The Dark Knight Rises Is Christian Bale the most popular incarnation of Batman/Bruce Wayne?

[Robin91939]

Christian is very good, for me it all that counts. But Batman is already known for having many different actors behind the mask and most of them have a lot to offer.

I tend to agree with this.

For me, Christian Bale is my Batman, because his films are the ones that depict the Batman that is closest to the one I see in my own head...

But Batman isn't a character in popular culture like Superman, as the thread's first post suggests.

Superman was played, quite definitively, by Chris Reeve in four Hollywood films. There were a few other actors to play him in serials/TV shows: George Reeves, Kirk Alyn, Dean Cain, and Tom Welling (strictly as Clark Kent). One other actor played Superman in a Hollywood film in the modern era, Brandon Routh. Christopher Reeve doesn't have a tremendous amount of competition....couple that with his great performance and he is the definitive Superman, until dethroned....which for most fans is an impossible thought.


Batman, in film, is more comparable to a character like James Bond.

To just about anyone you ask, there is a different man that they call "Bond".

To me, growing up, it was Pierce Brosnan. Now, I have to say that it's Daniel Craig. For others it's Roger Moore, most would say Sean Connery is their Bond. And one or two people would say Lazenby or Daulton.

That's how it is for Batman....and that's just fine.

Everyone has their interpretation of the perfect version of the Batman in their head. For me, that's Christian Bale's Batman.

Some would say Michael Keaton, and that's perfectly acceptable. Others can say Adam West, Val Kilmer, or even George Clooney.

And guess what...? In ten years or so, we'll have this debate again. And hopefully it will be about an actor who people think is the best Batman of all time, unseating Bale, Keaton, et al. That's just great for the genre and for the character to have amazing actors step in and offer great interpretations of a classic character.

Superman would be lucky to have Henry Cavill turn in a performance that stirs up a debate that makes fans wonder if he's better than Christopher Reeve.

That doesn't make Christopher Reeve's performance any less of an achievement than it was in the 1970's-1980's...it just means that Cavill's performance was great...and that's good for the character.


Just watch as the same thing happens with Spider-man in the coming year.

It's a good thing, and a healthy debate.

-R

 

[GregComicFan]

I will always hear Kevin Conroy's voice in my mind if I imagine Batman talking.

But movie-wise... I rank

1. Christian Bale
2. Michael Keaton
3. Kilmer
4. Clooney

...was never a fan of the Adam West stuff.

 

[Aubrey]

I tend to agree with this.

For me, Christian Bale is my Batman, because his films are the ones that depict the Batman that is closest to the one I see in my own head...

But Batman isn't a character in popular culture like Superman, as the thread's first post suggests.

Superman was played, quite definitively, by Chris Reeve in four Hollywood films. There were a few other actors to play him in serials/TV shows: George Reeves, Kirk Alyn, Dean Cain, and Tom Welling (strictly as Clark Kent). One other actor played Superman in a Hollywood film in the modern era, Brandon Routh. Christopher Reeve doesn't have a tremendous amount of competition....couple that with his great performance and he is the definitive Superman, until dethroned....which for most fans is an impossible thought.


Batman, in film, is more comparable to a character like James Bond.

To just about anyone you ask, there is a different man that they call "Bond".

To me, growing up, it was Pierce Brosnan. Now, I have to say that it's Daniel Craig. For others it's Roger Moore, most would say Sean Connery is their Bond. And one or two people would say Lazenby or Daulton.

That's how it is for Batman....and that's just fine.

Everyone has their interpretation of the perfect version of the Batman in their head. For me, that's Christian Bale's Batman.

Some would say Michael Keaton, and that's perfectly acceptable. Others can say Adam West, Val Kilmer, or even George Clooney.

And guess what...? In ten years or so, we'll have this debate again. And hopefully it will be about an actor who people think is the best Batman of all time, unseating Bale, Keaton, et al. That's just great for the genre and for the character to have amazing actors step in and offer great interpretations of a classic character.

Superman would be lucky to have Henry Cavill turn in a performance that stirs up a debate that makes fans wonder if he's better than Christopher Reeve.

That doesn't make Christopher Reeve's performance any less of an achievement than it was in the 1970's-1980's...it just means that Cavill's performance was great...and that's good for the character.


Just watch as the same thing happens with Spider-man in the coming year.

It's a good thing, and a healthy debate.

-R

beautifully said..

