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Batman fans debate which Caped Crusader had the best cowl

Batman fans are debating which cinematic Caped Crusader had the best cowl β€” Keaton, Bale, Affleck, or Pattinson?

Image via Warner Bros.

Another day, another Batman-related debate that’s raging on Twitter. DC fans can never agree on which is the best cinematic interpretation of the Dark Knight, we know that, but can they come to a consensus on which movie Batman had the best cowl? Going by the discussion that’s swept the superhero-loving side of social media today, we’d say the answer is… no.

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Twitter user @Spidey2307 ignited the fire by asking fans, “Which Batman cowl is your favorite?” in a now-viral tweet that showcases images of four of the Caped Crusaders in profile β€” namely, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson.

As expected, the question encouraged a range of responses, but it has to be said that two of the cowls seem to be more popular than the other two. For starters, the Batfleck cowl is beloved by many.

https://twitter.com/AranhaEntediado/status/1518562759880941568
https://twitter.com/yNoKroganSmash/status/1518624797424594949

The only issue with Batfleck’s cowl is his teeny-tiny ears.

If this was a debate over the most magnificent Bat-ears, though, Keaton would come out on top.

Otherwise, Pattinson may just be the winner, as folks can’t get enough of his cowl.

It’s the comic-accurate, fully exposed jaw that does it for people.

https://twitter.com/Struggler2Dark/status/1518651605700198402

But, hey, let’s not overlook the acquired taste that is Val Kilmer’s cowl.

On the other hand, maybe none of the movie cowls deserve applause as all of them have totally failed to replicate the 1939 original.

https://twitter.com/toy4torture/status/1518538539172077569

It’s unsurprising that the Batfleck and Battinson models are the most voted-for, as they’re the two that feel closest to the comics look, with Affleck’s inspired by The Dark Knight Returns iteration and Pattinson’s getting rid of the chin strap β€” though that might’ve been done just to show off his mighty cheekbones. It should be interesting to see if the cowl is redesigned once again for The Batman 2.