Whenever Batman is being rebooted on-screen, whether it’s for film or television, the most important decision in the process is the casting. You have to find an actor with the right look, the right gravitas, and the dramatic chops to capture the dichotomy of Bruce Wayne and his masked alter ego. Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, and Robert Pattinson have all done it perfectly. George Clooney, not so much.
But, arguably, getting the Batsuit right is the second or third most important thing after the casting. Costume design can make or break a Batman movie. Keaton’s suit in Batman ’89 is fire, and that movie is still considered a beloved classic to this day. Clooney’s suit in Batman & Robin has prominent, detailed nipples with their own rubber areolas, and that movie is the laughingstock of the entire franchise. (In fact, it nearly killed the franchise altogether; it took Christopher Nolan revolutionizing the genre to get Batman back on track.)
There have been plenty of live-action Batsuit designs over the years. Some of them are stylish but not practical, like Keaton’s suit that doesn’t allow him to move his neck while he’s fighting a dozen thugs circling him like sharks. Some of them are practical but unfashionable, like Ben Affleck’s Nite Owl-style tactical suit. Some noble experiments have failed, like the first attempt to bring the gray-and-blue suit into live-action. So, here’s every live-action Batman suit, ranked from worst to best.
20
Ben Affleck in The Flash
Ben Affleck’s Batman stands on a bridge in The Flash
When The Flash brought back Ben Affleck, it lightened up his Batman to fit with the lighter tone of the film. The wardrobe department came up with a novel idea to reflect that: put Affleck in the first gray-and-blue Batsuit since Adam West.
Michael Keaton popularized the darker Batsuit aesthetic, but the gray-and-blue look has its own defenders. It was a good idea in theory, but it was a disaster in execution. They chose a really ugly shade of blue, and the armor made no sense.
19
George Clooney’s Main Suit
George Clooney as Batman in Batman & Robin looking offscreen
George Clooney’s Batsuit is notorious for two reasons: the nipples. The costume department of Batman & Robin had the bright idea of putting fake rubber nipples on the Batsuit’s breastplate. Batman Forever had experimented with this idea, but it was much subtler; the nipples on Clooney’s Batsuit are a lot more prominent, and they have areolas.
Clooney’s Bat-nipples have gone down in infamy. They’re not the worst thing about the film, but they are symbolic of this movie being a low point for the franchise.
18
Lewis Wilson
Lewis Wilson as Batman posing heroically in the 1943 serials
The first ever live-action Batman costume, worn by Lewis Wilson, is ludicrous. It looks like a child made it with some colored felt and a pair of childproof scissors they got at an arts-and-crafts shop.
Obviously, the costumes were limited by the technology of their time. But even still, for a character who’s supposed to be intimidating, this doesn’t work, especially thanks to the mask.
17
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Kevin Conroy in Crisis on Infinite Earths
It was heartening to see Kevin Conroy finally get to play Bruce Wayne in live-action. After voicing Bruce in animation and video games for decades, Conroy reprised the role in the Arrowverse’s ambitious Crisis on Infinite Earths arc.
Conroy is an undeniably great Batman actor — maybe the very best — but his Batsuit was nothing special. The Batsuits in Batman: The Animated Series and the Arkham games are among the very best, but Conroy’s live-action Batsuit design is bland and uninspired; it’s basically just the template.
16
Robert Lowery
Robert Lowery in action as Batman.
The second live-action Batman costume, worn by Robert Lowery, was a slight improvement over the first. Like Wilson’s, it was designed to be photographed in black-and-white, which comes with its own challenges, and it still looks like a child made it in art class, but it has an unnerving German expressionist edge to it.
It leans more into the weirdness of a man dressing as a bat, with pointier ears and a long Dracula-like cape. It was a step in the right direction.
15
George Clooney’s Ice Armor
Batman, Robin, and Batgirl in Ice Armor in Batman and Robin
Clooney’s Ice Armor is really just Val Kilmer’s Sonar Suit with a paint job. Even still, the paint job is pretty horrible. The gray is much too light; it creates an awkward contrast with the navy blue.
It gets points over Clooney’s other suit purely on the basis that it’s a nipple-less Batsuit. The color scheme is really ugly, but the cowl is pretty awesome.
14
Gotham
Batman in Gotham
Gotham gave us a unique perspective on Bruce Wayne’s story. We saw a young Bruce grow up following the murder of his parents, as he went from a troubled orphan to an up-and-coming vigilante.
The Batsuit was a multi-season payoff, and it didn’t exactly live up to the hype. This Batsuit looks like a cosplay, or what one of the Batman copycats in The Dark Knight would wear (i.e. hockey pads).
13
Batwoman
A Batsuit in the background of Batwoman
A Batsuit appeared in the background in Batwoman, and while the Easter egg was appreciated, the suit itself wasn’t very exciting. It has the same problem as Conroy’s live-action suit: it’s not distinctive enough; it’s right off the rack.
The best Batsuits have a nice, eye-catching Batsymbol. But the symbol on this suit is barely visible; it’s a black outline on a black background.
12
Ben Affleck’s Knightmare Suit
Ben Affleck in Batman v Superman Knightmare Scene
When Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne dreams of a dystopian post-apocalyptic future ruled by an evil Superman, he gives himself a snazzy new post-apocalyptic look. And it looks great, even if it’s not very practical.
It’s more about aura-farming than functionality, but it farms the heck out of that aura. The trenchcoat really makes the look; this is Batman’s I Am Legend phase.
11
Ben Affleck’s Tactical Suit
Ben Affleck’s tactical Batsuit
Affleck’s Tactical Suit, which he wore in both versions of Justice League, calls to mind a different DC hero. With the goggles over his eyes and the pointier-than-usual ears on his cowl, he looks more like Nite Owl from Watchmen.
But it looks better than his Knightmare suit. It’s a cleaner, more elegant look; it looks like something from the Arkham games.