Wondering how to watch Batman movies in order in USA? Marvel Cinematic Universe can tower with over two dozen films and tell stories, but it can never achieve a timeless story. The supremacy of superhero stories lies within the ability to tell and retell stories in wildly fascinating ways.
The quirky, dour, and serious take the trophy home. Only one superhero stood the test of cinematic flexibility, and it’s the Caped Crusader. For 50+ years, Batman has ruled the cinema by caring for his loved ones and deeply feeling about saving the world despite his aloofness.
Batman doesn’t shy away from showing off his wealth and resolving the financial crisis in the Justice League series for Superman. He redefined versatility from the 1960s or the blockbuster era of the 1990s to the dash of realistic takes on superhero energy on HBO Max.
Here’s How to Watch All Batman Movies in Order In USA in 2023
Batman movies are one of a kind and cohesively knit together, so you must know how to watch them without accidentally missing out on any important detail.
Here’s ScreenBinge’s 2023 guide on watching all Batman movies in order in USA:
Batman (1966)
Director: Leslie H. Martinson
Writer: Lorenzo Semple Jr. (TV series), William Dozier(based on the series created by), Bob Kane(based upon the characters created by)
Cast: Adam West, Lee Meriwether, Burt Ward
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Runtime: 1h 45m
This is the oldest movie of the Batman movies in order franchise. Catch Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) fight off the sharks, The Riddler, and The Joker to save the world. Wondering do they really get lucky and beat the bad guys? Well, you will have to see for yourself.
The film combines four supervillains as they hold a secret new invention that instantly dehydrates people. Seeing this, Batman plans a workaround with Robin and aims to save the world.
Batman (1989)
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Sam Hamm (Story), Warren Skaaren (Screenplay), Bob Kane
Cast: Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Jack Nicholson
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 2h 6m
The Batman story dates back from the early 60s, but for the world, it all began in the 1989 version of Tim Burton’s gothic approach towards the proceedings. Bruce Wayne was played by non-other than Michael Keaton while the character of Joker went to Jack Nicholson.
This movie is the one that paved the way for the future renditions of Batman and gave them the courage to explore the story, character and set the mood for future performances of Batman. This movie is the first one directed by Tim Burton in the Batman movies in order series.
Batman Returns (1992)
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Daniel Waters & Sam Hamm (Story), Bob Kane (Batman characters)
Cast: Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Keaton
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Runtime: 2h 6m
The Tim Burton Batman movies are back again with this new addition to his own franchise. After Joker, we all saw the emergence of a new villain in Gotham, Danny DeVito, aka the Penguin, who was ready to ruin the lives of newborn infants to avenge the misconduct he faced in his own life.
Also making an uncanny resemblance to the role of Cat Woman is Michelle Pfeiffer, who teams up with Batman (Michael Keaton) to diminish the evil that resided in the Penguin.
Batman Forever (1995)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Bob Kane, Lee Batchler, Janet Scott Batchler, Akiva Goldsman
Cast: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman
IMDb Rating: 5.4/10
Runtime: 2h 2m
The third movie saw some significant changes concerning the directorial team and the actors. Joel Schumacher replaced Tim Burton; meanwhile, Michael Keaton also gave himself an exit, leaving Val Kilmer to become the new Batman.
Jim Carrey took the role of The Riddler, the new evil spirit of the story, and Two-Faced. Chris O’Donnell became the new Robin, and he continued his role in the next and final movie of the era, Batman and Robin.
Batman & Robin (1997)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Bob Kane, Akiva Goldsman
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, Uma Thurman
IMDb Rating: 3.7/10
Runtime: 2h 5m
The last one from the Batman series in the 90s. Despite the star-studded cast and talented Goerge Clooney playing Batman with Chris O’Donnell as his aiding partner Robin.
Nothing could have saved the film from its ill fate. It might have been a good movie if only Schumacher didn’t go overboard with the inclusion to make it relevant enough for the audience. Nonetheless, it was a reasonable effort on their part.
Nolan’s Batman Trilogy
When it comes to the best-directed superhero movies of all time, there is no better answer than Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy itself.
Bruce Wayne’s accurate portrayal of the vigilante with a real cause to it brought viewers closer to him that they could relate to his story personally and grasp the realistic storyline, and get attracted to Nolan’s oh-so-perfect direction of the sinful and corrupt Gotham city. Pretty much like any other, we see in our own lives nowadays.
Batman Begins (2005)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: David S. Goyer, Bob Kane, Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Ken Watanabe, Michael Kale
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Runtime: 2h 20m
If you’re looking for Christian Bale Batman movies in order in USA, then Batman Begins will definitely delight you. First from the Nolan’s trilogy for the Batman storyline, Christian Bale plays the dark, nocturnal vigilante and sways the audience with his no-nonsensical acting.
Ready to dive in and save the plague-ridden Gotham trying to survive under the hands of the mentally manipulative Dr. Cillian Murphy, also known as The Scarecrow, whose aim is to corrupt the residents’ minds and establish his regime based on fear.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer, Bob Kane
Cast: Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Christian Bale
IMDb Rating: 9/10
Runtime: 2h 32m
Released 3 years after the first installment of Christopher Nolan’s Trilogy of Batman. The Dark Knight was one of the best movies in this franchise and the first Batman movie to cross the billion-dollar mark on the Box Office.
What made it this successful was the amplified storyline with the inclusion of one of the best and the most memorable villains in all the superhero movies, Joker.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan, David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan
Cast: Tom Hardy, Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway
IMDb Rating: 9/10
Runtime: 2h 45m
The third and sadly the last franchise of the Nolan Trilogy came in 2012, which was an emotional ride and a star-studded affair all in one. Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, and the introduction of Cat Woman, played by Anne Hathaway, and the final masked villain of the franchise, Bane, played by Tom Hardy.