 

[Sharkboy]

I think it's pretty easy to say Christian Bale is the best current Batman, because by default he is the best because he is in the best written and made film series. But if we were to take each performance on it's individual merits, I feel batman begins is the better showcase considering it's focus on batman/bruce the character, rather than batman as a concept/idea/effect in TDK (whereas Batman/bruce the character was treated as a part in an ensemble cast)

I think TDKR will be a true test, it's the first time Nolan has been able to approach a story about Bruce/Batman as a character, with free reign to do what he pleases (almost), a much bigger budget, a more ambitious story and a more refined and experienced team involved. I think this will be the true indicator and test of whether Christian bale can really portray Batman better than anyone else. Personally I'm rooting for him, he's got a bum deal in these films, he's probably got the hardest, riskiest most important performance in the entire franchise, and people tend to dismiss him and rather focus or arbitrary or surface values like the voice, suit or fighting, rather than his actual performance, which includes a lot of body language...he tends to get ignored because of how stoic a performance it actually is.

TDKR should really be a showcase for Christian Bale and how he chooses to realise the character.

 

[Ken-Kaniff]

Not sure if Bale is the most popular, but he's the best yet!

 

[The Morningstar]

No. Prefer Keaton. Bale is good, but his Batman comes acrossed forced, as though it isn't a natural thing to him.

Keaton just naturally came across as this messed up, unhinged guy. Bale, with his shouting and silly voice seems like he's trying too hard, that he is putting on an act when under the cowl. Which is wrong. Batman should come naturally to Wayne. It's his rage and pain being subconsciously released in the Batman persona. It doesn't seem like a subconscious thing with Bale's Wayne. It seems very much done on purpose and acted out.

Plus the scene where Wayne is trying to awkwardly explain to Vicky Vale the truth in Batman 89 is better than anything involving Bruce Wayne in Nolan's Bat movies.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I really don't have "my" Batman. I don't think I ever can. What matters to me is who can play Batman in the best way possible in the context of whoever's vision and just if they're damn great in their own way. I have no specific vision as to how Batman could be portrayed in my eyes, because that's restricting. I want to allow myself to be open to everything. With Batman this is especially true. I could never really put Keaton, Bale or Conroy over eachother because they all represent what I love about Batman in different ways. But the one consistant thing is that you must capture the psychology of the character on both sides. But I must say, Keaton's Bruce Wayne is extremely underrated. There's subtlety and nuance in his Bruce. People seem to be still stuck on the physicality aspect. But Keaton's performance puts that aside and makes you believe that this guy could put on a mask.

 

[GothamAlleys]

I like Bale a lot & Val Kilmer.

Interesting choice since theyre both complete opposites in every way. Bale himself dislikes Kilmer's take. But, as I said, interesting choice for a set

 

[KnightInBlack]

"You wanna get nuts? Come on! Let's get nuts!"
Love the way Keaton delivers this line!
Have to say it's a tie between him and Bale.

 

[Ken-Kaniff]

I tend to agree with this.

For me, Christian Bale is my Batman, because his films are the ones that depict the Batman that is closest to the one I see in my own head...

But Batman isn't a character in popular culture like Superman, as the thread's first post suggests.

Superman was played, quite definitively, by Chris Reeve in four Hollywood films. There were a few other actors to play him in serials/TV shows: George Reeves, Kirk Alyn, Dean Cain, and Tom Welling (strictly as Clark Kent). One other actor played Superman in a Hollywood film in the modern era, Brandon Routh. Christopher Reeve doesn't have a tremendous amount of competition....couple that with his great performance and he is the definitive Superman, until dethroned....which for most fans is an impossible thought.


Batman, in film, is more comparable to a character like James Bond.

To just about anyone you ask, there is a different man that they call "Bond".

To me, growing up, it was Pierce Brosnan. Now, I have to say that it's Daniel Craig. For others it's Roger Moore, most would say Sean Connery is their Bond. And one or two people would say Lazenby or Daulton.

That's how it is for Batman....and that's just fine.

Everyone has their interpretation of the perfect version of the Batman in their head. For me, that's Christian Bale's Batman.

Some would say Michael Keaton, and that's perfectly acceptable. Others can say Adam West, Val Kilmer, or even George Clooney.

And guess what...? In ten years or so, we'll have this debate again. And hopefully it will be about an actor who people think is the best Batman of all time, unseating Bale, Keaton, et al. That's just great for the genre and for the character to have amazing actors step in and offer great interpretations of a classic character.

Superman would be lucky to have Henry Cavill turn in a performance that stirs up a debate that makes fans wonder if he's better than Christopher Reeve.

That doesn't make Christopher Reeve's performance any less of an achievement than it was in the 1970's-1980's...it just means that Cavill's performance was great...and that's good for the character.


Just watch as the same thing happens with Spider-man in the coming year.

It's a good thing, and a healthy debate.

-R

Gr8 post mate, agree.

 

[The Batman]

I tend to agree with this.

