The Adam West movies
The Adam West version of Batman exists in an interesting place. A movie starring West's Batman was produced in 1966 at a time when the television show was a cultural phenomenon. Five decades later, Adam West and his costar Burt Ward reprised their roles as Batman and Robin in a pair of animated films set within the continuity of the television series. These films act as sequels to the 1966 television show and movie, picking up as if no time has passed.
In other words, if you wanted to do a complete viewing of Adam West's time as Batman, you'd have to switch from live-action to animation after the first movie. Here's how to do it:
- Batman Season one (1966)
- Batman (1966)
- Batman Season two (1966-67)
- Batman Season three (1967-1968)
- Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
- Batman vs. Two-Face (2017)
The Burton/Schumacher Era (The Classic Gothic Conflict)
If you want to see the classic, stylized rivalry that defined 90s superhero cinema, watch the retro chronological arc.
The 1980s/1990s Burton-Schumacher films were the first big budget theatrical Batman film series. The first two films were directed by Tim Burton and starred Michael Keaton as Batman, while Joel Schumacher directed the next two films, which starred Val Kilmer, who was then replaced by George Clooney - who reprised his role recently in The Flash. If you want to watch them, here's the correct order.
- Batman (1989)
Tim Burton's classic introduces the Jack Nicholson version of the Joker and his direct history with Bruce Wayne.
- Batman Returns (1992)
Continues the gothic atmosphere (though without the Joker).
- Batman Forever (1995)
- Batman & Robin (1997)
- The Flash (2023)
The Dark Knight Trilogy (The Definitive Conflict)
This sequence offers the most cohesive and celebrated narrative arc featuring the Joker within a grounded live-action universe.
- Batman Begins (2005)
Explores Bruce Wayne's origin and his early days becoming the protector of Gotham. (Note: The Joker does not appear here, but it sets the tone).
- The Dark Knight (2008)
Features the iconic clash between Batman and the Joker (played by Heath Ledger).
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Joaquin Phoenix's Joker Origin Arc
For an independent, psychological look strictly at the villain before tying into his broader legacy:
- Joker (2019)
Arthur Fleck's descent into madness and transformation into the Joker. A standalone origin story of Batman's greatest enemy, with Joaquin Phoenix.
- Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
The musical-psychological follow-up exploring his time in Arkham.
The Ben Affleck Batman
In 2016, Ben Affleck suited up as Batman for the film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film took place in the shared continuity known as the DC Extended Universe, otherwise known as the DCEU. This watch order list will look at the DCEU films that Batman appears in. For a full DCEU watchlist check out this article.
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- Suicide Squad (2016)
- Justice League (2017)
- Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
- The Flash (2023)
The Robert Pattinson Batman
Although they overlapped in terms of release dates, the Matt Reeves-directed Batman film exists in its own universe separate from the DCEU. The Batman (2022) isn't a prequel to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), but a different take on the character. That said, the Robert Pattinson Batman has a pocket universe all of his own thanks not only to the in-development 2026 sequel, but also the 2024 TV series The Penguin, described as the bridge between The Batman, and 2026's The Batman Part II, which should be considered essential viewing for those who want to know how Gotham recovers from the end of The Batman. So, if you want to keep track of the Pattinsonverse, you'd be following this order:
- The Batman (2022)
- The Penguin (2024)
- The Batman Part II (2026)