The following contains spoilers for The Flash, in theaters now.
Barry Allen wasn’t alone in his live-action adventures in The Flash, as two versions of the iconic Batman joined him on screen. Michael Keaton’s Batman showed off his vault in The Flash, which contained a few different iconic batsuits that fans wanted to see more of in the film. Of course, not every costume is created equal, and there are a few live-action versions that failed to impress.
Ben Affleck reprised his role as Bruce Wayne from the DCEU continuity, though his costume in The Flash was one of the worst he wore in his costumed career. Adam West’s campy suit from the ‘60s Batman series earned him the title of “Bright Knight” while Val Kilmer and George Clooney’s batsuits strived for too much realism by adding the maligned rubber nipples to the costume.
10 Christian Bale’s Original Batsuit
Batman Begins (2005)
Christian Bale’s unique and grounded costumes are arguably the best of the worst, though the character neared perfection with his batsuit in The Dark Knight. Unfortunately, his original costume didn’t match up to what followed, and it experienced some of the same issues seen with Michael Keaton’s live-action suits.
While fans loved seeing Bale’s batsuit come together in a realistic and grounded way in Batman Begins, the final product was still a little stiff. The hard molded rubber seemed difficult to move in and framed his face poorly. Thankfully, the more segmented armored suit that would appear in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises fixed these initial problems.
9 Ben Affleck’s Tactical Batsuit
Justice League (2017), Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Ben Affleck impressed fans with his older take on the Dark Knight that first appeared in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. That film even adapted his fan-favorite bat armor from one of the best old Batman comics, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. However, things took a turn for the worse when the character returned to Justice League to unite the titular team.
When the League launched a final attack against Steppenwolf and his parademons, Batman suited up in an advanced suit of tactical armor. It featured a slimmer but more armored batsuit as well as tactical goggles that slipped over his cowl. Unfortunately, the tactical armor looked more like Watchmen’s Nite-Owl than DC’s Batman, which turned off more than a few fans of the character.
8 Robert Pattinson's Original Batsuit
The Batman (2022)
Director Matt Reeves put his own spin on Gotham City and the Dark Knight in 2022’s The Batman which introduced a brand new take on the iconic costume. Much like Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale’s take on the character, The Batman featured an early grounded take on the costume that perfectly reflected his biker vigilante lifestyle.
Unfortunately, some details left fans questioning the design of the new suit. The new mask and cape design created a dynamic silhouette, and the bat insignia on his chest received a story-based redesign that really worked. Unfortunately, the ribbed gauntlets didn’t serve a purpose and the overuse of armor didn’t highlight Bruce Wayne’s skills and training.
7 Ben Affleck's Blue-And-Grey Batsuit
The Flash (2023)
The Flash continued the unique relationship between Ezra Miller's Barry Allen and Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne that developed in 2017’s Justice League. Affleck’s Bruce Wayne appeared in a brand new suit in the film’s opening moments, which finally adapted the character’s iconic blue and grey look from the comics.
Unfortunately, the costume was a bit too busy which took away from the enjoyment of seeing his comic colors on the big screen. The first batsuit that appeared in The Flash used too many awkward harnesses which detracted from the overall look. The cowl was also molded a little too tightly, which made Ben Affleck look uncomfortable in the ill-fitting and stiff suit.
6 Val Kilmer's Sonar Batsuit
Batman Forever (1995)
While Val Kilmer’s original batsuit was one of the best in the Schumacher era, it took a downturn in Batman Forever’s finale. The Batcave featured a huge vault filled with weaponry and costumes where Wayne suited up for action. It contained the various costumes he developed over the years as well as a few of Batman’s greatest secret weapons.
After The Riddler invaded Wayne Manor and destroyed the Batcave in Batman Forever, only one prototype batsuit remained intact and operative. Val Kilmer’s Sonar Batsuit overdid the mask details, which also included audio-visual goggles that dropped down over his eyeholes. While it was the first modern cinematic suit to drop the yellow oval, the giant bat symbol was lost in the mess.
5 Val Kilmer's Original Batsuit
Batman Forever (1995)
While it was the first live-action costume to add the heavily-critiqued nipples, the inspiration behind that idea was much better realized in Val Kilmer’s original suit from 1995’s Batman Forever. When director Joel Schumacher replaced Tim Burton, he decided to remold the rubber suit to better emulate the human physique, much like ancient Greek and Roman statues.
Batman Forever’s initial suit also made a few alterations to the design of Michael Keaton’s suit that also didn’t work as well. The utility belt became solid black to match the costume, which didn’t break up the suit enough. The yellow in the bat-oval chest piece was also darkened, which almost erased the point of the highlighted bat symbol entirely.
4 George Clooney's Original Batsuit
Batman and Robin (1997)
When George Clooney took over the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman for 1997’s Batman & Robin, he inherited the same suit design from director Joel Scchumacer’s previous entry, Batman Forever. This meant the suit came equipped with rubber nipples on the chest, though Clooney’s original suit slightly moved away from the exaggerated physique of Val Kilmer’s Forever suit.
Without the strict detail that replicated ancient statues of the male physique, the nipples stood out even more on Clooney’s less-defined suit. The overdone details double-downed on the rubber bat nipples, which at least helped distract from Clooney’s oversized cowl, ice-skate boots, and of course, the credit card-equipped utility belt.
3 George Clooney's Ice Armor Batsuit
Batman and Robin (1997)
When Joel Schumacher took over the Batman franchise in 1995, he introduced a classic concept from cartoons and toy lines. Both Val Kilmer and George Clooney upgraded their suits in their respective films to better deal with Batman's most iconic villains. In 1997’s Batman and Robin, the Dark Knight and his allies adopted unique “ice armor” to deal with the villainous Mr. Freeze.
Batman, Robin, and Batgirl all wore suits designed to protect them from Mr. Freeze’s ice blasts. Unfortunately, the added silver elements only served to highlight some of the issues with the Bat Family’s live-action costumes in the Schumacher era. Clooney’s Batsuit especially overdid the added elements, turning him into a gaudy silver toy model instead of Gotham City’s protector.
2 Adam West’s Campy Batsuit
Batman, Season 1, Episode 1, "Hi Diddle Riddle"
When Batman first started airing in 1966, the live-action series adapted a unique era of the comics that was a bit more lighthearted and campy than more modern versions. Adam West starred as Bruce Wayne/Batman alongside Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin. While Robin’s live-action costume was an almost perfect recreation, Batman’s suit design took a few more liberties.
Batman softened Adam West’s live-action costume considerably. Designers added thin white eyebrows to the black faceplate of the cowl to further humanize the world’s greatest detective. His oversized belt buckle and lighter coloring of the costume coupled with the satiny sheen of the cape and gloves became an iconic, albeit outdated look at a different era known as the “Bright Knight.”
1 The Batman Movie Serials’ Batsuits
Batman (1943), Batman and Robin (1949)
While the ‘66 Batman TV series might be one of the most early recognizable live-action adaptations of DC's iconic Dynamic Duo, it wasn’t the first. Columbia Pictures released a 15-part film serial called Batman in 1943. It also led to a sequel in 1949 called The New Adventures of Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder which later inspired the 60’s TV series.
Even for movie serial standards, the Batman films were over-the-top and fairly ridiculous. The costumes from both pictures were sloppy in design and ill-fitting. The first Batman suit featured limp bat ears and a small logo but oversized trunks that removed any intimidation factor. The sequel’s suit featured devil horns instead of bat ears and a poorly designed and off-center bat logo.