8. Batman (1966-2012)
Warner Bros.The Caped Crusader has experienced both dizzying highs and crushing lows in his five decade and eight movie long big-screen career, ever since his feature-length theatrical debut way back in 1966 with Adam West under the comedy-eyebrowed cowl. It would be over 20 years before fans were given a true adaptation of the character, thanks to Tim Burton's critical and commercial hits Batman and Batman Returns. Burton's two movies gave audiences a stunningly-realised Gotham City and a more mature take on the character, with Michael Keaton's convincing portrayal of the Dark Knight well-matched by iconic villainous turns from Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer. Then Joel Schumacher came along, turning the franchise into a neon-and-nipples extravaganza that focused more on the villains and their awful one-liners than Batman himself, an alarming drop in quality that culminated in horror that was Batman & Robin. Thankfully, Christopher Nolan came along and rejuvenated the character with his more serious and realistic Dark Knight Trilogy. Batman Begins became the standard by which all reboots are now measured, The Dark Knight is heralded as one of the best and most influential blockbusters of the 21st Century and despite its many flaws The Dark Knight Rises provided a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. The Caped Crusader will return to screens in 2016 in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but with over $3.7bn in box office receipts its only a matter of time before Batman is once again front and center in his own solo franchise.