10 Best Batman Actors You Never Saw On-Screen

Being one of the most beloved superheroes ever created, Batman has had a staggering number of actors portray him over the years, most of which never appeared on-screen. Everyone has their favorite live-action Batman, with prestige actors like Christian Bale, Adam West, and Ben Affleck all taking up the cape and cowl over the years. But it’s hard to dismiss the staggering number of talented voice actors who have lent their talents to bringing Batman to life, be it in cartoons or audio-based serials.

Many consider the late great Kevin Conroy to be the definitive Batman, having voiced The Dark Knight in countless TV shows, movies, and videogames, most notably Batman: The Animated Series and the Arkham series. However, Conroy doesn’t qualify when it comes to giving props to Batman actors who never stepped foot on a live set, as he appears as Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s Crisis On Infinite Earths storyline. Luckily, there are countless talented actors who have given Batman a wide variety of voices, from young and old to serious and silly.

10 Will Arnett Is The Perfect Voice For Lego Batman

The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie

As a franchise, LEGO thrives on spoofing the many properties the iconic toy line has claimed for licensing over the years, and Batman is no exception. Poking fun at every Batman movie and trope, Will Arnett settles in as the perfect parody of Bruce Wayne, emulating the classic Christian Bale growl with a healthy injection of self-aware angst that betrays Batman’s past as a spoiled rich kid. Having long since proven his voice acting chops with Bojack Horseman, Will Arnett’s performance is quickly becoming the ultimate riff on Batman’s character.

9 Winston Duke Gave Batman Immense Depth

Batman: Unburied, The Riddler: Secrets In The Dark

Podcasts and audio serials are an overlooked medium for delivering excellent stories, Batman included, and the warm, dulcet tones of Winston Duke paint a striking picture of Bruce Wayne with no visuals to speak of. No stranger to comic books, Winston Duke is better known by superhero movie fans as Black Panther‘s M’Baku. What’s more impressive is his ability to add layers to Batman’s emotional core through annunciation alone, painting a picture of a somber, solemn hero that survives through the harrowing, psychosomatic story of Batman: Unburied.

8 Rino Romano Was The Perfect Young Batman

The Batman

Not to be confused with Robert Pattison’s recent movie of the same name, The Batman was an early 2000s cartoon that offered a unique take on the caped crusader, with its striking art style and bold changes to the unshakable Batman mythos. Though often overshadowed by Batman: The Animated Series, Rino Romano gave his all as a greener Batman only three years into his crime fighting career, resulting in a criminally underrated performance. Romano was able to expertly fire off defiant exchanges with villains before turning up the charisma to embody Bruce Wayne’s playboy persona.

7 Diedrich Bader Embodied Campy Fun

Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Harley Quinn

After Tim Burton forever colored audience’s perception of Batman as a brooding, dark hero, Batman: The Brave and the Bold brought the character back to his roots as a rabble-rousing, cheesy crime fighter with no shortage of puns. As the Caped Crusader teaming up with a different DC hero every episode, Diedrich Bader’s classic, machismo-infused line reads did a lot of heavy lifting, the series hinging on his ability to deliver campy dialogue in earnest. Luckily, Bader was more than up to the task, returning in the HBO comedy series Harley Quinn.

6 William Baldwin Could’ve Been A Great Live-Action Batman

Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths

One of the best animated Justice League movies, Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths is carried by William Baldwin’s performance as a righteous Batman. Though William Baldwin is lesser-known compared to his more famous older brother, Alec Baldwin, he deserves props for holding his own against James Woods’ iconic Owlman in the film’s jaw-dropping final battle. It’s a shame that Baldwin was snubbed to play Batman in live action in favor of Val Kilmer for Batman Forever considering how powerful his take on Batman felt.

5 Bruce Greenwood Was The Best Mentor Batman

Young Justice, Batman: Under The Red Hood

As iconic of a hero as Batman is, he doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and few actors have fulfilled Batman’s supportive role quite like Bruce Greenwood. Taking the role in Young Justice, Greenwood provided a voice that was firm, yet caring, looking out for the junior superheroes even if it brought him at odds with other members of the Justice League. In Batman: Under The Red Hood, Greenwood brought more emotion to Batman than ever before, painfully yet definitively establishing the ethics behind Batman’s “no killing” rule once and for all.

4 Peter Weller Is The Premiere Frank Miller Batman

The Dark Knight Returns

Comic book legend Frank Miller’s version of Batman is so recognizable, he’s almost a separate character — An older, gruffer, more worn-down Bruce Wayne with so little to lose. Ben Affleck may have been the closest live-action acting has come to this iteration of Batman, but Peter Weller definitively establishes himself within this niche in the animated movie The Dark Knight Returns. Based on Miller’s iconic work of the same name, Weller gives an unforgettable performance as a bitter, grouchy Batman that slowly regains his sensitivity.

3 Jimmy Kimmel Is A Worthy Bat-Parody

Teen Titans Go! To The Movies

Whereas the original Teen Titans series trembled at the thought of more than the vaguest reference to Batman, its more comedic successor has no qualms against directly poking fun at the entire Justice League. For the movie debut of Teen Titans Go! Jimmy Kimmel was brought in to lend his talents to a deliciously tongue-in-cheek Batman, directly poking fun at previous films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Kimmel is able to imitate Ben Affleck’s gravely Batman voice shockingly well, making Batman the butt of some on-the-nose jokes.

2 Jeffery Wright Is A Batman Worthy Of Pulp Radio

Batman: The Audio Adventures

When it comes to Batman characters, Jeffery Wright is better known for his excellent take on Commissioner Gordon in 2022’s The Batman. What’s less well-known is his work as The Dark Knight himself in HBO Max’s Batman: The Audio Adventures, in which Wright’s smooth voice is played beautifully straight against the hilarious crackpot world of the audio series. It’s a true joy to listen to him effortlessly break down the convoluted psychology behind his villains’ plans with the undeserved gravitas of his confident whisper.

1 Ben McKenzie Is An Amazing Dual Performer

Batman: Year One

Yet another Batman voice actor who also played Jim Gordon in live-action, Ben McKenzie voices the lead in Batman: Year One while portraying Commissioner Gordon in the Gotham TV series. What makes McKenzie’s performance stand out is the amazing duality he’s able to bring to the table. It’s easy to forget that every Batman actor must play two roles: Batman and Bruce Wayne. In Batman: Year One, it’s hard to believe a single actor is voicing both, switching from a sleazy, calm Wayne playboy to a vicious, eager young Batman yet to accumulate any remorse.