Just when Spider-Man thought he could hog up all the press, a fan-made supercut of Batman has managed to go viral this week. The cut focuses only on the many interpretations of Batman in cinema, from his earliest days as a superhero to present day.
Batman debuted in Detective Comics #1, shortly after Superman first revolutionized comic-book superheroes. His first film adaptation came quickly, in 1943 with the serial Batman, featuring already iconic features like the Bat Cave. Its sequel, Batman and Robin, followed six years later. Batman didn’t return until its famously campy TV adaptation starring Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo, which eventually saw its own cinematic spin-off.
In 1989, Tim Burton helped usher in the age of the modern multimedia blockbuster with Batman, a darker, edgier gothic take on the hero starring Michael Keaton. It doubled down on all those elements with Batman Returns. During the 90s, Batman also got an animated theatrical release with Mask of the Phantasm. Though hand-drawn, to this day the film still gets heaps of critical praise.
Joel Schumacher took over the live-action franchise from Tim Burton, directing Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, increasingly campier efforts starring Val Kilmer and George Clooney, respectively. Christopher Nolan ushered in yet another darker reboot with The Dark Knight Trilogy, starring Christian Bale from 2005 to 2012.
Of course, Bruce Wayne’s Hollywood legacy won’t end there. Ben Affleck will be starring as the Caped Crusader in Batman v. Superman next year while Will Arnett’s scene-stealing Lego Batman is likely to get his own spin-off film. The goth metal loving version of the character also makes a cameo in Jacob T. Swinney’s supercut, which includes original film scores from the Batman films. Even if you’re not a big Batman fan, the video is worth a look just for its decade-spanning look at superhero cinema.
Still no supercut of Hulk movies though.
The Evolution of Batman in Cinema from Jacob T. Swinney on Vimeo.