For me, Christian Bale is my Batman, because his films are the ones that depict the Batman that is closest to the one I see in my own head...

But Batman isn't a character in popular culture like Superman, as the thread's first post suggests.

Superman was played, quite definitively, by Chris Reeve in four Hollywood films. There were a few other actors to play him in serials/TV shows: George Reeves, Kirk Alyn, Dean Cain, and Tom Welling (strictly as Clark Kent). One other actor played Superman in a Hollywood film in the modern era, Brandon Routh. Christopher Reeve doesn't have a tremendous amount of competition....couple that with his great performance and he is the definitive Superman, until dethroned....which for most fans is an impossible thought.


Batman, in film, is more comparable to a character like James Bond.

To just about anyone you ask, there is a different man that they call "Bond".

To me, growing up, it was Pierce Brosnan. Now, I have to say that it's Daniel Craig. For others it's Roger Moore, most would say Sean Connery is their Bond. And one or two people would say Lazenby or Daulton.

That's how it is for Batman....and that's just fine.

Everyone has their interpretation of the perfect version of the Batman in their head. For me, that's Christian Bale's Batman.

Some would say Michael Keaton, and that's perfectly acceptable. Others can say Adam West, Val Kilmer, or even George Clooney.

And guess what...? In ten years or so, we'll have this debate again. And hopefully it will be about an actor who people think is the best Batman of all time, unseating Bale, Keaton, et al. That's just great for the genre and for the character to have amazing actors step in and offer great interpretations of a classic character.

Superman would be lucky to have Henry Cavill turn in a performance that stirs up a debate that makes fans wonder if he's better than Christopher Reeve.

That doesn't make Christopher Reeve's performance any less of an achievement than it was in the 1970's-1980's...it just means that Cavill's performance was great...and that's good for the character.


Just watch as the same thing happens with Spider-man in the coming year.

It's a good thing, and a healthy debate.

-R

once again, the point of the thread is missed.

You use James Bond as an example. Ok.

If I said, "Is Dan Craig the most popular incarnation of Bond?", you saying Craig is "your" Bond does not answer the question.

To actually answer the question, I would say the overall most popular Bond seems to be Sean Connery. He is still the measuring stick people use as Bond. And, more factually, he starred in "Goldfinger", which is still considered the definitive Bond film, and "Thunderball". One look at Box Office mojo tells me that, adjusted for gross GF and TB are the highest grossing Bond films. Not only that, but in the 60's, Bond was the equivalent of Star Wars or even TDK.

If I really wanted to ask the question of who was "best"...I wouldve actually asked that question.

 

[The Batman]

^ yeah, i think its time to close this thread, lol

 

[Fudgie]

I think he's the most popular and the best one, too. It's easy to see how he is the only actor to get both Bruce Wayne and Batman right.

None of the others came close to that.

 

[Anjow1060]

Conroy.

[\thread]

- Jow

 

[GothamAlleys]

I think he's the most popular and the best one, too. It's easy to see how he is the only actor to get both Bruce Wayne and Batman right.

None of the others came close to that.

he got the modern age batman right. Keaton got the early batman right. Clooney and west got the 50s batman right. There isnt one Batman, and the other ones nailed their portrayals as well

As for the simple answer whos most popular now, no secret its Bale. But as many people already mentioned, the current one will most often be the most popular one. From my personal perspective I dont see Bale being any more popular than West or Keaton was back in the days. But hes still batman so its still ongoing. In hindsight, I think West got he most praise and spotlight for being Batman and is still recognized as him

 

[バット人]

Well judging by this thread and the rest of the activity on this message board I'd say the most popular choices are for West, Keaton, Conroy and Bale. It's not really clear to me which of those four wins the popularity contest because they're all pretty much revered for their incarnations of Batman. The 60s show was big and put West on the map, you see his impact even today. '89 was a juggernaut and Keaton's performance proved audiences wrong, very much like Ledger's Joker. The animated series is a staple in the history of Batman and Conroy's contribution to the character has left a lasting impact, even 20 years later. The recent TDK films are obviously a huge success and is also a force to be reckoned with, Bale is a part of this phenomenon with his performance of Batman and Bruce Wayne.

You don't see too many people discussing the other incarnations, it always comes back to Keaton, Conroy and Bale while West is off in a league of his own (playing "Batman" on cartoons, shows and other media). I see a lot of love for Keaton, Conroy, and Bale, none of them really outweigh the other. On message boards and youtube comments everywhere those three are always placed on these pedestals where they are debated in headed arguments.

