
n, but once confronted, unexpected sparks fly.
Nominations/Wins: Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 14 nominations.
Now this is where things really started to get interesting, here is where the evolution of Batman started.
Batman Forever (1995)
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Val Kilmer
Villains: Two-Face / Harvey Dent (Tommy Lee Jones), Riddler / Dr. Edward Nygma (Jim Carry), Catwoman / Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) (on-again and off-again lover)
Batman Type: More heroic, less ruthless, and more human character. The interpretation of Bruce Wayne more into line with his comic book counterpart, showing him as a socialite and a very public figure rather than the neurotic recluse of the previous films.
Story: Batman faces off against two foes: the schizophrenic, horribly scarred former District Attorney Harvey Dent (which pretty much acted like he took classes from the Joker), aka Two-Face, and the Riddler, a disgruntled ex-Wayne Enterprises inventor seeking revenge against his former employer by unleashing his brain-sucking weapon on Gotham City’s residents.
Nominations/Wins: Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 19 nominations.
The next Bat-movie played a key role in the process of evolution of Batman. (which was actually a disaster)
Batman & Robin (1997)
Bruce Wayne/Batman: George Clooney
Villains: Two-Face / Harvey Dent (Tommy Lee Jones), Riddler / Dr. Edward Nygma (Jim Carry), Catwoman / Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) (on-again and off-again lover)
Batman Type: All we know about this Batman is that it had Bat-Nips!
Story: This superhero adventure finds Batman and his partner, Robin, attempting to the foil the sinister schemes of a deranged set of new villains, most notably the melancholy Mr. Freeze, who wants to make Gotham into an arctic region, and the sultry Poison Ivy, a plant-loving femme fatale. As the Dynamic Duo contends with these bad guys, a third hero, Batgirl, joins the ranks of the city’s crime-fighters.
Nominations/Wins: 5 wins & 20 nominations which include nominations for Worst Director, Worst Screen Couple, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor, Worst Supporting Actress, Worst Picture (has been called as one of the worst films ever made – I guess that’s an achievement)
Christopher Nolan took up the mantle and responsibility of introducing a new Batman to the screens and here is how he played his role in the evolution of Batman.
Batman Begins (2005)
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Christian Bale
Villains: Scarecrow / Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy), Ra’s Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson)
Batman Type: Christian Bale’s Batman and Bruce Wayne were critically accepted and praised. Batman had just started to rise on the midst of a Bruce Wayne crisis when he tried to kill the killer of his parents. Bruce then started to learn about fighting and martial art skills. His tactics and fighting turned out to be effective and was the best that ever seen on screenplay. His Batsuit was also considered to be as the best that has ever shown on-screen with his suit described as a “Nomex Survival Suit”
Story: A young Bruce Wayne travels to the Far East of the Earth in search for answers, where he’s trained in the martial arts by Henri Ducard, a member of the mysterious League of Shadows. When Ducard reveals the League’s true purpose – the complete destruction of Gotham City – Wayne returns to Gotham intent on cleaning up the city without resorting to murder. With the help of Alfred, his loyal butler, and Lucius Fox, a tech expert at Wayne Enterprises, Gotham sees The Caped Crusader.
Nominations/Wins: Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 48 nominations.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Christian Bale
Villains: Joker (Heath Ledger), Scarecrow / Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy), Two-Face / Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Lau (Chin Han), Maroni (Eric Roberts)
Batman Type: In the sequel of Batman Begins, Batman was both at his mental and physical peak. With his new and improved Batsuit with increased mobility and flexibility, his fighting skills had heightened. His Batman was more in touch with reality, though thug-ish but he had good hand-to-hand skills, tactical advantages (when he captures the Joker), durability, and speed. Though some fans agree to disagree because they think that Batman is known to be the World’s greatest detective but there were less detective skills shown and more where-are-they skills. His Batsuit in The Dark Knight is was then considered to be the best on-screen Batsuit, though (again) fans disagree and argue about the fact that it doesn’t resonate with the comics.
Story: With the help of allies Lt. Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent, Batman (Christian Bale) has been able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City. But when a vile young criminal calling himself the Joker suddenly throws the town into chaos, the caped Crusader begins to tread a fine line between heroism and vigilantism
Nominations/Wins: Won 2 Oscars. Another 142 wins & 106 nominations.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Christian Bale
Villains: Bane (Tom Hardy), Talia Al Ghul / Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), John Dagget (Ben Mendelsohn), Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson)
Batman Type: Batman has wearied out after falling in to the scheme of the Joker. He has turned old and has little left in his body to fight with, as I quote “No, that’s because there is NO cartilage in your knee, and not much of any use in your elbows or your shoulders. Between that and the scar tissue on your kidneys, the residual concussive damage to your brain tissue, and the general scarred-over quality of your body, I cannot recommend that you go heliskiing, Mr. Wayne”. Batman is desperate to fight against the mercenary but his rivals fighting skills outmatch him in every way possible. Still he pulls his sh*t together and proves to be Gotham’s savior.
Story: It has been eight years since Batman, in collusion with Commissioner Gordon, vanished into the night. Assuming responsibility for the death of Harvey Dent, Batman sacrificed everything for what he and Gordon hoped would be the greater good. However, the arrival of a cunning cat burglar and a merciless terrorist named Bane force Batman out of exile and into a battle he may not be able to win.
Nominations/Wins: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 45 wins & 86 nominations
Christopher Nolan has done the most notable part in on-screen portrayal of the Caped Crusader. Then came in Zack Snyder roaring after Man of Steel for a direct sequel of the movie, introducing Batman and Superman as foes. Here is how he will play his role in the evolution of Batman.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Ben Affleck
Villains: Superman
Batman Type: It has been almost 30 years since the Batman has retired and cleaned the streets of Gotham. He is now tired and weary and seasoned. The Batsuit looks like it has been ripped right off the pages of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Suggestively it has not two but three different Batsuits, each made for specific environments and endurance.
Story: Following the destruction of Metropolis, Batman embarks on a personal vendetta against Superman.
Nominations/Wins: To be released