While Batman himself is one of the world’s most iconic characters, his movies have featured many other figures who are less memorable. In the many years since Batman was created, he has been featured in movies many times. This has seen many actors play Batman in live-action, each bringing something new to the role in an attempt to make their version of the Dark Knight stand out. No Batman story is complete without villains, henchmen, and sidekicks, not to mention the many innocent Gotham City bystanders who all too often find themselves at risk of becoming collateral damage in the latest schemes of Batman’s most iconic nemeses.
While most people remember the actors who played the Caped Crusader and each movie’s respective Batman villain, fewer take in the people playing more minor roles in Batman movies. This is often the case even when the actor in question is a major star, likely because the muscular vigilante dressed as a bat typically draws the eye more than even A-list talent. With that in mind, here are several A-list actors you completely forgot made appearances in major Batman movies.
7) Jack Palance in Batman (1989)
Jack Nicholson delivered one of the greatest live-action versions of the Joker in 1989’s Batman, and his energetic take on Batman’s iconic nemesis was undoubtedly magnetic. This is perhaps why many missed Hollywood legend Jack Palance in the movie, because Nicholson’s Joker completely stole the show. Palance appeared as Grissom, the Joker’s former criminal boss, whom the villain unceremoniously murders before claiming his criminal empire as his own.
6) Paul Reubens in Batman Returns (1992)
Many look back on Tim Burton’s Batman movies with fond memories, and rightly so, as they helped usher in a new era of superhero cinema. Batman Returns featured many memorable characters, but one that often escapes fans’ notice is Paul Reubens’ brief cameo as Penguin’s biological father. He appears only in flashback scenes depicting the Penguin’s origin story, with his snobbish high society sensibilities denoted by his monocle and, apparently, his willingness to abandon his infant son.
5) Jon Favreau in Batman Forever (1995)
Batman Forever isn’t the most well-loved Batman movie, but it contains a few exciting cameos that don’t often get mentioned. The first of these saw a young Jon Favreau appear in the background of a scene where Bruce Wayne visits Edward Nygma’s lab, where the future star can be glimpsed looking incredibly fresh-faced. Batman Forever was released shortly before Favreau’s acting career really began to take off, making his appearance in the movie his first of several successful appearances in superhero movies.
4) Drew Barrymore in Batman Forever (1995)
Though it’s often considered one of the worst Batman movies, Batman Forever boasts serious star power. This is best evidenced by Drew Barrymore’s appearance in the movie as a minor supporting character named Sugar, who served as one of Two-Face’s assistants. To use such an A-list actor in a minor role was certainly unexpected, leading many to overlook Barrymore’s appearance in the movie entirely. As her character serves no real purpose to the movie’s plot, many forget that she ever appeared in the film.
3) Aiden Gillen in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Aiden Gillen might not be one of the best-known actors in Hollywood, but his role as Littlefinger in Game of Thrones made his face known in households around the world. His appearance in The Dark Knight Rises was significantly less notable, as he played a CIA operative killed in the movie’s opening scene by Bane and his crew. Despite being a major star since Game of Thrones, many fail to even notice his role in the movie when watching it back because of how quickly he’s killed.
2) Glenn Powell in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Glen Powell has risen to global superstardom in recent years, but he also appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy during the early stages of his career. Powell appeared in The Dark Knight Rises, where he plays a trader at the Gotham Stock Exchange who is knocked unconscious by Bane. The role has since come to wider attention due to Powell sharing an anecdote about filming the scene, but he looks so young, and the part is so small, that it’s easy to forget he’s in the movie at all.
1) Jeffrey Dean Morgan in Batman vs Superman (2016)
When it comes to A-list actors hiding in superhero movies, there are few forgotten roles as big as Jeffrey Dean Morgan playing the DCEU’s Thomas Wayne. Appearing only briefly in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Morgan played Bruce Wayne’s father alongside his The Walking Dead co-star Lauren Cohan as Martha Wayne. Morgan was uncredited in the role, which only further adds to how easy it is to overlook, leading many to completely forget that he appeared in the short-lived DC movie franchise.
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