New Batman Waiting in the Wings

Written by Jon Williams

The makers of the upcoming Justice League movie have announced that Christian Bale will not star as Batman. His run will come to an end after three ultra-successful films: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. The latter two are #4 and #8, respectively, on the list of highest-grossing films.

Of course, #3 on that list is Marvel’s The Avengers, which is about a team of superheroes including Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. Justice League, currently scheduled for a 2015 release, is DC Comics’ answer to Marvel’s team, with their super lineup said to include Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Green Lantern, in addition to Batman. It’s unknown if Henry Cavill will reprise his role from Man of Steel, or Ryan Reynolds from Green Lantern, although both seem likely.

Whoever dons Batman’s cape and utility belt for Justice League will be stepping into a rich tradition. The superhero was first portrayed by the little-known actor Lewis Wilson in 1943’s Batman serial. That was followed up with another serial, Batman and Robin, in 1949, which starred Robert Lowrey. In 1966, Adam West took over in a Batman TV series that led to a theatrical film after the first season.

When that series went off the air in 1968, that was it for Batman for twenty years. Then Tim Burton brought him back in a big way in a 1988 film starring Michael Keaton, who would also return for the 1992 sequel. After Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney played Batman once each before Bale took over in 2005. And of course, the character has also had any number of animated adventures in addition to these live-action versions.

SmartBrowse ‘Batman’ on our website for a complete listing of what Midwest Tape has to offer relating to the Caped Crusader, including film scores and even audiobooks in addition to DVDs and Blu-rays. In the meantime, feel free to use the comments section to let us know who you think would make a great Batman.