Unless you could poll the entire world or anyone who has seen or enjoys anything Batman related, I think it's impossible to know for sure. All I know for certain is that it's one of these four,

-West

- Keaton

- Conroy

- Bale

And if not all four, atleast three since they're always (as this thread demonstrates) pitted against each other.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Adam West is still the most popular Batman.

 

[Robin91939]

once again, the point of the thread is missed.

You use James Bond as an example. Ok.

If I said, "Is Dan Craig the most popular incarnation of Bond?", you saying Craig is "your" Bond does not answer the question.

To actually answer the question, I would say the overall most popular Bond seems to be Sean Connery. He is still the measuring stick people use as Bond. And, more factually, he starred in "Goldfinger", which is still considered the definitive Bond film, and "Thunderball". One look at Box Office mojo tells me that, adjusted for gross GF and TB are the highest grossing Bond films. Not only that, but in the 60's, Bond was the equivalent of Star Wars or even TDK.

If I really wanted to ask the question of who was "best"...I wouldve actually asked that question.

Being the "most popular" comes from being viewed as "the best" in the most people's minds. If there are 100 people, and 80 of those people think Christian Bale is the BEST than he is the most popular amongst those 100 people....


I'm just saying that it's not as easy for a Batman actor to be the most popular as it is for a Superman actor.

As said, with Superman, he's been played definitively in four films by Reeve. With Batman, there are four or five different actors who have played the character, and some of these guys are guys that many feel "nailed" it.

And Bond, I'm not so sure. It's not the overwhelming majority that Sean Connery is the most popular Bond. With Bond, it's largely a generational thing. It's "When did you get into Bond". He is always thought of, being the first....but some think of Craig or Moore as the "definitive", "most popular" Bond. That's just how it is.

If you're using measuring sticks for Batman there really isn't one. Again, it changes per fan.

Adam West is the only of those guys who is almost SOLELY known for Batman. So, maybe, in that respect he is most popularly "known" as Batman. But whenever we hear of any of these actors it's preceded by "Batman actor..."

They will always be Batman and it really is a complete free for all debate as to who the "most popular" Batman is.

If I had to guess it's between Bale, Keaton and West amongst the general public.

Adam West: Has over 100 credits to his name and is still known solely as Batman. That is his career defining role.

Michael Keaton: The first serious Batman in a studio film. For many growing up in the late 80's, early 90's till even now is the "definitive" Batman. But also known for many other roles, including "Beetlejuice" and "Mr. Mom". Appeared in two Bat-films.

Val Kilmer: Only appeared in ONE Batman film. However, it was the second biggest in the previous Batfranchise. Yet, Kilmer's career has faded in the recent years... and he is known for several other landmark films Top Gun, Heat, Tombstone....

George Clooney: Only in one, terribly unsuccessful 1997 film. Clooney is known for BEING in this film, but is known for SO much more: Ocean's 11, Syriana, ER and as an Oscar winning actor and acclaimed Director... He's known as Modern Hollywood Royalty than he is as being Batman. In fact, HE has made it public that he owes Batman a lot for opening doors for him, but he'd rather forget that Batman & Robin ever happened.

Christian Bale: Known for being Batman in the 3rd highest grossing film of all time. Only Batman actor to portray the character in a full trilogy. Outside of being Batman, he is mostly known as a character actor from such films as Rescue Dawn, The Machinist, The Prestige, The Fighter and 3:10 to Yuma. His other cult classic is American Psycho....


This is telling:

Search all of these Batman actors on IMDB and see what is listed next to them as (Actor's name, from this film). The following actors name is listed with the following films:

Adam West: Batman, 1966
Michael Keaton: Batman, 1989
Val Kilmer: Heat, 1995
George Clooney: Ocean's 11, 2001
Christian Bale: The Dark Knight,2008

The three actors that I said are probably in the hunt to be forever known as Batman by the general population...those are the three actors who's top credit is a Batman film.

-R

 

[Rocketman]

For me, My Perfect Batman has yet to be depicted on film. I feel like each movie (even the Schumacher ones) brings its own thing to the table, and if you combine some of the elements of every film, there's a perfect movie hiding in that sum somewhere. In other words, I appreciate Nolan's world more than Burton's and Schumacher's, but Nolan's Gotham and Bale's Batman are STILL not what I 100% want. No movie has done it completely right (yet).

I think that the combined force of B:TAS and Mask of the Phantasm is the definitive Batman. You get the Origin in MOTP, you get all the amazing villains and storylines in TAS, in a comic book form. 22 minutes / 22 pages, a new issue / episode every week. It was the comic book brought into motion. And MOTP was the icing on the cake. The only problem I have is that we never actually saw Bruce's parents get shot. We never saw them die. Seeing that would've blown TAS through the stratosphere (for me).