Adam West’s Batman hangs on the Bat-Ladder beneath the Bat-Copter while he fights a rubber shark. To give you an idea of the general tone of the movie, the shark is eventually defeated by Shark-Repellent Bat Spray and falls back into the waves, where it explodes for some reason.
To celebrate this anniversary, we’ve decided to put together a few of our favourite records held by the Dark Knight’s silver-screen adventures.
Most film appearances by a superhero
This is a tricky record to adjudicate in the modern world of cinematic universes, multiverses and crossover events. Since making his feature debut in 1966, however, Batman has been the sole protagonist of 10 films – including the 1993 animated Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. (The total rises to 11 if you also include 2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie, which is a bit of an edge case). If you include films where Batman is part of an ensemble cast alongside other superheroes this figure rises to 15 (again, with some caveats).
His closest cinematic rival is Superman, who has starred as the sole protagonist in seven feature films and appeared as part of an ensemble cast in another six.
The dark themes and moral ambiguity of life in Gotham make Batman a natural fit for cinematic adaptations, but other superheroes dominate elsewhere. Superman’s wholesome family appeal has made him the most prolific TV superhero, starring in four long-running shows with a combined 462 episodes, while Spider-Man’s exciting web-slinging movement has made him the most prolific videogame superhero, with 40 games as of 2023.
Most actors to play one superhero
Over the course of the character’s 60-year cinematic run, many actors have squeezed into Batman’s trademark bat-eared mask and muscle suit. Even if we only count theatrically released, feature-length live-action movies, the role has still changed hands seven times – more than any other silver screen superhero. If you expand the scope to include animated movies and theatrically released serials (such as the original 15-part Batman series from 1943) the count rises to at least 13, potentially more depending on how you define things.
Batman is also the most-rebooted cinema superhero, though this is a record that requires a bit of explanation. For a new film to constitute a reboot, it doesn’t necessarily have to go back to the beginning of the character’s story, only to reset the series continuity and the established vision of the character.