Every Major Batman Actor's First & Last Line As The Dark Knight

Summary

• Adam West defined an era with his Batman persona, inspiring future adaptations.
• Michael Keaton introduced a darker Batman in 1989 and later reprized the role in 2023 for The Flash.
• Kevin Conroy, known for his role in Batman: The Animated Series, returned one last time in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earts.

Batman is one of the most popular superheroes of all time, and over the years, many actors have stepped up to fill the role, with dialogue that reflects their era. The history of the incredible Caped Crusader extends back to 1939, when the character was introduced in Detective Comics #27. Since then, the hero has been adapted for TV and film in dozens of other projects, with several that put the Bat right at the center of the story.

However, it wasn’t until 1966 that the character really began to have a life outside the comics thanks to the incredible and iconic performance by Adam West. While the heroic Dark Knight had a handful of serial adventures in earlier years, the 1966 TV show was easily the most successful. However, West began a legacy of creating a persona for Batman that would shape the character for many years to come. Now, each of the major actors who played the character has also had a chance to leave their mark with opening and closing lines that define their era.

8 Adam West

First: “My Resources Are Behind You, In Full” – Batman (1966)

When Adam West first took on the role of Batman, the character was incredibly malleable, with the actor being many people’s first, or at least most prominent, introduction to Bruce Wayne. While many of the more modern iterations of Bruce appear as irresponsible wealthy socialites, West’s version was far more adept at blending in. This is seen in his first line, when he hosts a meeting with a small group looking for financial investment, and Bruce can be seen to be an articulate and thoughtful businessman. Just as he gets a call to action, and takes off on an adventure as the hero, Batman.

Last: “Clearly, Two-Face Lies Dormant…” – Batman vs. Two-Face (2017)

“Clearly, Two-Face lies dormant, buried deep in Harvey’s psyche. For now, we can only hope it stays that way.”

After his initial outing as Batman in the less than flattering leotard, West remained an active and close part of the superhero’s journey for many more years. He returned to voice the character on various shows, in cameos, and in official animated sequels to the original series, like Batman vs. Two-Face in 2017. It’s fitting that his final line should come from that same set of stories, as he discusses Harvey Dent’s warm greeting with his sidekick, Robin.

7 Michael Keaton

First: “I’m Not Going To Kill You…” – Batman (1989)

“I’m not going to kill you. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to tell all your friends about me.”

After West, Michael Keaton is technically the second-longest person to play Batman, as he first appeared as Batman in the Tim Burton movies in 1989. While he only appeared in the original and one sequel, Keaton has since returned to the role in 2023 for The Flash. Keaton’s introduction is much darker, and immediately precedes a crook asking who this masked vigilante is, to which, he responds with the iconic line “I’m Batman.”

Last: “You Already Did.” – The Flash (2023)

Decades later, Keaton reprized the role for the third time, and he played a significant part in the DCEU’s reset movie, The Flash. As an old, disheveled and disillusioned Bruce Wayne, he gave up on his crusade years earlier, but when Barry Allen came looking for help, he was eager to get back to work as the Batman. His final line is a response to Barry’s emotional declaration that he won’t be able to bring him back, but Keaton’s Bruce Wayne assures him that he already had his moment back in the sun.

6 Kevin Conroy

First: “So, Our New Cat Burglar Is A Woman.” – Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

He may not be the longest running actor in the role of Batman by technicality, but he is certainly the most prolific, with dozens of credits in the role to his name. Kevin Conroy became the voice of Batman to a generation in 1992 when he started voicing the character for Batman: The Animated Series. His deep, mysterious tone, and powerful confidence boomed in every note, and his introduction dropped audiences right into the action as Batman was close behind the tail of the thief, Catwoman.

Last: “I Care Joker…” – Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three (2024)

“I care Joker. About Gotham, about justice. And if it has to end, at least I go out like this. Being Batman.”

Again, Conroy was able to return to voice his version of the hero in a fitting tribute to the original Batman: TAS as he played a variant in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three, opposite his long-standing rival in the show, and friend in real life, Joker, voiced by Mark Hamill. His final line is perhaps the most fitting on this list, as it reflects the actor’s own journey, having passed away in 2022, just a few years before this film was released.

5 Val Kilmer

First: “I’ll Get Drive-Thru.” – Batman Forever (1995)

Val Kilmer played Batman in just one movie, as the tone of the character and his story was beginning to shift. In Batman Forever, another sequel by director Tim Burton, the comedy and goofiness of the story was heavily played up, as seen in the first line from The Dark Avenger. On his way out on a mission, Alfred inquires if Master Bruce would like a sandwich, but, despite the full hero costume, he responds that he will simply get drive-thru… in the Batmobile. It’s an odd image of the broody hero, but it’s fitting for the time.

