Every Live-Action Batman Suit, Ranked

Static Media

For a character as popular, culturally transcendent, and enduringly iconic as Batman, it's genuinely baffling that we have yet to see a definitive translation of his costume in live-action. "Superman: The Movie" gave the Man of Steel an iconic on-screen adaptation all the way back in 1978, outfitting him in a high-quality costume that was faithful and visually interesting (at least for the time). One could also argue that James Gunn's take on the costume is such an effective modernization of this look that it could be argued that it's definitive itself. Likewise, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe gave Spider-Man a whole wardrobe of tweaked suits, Tobey Maguire ("Spider-Man") and Andrew Garfield ("The Amazing Spider-Man 2") both got costumes that were perfect for their character.

When it comes to Batman, however, directors and designers have yet to achieve the same effect, caught between the desire to visually ground him with practical influences or elevate him to mythological status with theatrical ones. But while the result never feels quite like a perfect adaptation of his comic book designs, these costumes are often so fascinatingly designed and spectacularly executed that they become iconic in their own right. So, before Gunn takes his own swing at bringing the Dark Knight to life, we're going through 80 years of films and TV shows to rank every live-action batsuit so far.

Warner Bros. Television

We were always promised (or, perhaps more accurately, warned) by the "Gotham" creative team that the show would be a "Batman" series without Batman himself ever making an appearance. But after spending five seasons trying to bend that guideline, the Fox series finally got to bring the Dark Knight to the small screen in the series finale. Unfortunately, for an otherwise decent show that made surprisingly entertaining drama out of endless buildup, the payoff of Batman's debut was underwhelming to say the least.

Interestingly, "Gotham" demonstrates that a competently designed costume can be entirely ruined by how it's revealed to the audience. On a mannequin, there isn't too much that offends about it — the cape, regally draped around the shoulders, creates a novel silhouette, even if it seems a bit too posed for the character. The design of the abdomen is curious, though. Its odd, diamond-shaped pattern is perhaps meant to imply strategic kevlar plating, but it creates a smooth look that clashes with the bulky utility belt, baggy gloves, and base garment.

In the actual "Gotham" series finale, the suit is poorly lit, seemingly stripped of certain minor textural elements, and is captured in a single unflattering zooming upshot. The only recognizable elements you can really process on first watch are the cowl (which is less than flattering on Bruce Wayne actor David Mazouz's face) and the melting bat-symbol (which is strangely different in design from the fine, standard-looking emblem on his belt).

Columbia Pictures

We'll give credit where it's due: For the first ever on-screen, live-action depiction of Batman, Columbia Pictures could've done way worse. What's more, for those among you who worry about this sort of thing (and/or debate its value on social media), this suit is arguably the most "comic accurate" batsuit we've ever gotten, given the character's design in the comic books being released at the time. Even though fidelity doesn't translate to quality or effectiveness, there is something genuinely impressive about the costume department's ability to recreate the exact silhouette DC Comics readers would recognize from the page.

All that being said, the suit doesn't stand up to much scrutiny now. Even moving right past the look of the actual material (in most shots, the cape looks like it had come bunched in a bag from the Party City discount wall), the suit is as flat and uninteresting as it was in the comics at the time. Sure, the Columbia serials were in black and white, so there wasn't obvious stylistic motivation to deviate from a suit that could be directly translated to that palette. Still, that doesn't change the end result — a textureless costume that does nothing to challenge even contemporary imaginations. The cowl is particularly unfortunate; the sharply-cut cloth nose and tiny holes creating a confusing profile for the Dark Knight, while its crude, flimsy ears prove the limits of an exact comic book recreation.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Before you click out of this article, let's be absolutely clear: The "Batman v Superman" bat-armor is actually a pretty costume on its own, in terms of its design and final appearance in the actual film. It communicates exactly what it is without a character having to over-explain it — a zero-frills suit of armor to level the playing field with an all-powerful supergod. And, yes, it's a faithful recreation of the armor worn by Batman in Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns,"which is unquestionably one of the most visually influential "Batman" stories of all time.

If we're considering its merits as a batsuit specifically, however, the armor just isn't that exciting. For the first (and perhaps only) live-action battle between Batman and Superman, covering every recognizable aspect of Batman's costume in a dull grey metal feels like a missed opportunity visually. It also gives the character a clumsy, almost lumbering feel in both overall appearance (certain shots are more flattering to the admirably practical costume than others) and performance, as Ben Affleck acts around the costume. One could narratively justify this all, of course — at this point in the film, Batman is less of a superhero and more of a cold, imposing murder machine. But purely in terms of style, burying one character under a costume that changes so much about how they look and act is a weird choice for a film about a clash of icons.

20th Television

Love it or hate it, there's no denying that Adam West's undeniably iconic batsuit is perfect for the 1960s "Batman" film and television series. Creator William Dozier portrayed the character as a decidedly comic figure, his adventures as dangerous as they were amusingly absurd.

