Batman all movies list: Why most watch orders are actually wrong

Finding a batman all movies list that actually makes sense is harder than it looks. Most people just dump a bunch of titles in a row, but if you actually try to watch them that way, you’re going to be hopelessly confused by the time the third guy puts on the cowl. Honestly, the Caped Crusader has been rebooted so many times that his cinematic history looks less like a timeline and more like a shattered mirror.

You've got the campy 60s stuff, the gothic Burton era, the "Bat-nipple" years that almost killed the franchise, and the ultra-serious modern era. It’s a lot. If you're looking to marathon these, you basically have to choose a "flavor" because they don't all live in the same world.

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The early years: Serials and the bright knight

Long before Christian Bale was growling about hockey pads, Batman was a guy in a high-waisted costume in black-and-white serials.

1. Batman (1943): This was a 15-chapter serial. Lewis Wilson played Bruce Wayne. It’s basically a time capsule—very much a product of its era, including some pretty heavy WWII propaganda.
2. Batman and Robin (1949): Another serial, this time with Robert Lowery. If you aren't a die-hard historian, these are tough to sit through.
3. Batman: The Movie (1966): This is the Adam West classic. It’s colorful, it’s intentional parody, and it has the shark repellent. It’s a spin-off of the TV show, and honestly, it’s still a blast if you don't take it seriously.

The Burton and Schumacher era (1989–1997)

This is where the modern superhero movie was born. Tim Burton brought a dark, German Expressionist vibe to Gotham that changed everything. But then the studio got scared that it was "too dark" for Happy Meals, so they pivoted to neon and puns.

• Batman (1989): Michael Keaton vs. Jack Nicholson. Absolute gold. It defined the look of Gotham for a generation.
• Batman Returns (1992): Burton went full weird here. Penguin (Danny DeVito) is a literal monster, and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a leather-clad icon. It’s a Christmas movie, technically.
• Batman Forever (1995): Joel Schumacher took over. Val Kilmer is the Bat. Jim Carrey is a very loud Riddler. It’s way more "comic booky" and neon-drenched.
• Batman & Robin (1997): George Clooney. The ice puns. The suit with nipples. It was so poorly received that it literally put the character in "cinematic jail" for eight years.

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy

In 2005, Christopher Nolan basically said, "What if Batman lived in the real world?" This is arguably the peak of the batman all movies list for most fans.

• Batman Begins (2005): We finally got a proper origin story. Christian Bale brought a level of intensity we hadn't seen.
• The Dark Knight (2008): You know this one. Heath Ledger’s Joker is widely considered the best villain performance in movie history. It’s a crime epic that just happens to have a guy in a cape.
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012): A massive, operatic ending. Tom Hardy’s Bane is a physical powerhouse, and while the plot has some holes, it sticks the landing for the trilogy.

The DCEU and the multiverse era

This is where things get messy. Warner Bros. tried to do the Marvel thing by connecting everything. Ben Affleck played a weary, older Batman who had already been fighting crime for 20 years.

1. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016): The first time we saw the Big Two together. It’s heavy, divisive, and very visual.
2. Suicide Squad (2016): Batman has a couple of cameos here, chasing down Joker and Harley.
3. Justice League (2017) / Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021): The 2017 version is a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster. The 2021 "Snyder Cut" is a four-hour epic that actually gives Batman a lot more to do.
4. The Flash (2023): This is a multiversal victory lap. We get Ben Affleck and the return of Michael Keaton. It’s sort of the "ending" for this specific version of the character.

The new "Detective" era: Robert Pattinson

Matt Reeves decided to strip everything back. No flying aliens, no magic. Just a young, moody guy who is really bad at being a billionaire but really good at being a detective.

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• The Batman (2022): Robert Pattinson is Year Two Batman. It’s basically a seven-hour noir (okay, it's three hours, but it feels massive). The Riddler is a serial killer, and the whole thing feels like the movie Se7en.

Upcoming movies and the future of Gotham

We are currently in a weird transition period. Because of how the rights and "Elseworlds" labels work, we are actually getting two different Batmen at the same time.

The Batman Part II (2027)

Matt Reeves is continuing his "Epic Crime Saga." Robert Pattinson is coming back. We know it was delayed, but the hype is still through the roof. It’s expected to pick up where the Penguin HBO series left off.

The Brave and the Bold (TBD)

This will be the "main" Batman for the new DC Universe (DCU) headed by James Gunn. It’s going to feature Bruce Wayne training his son, Damian Wayne, who is a murderous little Robin. No actor has been cast yet, despite all the Alan Ritchson and Jensen Ackles rumors you see on TikTok.

Animated and Spinoffs

• Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993): Don't ignore this. Even though it's animated, many fans think it's the best Batman movie ever made.
• The LEGO Batman Movie (2017): Surprisingly deep exploration of Bruce Wayne’s loneliness, wrapped in a comedy.
• Clayface (September 11, 2026): A horror-leaning spinoff directed by Mike Flanagan. It's set in the DCU and might feature a Batman cameo.

Actionable insights for your marathon

If you're planning to tackle this batman all movies list, don't watch them by release date. You'll get tonal whiplash. Instead, watch them in "buckets."

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Start with the Nolan Trilogy if you want the best filmmaking. Go with the Burton/Schumacher run if you want 90s nostalgia and gothic vibes. Save The Batman (2022) for a rainy night when you want a gritty mystery. Just skip the 1940s serials unless you’re writing a thesis paper—they’re a slog.

To stay ahead of the next release, keep an eye on production updates for The Batman Part II which starts filming soon. The transition from the Penguin series to the sequel is going to be the blueprint for how DC handles its "Elseworlds" stories moving forward.