Ranking The Batman Movie Actors In Order Of How Intimidating They Are
Which Batman would win in a staring contest?
Batman is one of the most intimidating superheroes. He needs to be because his whole bat gimmick comes from the understanding that criminals are a cowardly and suspicious lot. He has mastered the art of fear and uses it against those who prey upon the fearful.
There is nothing scarier than a figure of a giant bat while you are alone in a foggy and dark corner of Gotham City. Other than that, Batman is a naturally imposing figure. He is usually drawn with a huge muscle-bound body and angry glare. While Batman understands that fear is a powerful agent against crime, he does not need to try to look intimidating when it is obvious he is an obsessive and angry man ready to break bones nightly.
Many actors have portrayed Batman throughout the years, some are better than others in embodying the character’s intimidating presence, while some do not choose the path of portraying intimidation to do the character well. This list is not of the worst to best Batman actors, but a gauge of least intimidating to most intimidating, at least in the live-action space.
7. Adam West
Adam West knew the kind of show he was in, portraying a Batman with a deadpan serious delivery to every ridiculous line given to him. His version was a brutal skewering of the patriarch authority figure of ‘60s TV hero archetype by way of a silly costume and silly comic book dialogue.
However, no matter how brilliant Adam West was in the role, the ‘60s Batman TV show did not have the proper platform for an intimidating Batman. It was not made for that. The intended tone did not support it.
The closest Adam West became intimidating in the role was in the 2016 animated tribute movie, Batman: Return of the Cape Crusader. Here the plotline was about Batman being under chemical influence to do evil deeds, becoming more similar to his future darker versions of the character. However, it was still a comedic plotline that follows the silly logic of the ‘60s Batman TV show. By default, Adam West lands on last.