For the first full-color screen appearance of Batman, designers outfitted him with the then-standard grey and black suit, but they also provided West's Caped Crusader with a large, bright yellow utility belt and yellow-plated bat-symbol (partially resembling the bat-signal search light used by the character's allies at the Gotham City Police Department). The most recognizable additions by far are the cowl's expressive blue accents, which add a permanent and somewhat confusing element of intense surprise to Batman's crimefighting.

This costume shares many of the same drawbacks as the Columbia batsuit with regard to its material and ultimate presentation (though the construction of the cowl is significantly better). And yet, the store-bought vibe is not only far less distracting here, it's genuinely endearing considering the show, as a whole, feels as though it's intentionally achieving the effect of a Halloween party gone off the rails. West's batsuit also earns points for its place in pop culture, and it arguably remains one of the most instantly attributable costumes in TV history.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Like a lot of what audiences saw in "The Flash," Ben Affleck's redesigned batsuit is better the less you look at it. If you pull a clear frame of the costume from the film and scrutinize it out of context, there's a lot not to like. The strapped-on armor plating is top-heavy, crude, and almost cheap-looking, as though it were made in a 3D printer — hardly the sort of protection this version of Batman would choose at this point in his career.

When Batman isn't just standing around for the audience, and is instead tensely engaged in his action-packed introduction to the film, it works much better. Audiences first see the suit peeking out from behind the hood of the batcycle, a visual that works because of the costume's beefier upper-half — and the cape billowing behind him (a very welcome and refreshing shade of blue for Affleck's Batman) is perfectly dramatic and striking. The same can even be said for the suit as a whole, like when the character is seen bursting through a ball of fire or skating on the highway to pursue his target. The messy action almost sells the padding as a specialty augmentation for his normal batsuit (one meant to provide a little extra protection for the bike specifically). Viewed in that context, it's a fine design for what the film is attempting to accomplish.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Yes, we know. This is indeed the suit that has nipples. Batnipples, you might say. It still deserves to be precisely this high on this list.

When Joel Schumacher's "Batman and Robin" hit theaters in 1997, everyone including the director himself knew the film was going to be a bomb. While much of his headache had to do with the studio forcing Schumacher to reduce his movie to a two-hour toy commercial, we're at least glad the action figures had an incredible costume design.

George Clooney's base batsuit takes the rubbery musculature of the post-Tim Burton "Batman" movies to the max, a uniquely superhuman look for the character that ultimately allows every frame to look like a panel from the comics (albeit with a disappointing lack of color). The fight choreography is bad, the dialogue indefensible, and performances questionably campy at best — the only thing going right at any point in this movie is the costumes. At the same time, it can't be ignored how distracting the suit's physical details are, even if it achieves a rare level of theatricality for the character.

Warner Bros. Pictures

In all likelihood spawning from a studio mandate to make them more of a vehicle for action figure sales, Joel Schumacher's "Batman" films each feature upgraded batsuits that are essentially the same in terms of design. In "Batman Forever," it is donned in desperation after The Riddler (Jim Carrey) destroys the rest of the batwardrobe. It's an untested prototype of an upgraded suit with in-built sonar technology (which, if you can believe it, winds up being exactly what Val Kilmer's Bruce Wayne needs during his final confrontation with the villain). In "Batman and Robin," the same suit with stronger white accents serves as Clooney's ice armor.

For two movies that rely way more on style than they do substance, it honestly feels pretty appropriate to shoehorn in a last-minute costume change purely for dramatic effect and a bit of added stylistic flair. This augmented armor is less distracting than the hyper-muscular batsuits worn for the rest of the two films, and the initial sonar-suit, in particular, is understated enough in its design that it could've made a solid base batsuit for Kilmer's iteration of the character. Christopher Nolan even used it to screen-test actors for "Batman Begins."

Warner Bros. Pictures

For better or worse, "The Dark Knight" saw Nolan put his stamp on Batman, narratively and stylistically. The visionary director finally freed the character from his rubbery muscle suits and introduced a version of the batsuit unlike anything fans had seen on film before. The only downside of this design is that it pushes Christian Bale's Batman to the margins of the broader "Batman" mythology. Both in terms of its design and its function in the story, this is a tactical suit of armor made for a soldier waging a one-man war on crime — not so much a superhero costume.

But that's also why it's such an audacious and impressive creative shift for Nolan to execute in his sophomore outing with the character. Just as the particular version of the bat emblem on his chest is synonymous with and evocative of Bale's Batman alone, the suit is so specific in its purpose and use that it couldn't exist for any story but "The Dark Knight." (Most comic book films don't even attempt to clear this bar, taking for granted the fact that their heroes wear such costumes.) It rarely feels like a quintessential, definitive batsuit, but that in and of itself makes the costume feel like an embodiment of how brilliantly distinctive, intentional, and innovative this version of Batman was.