​​​​​​​Last: “Thank You For Giving Me A New Dream” – Batman Forever (1995)

Unfortunately for Kilmer, this was also the last time he appeared in the role, which means both his first and last lines were spoken in the same movie. At the film’s end, Bruce Wayne has a touching moment with Nicole Kidman’s Dr. Chase Meridian. As he hands her back the dream doll that she gave him earlier, the two embrace in a passionate kiss, before Bruce runs off to fight crime alongside his ally and sidekick, Robin.

4 George Clooney

First: “This Is Why Superman Works Alone.” – Batman & Robin (1997)

George Clooney likewise starred in one film as Batman, where he had the honor of closing out the Tim Burton Batman era in Batman & Robin. The focus on humor remained, and the film was inherently sassy and quippy, as was the hero. In his first line, Batman responds to his sidekicks’ pleas for a cool car of his own with exasperation, and a reference to another one of DC’s greatest heroes, Superman.

​​​​​​​Last: “What’s Wrong With You” – The Flash (2023)

While Clooney only starred in one feature film as Batman, he did land a brief cameo role in 2023’s The Flash that provided a major fan service moment for fans of the hero. As Barry starts to settle back into normal life, he searches for his dear friend Bruce, hoping he will be ok after the universe splitting events that happened earlier. He suddenly gets a call from Bruce Wayne, saying he is just driving up to him now, but when Clooney’s character steps out of the car, it’s a huge shock to Barry, who states “You’re not Batman.”

3 Christian Bale

First: “Nightmare.” – Batman Begins (2005)

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy provided a much darker tone to the character than anything that had been seen previously, with the hero replacing much of his quippy dialogue with grunts and silence. In that fashion, his first line of dialogue comes with him describing a flashback to his childhood in incredibly succinct terms. This is an accurate reflection of the hero’s more muted and refined era, as a moody hero with a laser focus on his goals of cleaning up Gotham.

​​​​​​​Last: “A Hero Can Be Anyone…” – The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

“A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boys shoulders to let him know the world hadn’t ended.”

Despite the character appearing less emotional in his origins, Christian Bale’s Batman underwent incredible growth throughout his story. Just before the hero sacrifices himself, satisfied with his mission to clean the streets of Gotham and protect his people, Commissioner Gordon tries to talk him down from sacrificing himself. But at that moment, Batman reveals his biggest secret, by way of telling Gordon about a moment that defined the good side of him when he first lost his parents.

2 Ben Affleck

First: “There Was A Time Above…” – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

“There was a time above. A time before. There were perfect things. Diamond absolutes. Things fall. Things on earth. And what falls, is fallen.”

While this line is clearly striving towards a poetic illustration of Superman and heroes in general, it does come off as somewhat pretentious and meaningless. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice encountered a host of problems and a lot of mixed to negative reviews, and it certainly aligned with the DCEU era that struggled to ever rise to it’s full height, before the entire franchise came crashing down. However, there is light ahead with other iterations of the Batman, and the new and improved DCU under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran.

​​​​​​​Last: “Not This Time. Maybe Some Other Time.” – The Flash (2023)

Just prior to this bit of dialogue that could have been etched out, a simple response to Barry’s request to go grab food together, Ben Affleck’s Batman delivers some of his most profound and insightful advice. While Barry struggles with the idea of letting the past go, and tries to find some means to travel back and save his mother from being killed, Bruce offers some powerful insight about what makes and shapes a hero. This lines help to define a character who never truly had a chance to shine, and only got to appear as a supporting cast member in other heros movies.

“Barry, those scars we have make us who we are. We’re not meant to go back and fix them. And there’s nothing broken with you that needs to be fixed. Take it from an old guy who’s made plenty of mistakes.”

1 Robert Pattinson

First: “Thursday, October Thirty-First…” – The Batman (2022)

“Thursday, October thirty-first… The city streets are crowded for the holiday, even with the rain. Hidden in the chaos is the element. Waiting to strike like snakes. And I’m there too, watching.”

The Matt Reeves Elseworlds version of The Batman is one of the latest iterations of the character, played by Robert Pattinson. The Batman leans even further into the dark and gritty tone established in Nolan’s trilogy, with a hero who appears to be early in his career, and striving to perform as the best vigilante detective he can be. His opening line reflects this detective style as he speaks his notes for his investigation into the crime in Gotham, and sets a tone for the Dark Avenger, which makes it clear he is on a level playing field with the worst of the city.​​​​​​​

Last: “Selina… Take Care Of Yourself.” – The Batman (2022)

Pattinson’s take on the Dark Knight is set to appear again in a sequel that is currently in production, but ahead of its release, he remains one of the few actors to only play the hero in one film. His final line is a moment that reasserts his commitment to Gotham and his mission, as he sends Selina away, along with the life they could have had together, in favor of answering the new Bat-signal. Once again, this line serves to set the tone for this version of the character, Batman, and his entire era.