Over the years, nearly a dozen actors have donned Batman‘s cowl to take on one of cinema’s most iconic heroes.
Batman holds a special place in every superhero lover’s heart, as not only one of the first, and most trailblazing, heroes, but also as one of the most unique. There are plenty of Superman copycats out there, and some might even hold a candle to the Big Guy himself (don’t come for me), but no one quite matches up to the one and only Batman.
There’s far more than one version of Batman out there, however, and every fan of the Caped Crusader has a favorite. Even the stars and creative team behind The Flash, who recently weighed in on the very best stars to ever take on the role. Director Andy Muschietti, producer Barbara Muschietti, and Supergirl actor Sasha Calle revealed, in an interview with IMDb, which Batman tops their list of Dark Knight portrayals.
Calle went first, and provided a fittingly diverse list for someone who grew up under multiple Batmen. Just since the early 2000s, a full eight separate Batman movies — and four separate Batman actors — have graced the big screen, leaving audiences with quite the selection of Bruce Waynes.
Several of the modern takes on Batman found a spot on Calle’s list, with the burgeoning star naming Ben Affleck as her first pick. She noted that, due to her persisting love of Wonder Woman, Batfleck has been her most frequently-viewed Batman, and thus earned her first mention. Soon after, however, she branched off into mentions of Christian Bale’s “iconic” take on the character, and gushed about how each of the characters appearing in The Flash offers a “great iteration” of what fans have come to expect.
Despite the diverse offerings at their disposal, the Flash‘s director and producer — who, to be fair, are siblings — are in full agreement on the best Batman out there. While they have nothing but praise for the likes of Adam West, who Andy Muschietti said “has a place very close to my heart,” Michael Keaton is, and always will be, their top Batman pick.