Warner Bros. Pictures

If it felt like we were being a bit too hard on the bat-armor from "Batman v Superman" down below, you should direct your frustrations toward the tactical "Justice League" batsuit. It's a perfect example of how to accomplish an augmented look for Batman — particularly in the DC Extended Universe — while maintaining the iconography, mobility, texture, and overall vibe of the original batsuit.

Affleck's Bruce Wayne first dons this costume in the final act of both the 2017 theatrical version and Zack Snyder's 2021 cut of the film. Similar to the batcycle armor seen in "The Flash," it consists of a grey undergarment largely covered by plates of armor held in place by buckles and straps. In the case, however, the plates appear to be some kind of high-tech, bulletproof material (as opposed to durable plastic), giving the armor a presence that isn't just imposing or threatening like the "Batman v Superman" armor, but heroically commanding. The only thing that really gives us pause is the Snyder goggles, which distractingly evoke his version of Nite Owl from "Watchmen."

Warner Bros. Pictures

Though the Dark Knight has had more than his fair share of film adaptations over the years, Matt Reeves' 2022 feature is the first "Batman" movie in a while that feels like it's actually interested in exploring Batman as a character. Robert Pattinson was carefully selected over other prominent actors to don the cowl, with Reeves and his creative team seemingly trying to portray Bruce Wayne at a more complex, vulnerable, and emotionally raw point in his life. This level of dedicated character work is evident in the batsuit itself, which is every bit as layered and multifaceted as Pattinson and Reeves' take on the character.

Costume designers Glyn Dillon and David Crossman actually spoke to /Film back in 2022 to talk about their process for designing Reeves' batsuit, which strikes a perfect balance between tactile realism and the gothic theatricality that has kept him popular throughout multiple generations of fans. Where Nolan's "Dark Knight" suit feels almost too plausible as a military exoskeleton, "The Batman" feels practical (taking some inspiration from real-life tactical gear) yet heightened enough to contribute to this immersive story. A perfect example of this are the weapons and tools hidden throughout the suit, especially the lethal, bladed batsymbol (something of a precursor for Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's "Absolute Batman" redesign).

Warner Bros. Pictures

It was particularly difficult to place our top three batsuits on this list, as each one of them represents a high-water mark for the costume's design. And while it may ultimately be the lowest of the trio for us by a small margin, we'd argue that Bale's original batsuit from "Batman Begins" is the character's most underrated look yet.

For the last gasp of the rubber muscle suits, the costume has aged significantly better than its predecessors thanks in large part to Nolan's more restrained design for the torso. Some artificial definition gives the monotone suit shape and texture, but doesn't distract from the subtle yet arguably definitive modern chest emblem and the near-perfect cowl. (Once the film points out that Bruce can't turn his head, it's hard to see the costume the same way.) The entire look is completed by a billowing cape, which, despite being surprisingly melodramatic for Nolan, exemplifies the fearsome theatricality that played a major role in the film's central themes.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Of all the cinematic suits on this list, Michael Keaton's batsuit is the only one to reach (or potentially surpass) the level of cultural recognition and prominence as Adam West's batsuit from the '60s. Created for Tim Burton's reinvention of the character for his 1989 film, the entirely black suit with sharp yellow accents was by far the best of the gothic muscle suits worn prior to "The Dark Knight."

This suit was redesigned in subtle ways for "Batman Returns" (a look closer to Nolan's "Begins" with more armor and less abs), "Batman Forever" (more abs, more nipples), and "The Flash" (a fine, if less interesting, modern update). The original suit is the most effective, convincingly transforming Batman visually from a silly serial character into a threatening, darkly mythological vigilante. This isn't just a perfect batsuit, it's one of the most important and iconic movie costumes of all time.

Warner Bros. Pictures

For all the many, many, many faults of Snyder's DC Extended Universe films (and even his strangely murderous take on Batman in particular), one thing he undoubtedly got right was the Affleck batsuit. Also inspired by Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns," this suit nails every necessary aspect of the costume while maintaining a refreshingly understated design.

The grey and black color scheme works well with Snyder's muted palette while giving Batman a more dynamic look than Nolan's blacked-out batsuit. (The emblem is also more prominent.) Instead of plated armor or rubber abs, a combination of well-chosen material, artificial muscle-sculpting, and real muscle sculpting on the part of Affleck himself emphasize the role Batman's immense physical strength plays in his crimefighting in a uniquely convincing way. It doesn't apologize or attempt to explain what makes him such a force of nature — it just shows that he is one.

Especially coming out of the Nolan trilogy's practical, tech-inspired design, Snyder's batsuit is remarkable for being as grounded and as earnestly superheroic as any costume prior. It's a nearly unimpeachable work of art that looks great in every scene, and — dare we say — it's probably the closest thing fans have gotten to a definitive batsuit on film.