The cast list is enough to encourage people to roll in the cinemas, but the fact that this was the end of it all made it even more worthy. The story had a satisfactory conclusion as it was the final take, but The Dark Knight set a high standard that remained unmatchable for even its own sequel.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer: Chris Terrio, Bob Kane, David S. Goyer
Cast: Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Henry Cavill
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
Runtime: 2h 31m
Since Nolan’s move to other projects, the fate of Batman shifted to yet another iconic actor and director. Zack Snyder took over the DCEU franchise after his success with Man of Steel.
And the new face of the Batman movie this time was Ben Affleck. This Batman and Superman faceoff was not something anyone was expecting, and the appointment of Ben Affleck was a significant question mark for the DC fans, which he later proved wrong and made everyone appreciate his hard work.
Suicide Squad (2016)
Director: David Ayer
Writer: John Ostrander, David Ayer
Cast: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie
IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
Runtime: 2h 10m
An anti-hero movie with a small cameo from Ben Affleck, aka The Batman. The actual start of Suicide Squad was none other than Jared Leto, who has huge shoes to fill in as the Joker after Heath Ledger’s legendary performance.
Margot Robbie as Harly Quinn with her evil yet happy-go-lucky aura. Suicide Squad was a miss from the critics. Still, it did huge business on the Box Office and amongst the audience, leading to Harley Quinn’s own cameo in Bird’s of Prey and the upcoming sequel, The Suicide Squad, this year.
Justice League (2017)
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Chris Terrio
Cast: Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Runtime: 2h
The mega-budgeted crossover of all the DCEU superheroes in this one movie would have been a great idea if Zack Snyder stayed long enough to direct the film entirely.
But due to personal tragedy, he had to quit, replaced by MCU’s Joss Whedon, who tried his best to create a masterpiece but failed to do so. As Ben Affleck returned to his role as Batman, so did the audience’s demand for Snyder’s version of the film, which did eventually made a comeback on HBO Max in 2021.
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Director: Chris McKay
Writer: Erik Sommers, Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKenna
Cast: Will Arnett, Rosario Dawson, Michael Sera
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Runtime: 1h 44m
The Lego Batman Movie revolves around the Gotham City and how Batman saves it from Joker. Considering the hostile takeover and the disastrous changes, Batman must learn to work in a team and maybe loosen up a bit in the process.
See how Robin, the sidekick, and Alfred, his loyal butler, teach him a trick or two for giving up the nocturnal vigilante look and just embracing the present. You’ll have to watch the Batman movies in order in USA to really enjoy this one.
Joker (2019)
Director: Todd Phillips
Writer: Scott Silver, Todd Phillips, Bob Kane
Cast: Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Joaquin Phoenix
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Runtime: 2h 2m
Joker (2019) is a possible origin story for the character. Directed by Todd Phillips and co-written with Scott Silver and Bob Kane, this American psychological thriller will get you hooked.
It’s a story of a troubled comedian who doesn’t fall within the societal norms, and he keeps spiraling downwards to eventually become the Joker. If you’re looking for Batman films in order, we recommend hitting play on this 2-hour movie because it’s definitely worth it.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Director: Zack Snyder
Writer: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Runtime: 4h 2m
Strong-willed to ensure that Superman’s sacrifice doesn’t go in vain, Bruce Wayne joins forces with Diana Prince and works to recruit metahumans that will protect the world from an approaching threat.
As Batman, Aquaman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, and The Flash unite to save the planet from the ominous intentions of Darkseid, DeSaad, and Steppenwolf – you’ll have to see what happens next in the movie. Are they too late, or do they crack a solution in time?
Hit play on this action-packed film because it definitely lives up to the audience’s expectations. With a double runtime and even better character development, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a must-watch!
The Batman (2022)
Director: Matt Reeves
Writer: Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, Bob Kane
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Runtime: 2h 56m
Directed by Matt Reeves from Planet of the Apes and starring Robert Pattinson, The Batman (2022) gives tough competition to all Batman movies. When a sadistic sociopath, The Riddler, goes on and about killing prominent politicians, Batman has no other option but to look a little deeper into the matter.
While investigating and unraveling the city’s corrupted government, Batman is shocked to find his family involved. This movie is dark and very, very twisted; take our word. If you’re a Robert Pattinson fan, then you deserve to see him put on the Batman mask this time!
Other Batman Movies and Series
The following movies and series are not directly linked to the Batman movies in chronological order and can be seen at any time without having to follow the trilogies mentioned above.
The list contains Batman animated and non-animated movies and series. The standalone Batman series and movies are as follows:
- Batman: The Movie (1966)
- The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
- Joker (2019)
- The Batman (1943 – theatrical series)
- Batman and Robin (1949 – theatrical series)
- Batman (1966 to 1969 – TV series)
- Gotham (2014 to 2019 – TV series)
- Titans (2018 to present – TV series)
- Pennyworth (2019 to present – TV series)
- Batwoman (2019 to present – TV series)
Wrapping it Up!
You no longer have to experience FOMO because you finally know the chronological order to watch Batman movies in USA. With this being said, get started with watching all the Batman movies in order in USA and keep yourself entertained.
Our list has it all, the animated and the live-action Batman movies from all the timelines starting from 1966 and going all the way till 2021. An iconic figure and savior to Gotham City, Batman has multiple moods, and each actor has done an excellent job in portraying the true essence of Batman but in their unique ways.
Now that you have gotten the answer to what order are the Batman movies, sit back and start streaming!