“It was wacky”: The Harsh Truth Superman: The Animated Series Legend Tim Daly Said about the Adam West Batman Show is Bitter But Necessary

Tim Daly was 3 years and 15 days old when his would-be childhood hero George Reeves was found dead of an apparent suicide at age 45. The man who played Superman would go on to inspire countless other adaptations of DC characters, including Adam West’s Batman in 1966. Later, Daly himself became the Man of Steel in a legendary run of Superman: The Animated Series that began in 1996 and lasted till 2012.

However, through all the tectonic shifts in stylistic choices and plot design that comic book characters have gone through since the mid-20th century, none have transformed more than the Bat of Gotham himself.

Tim Daly Has a Bone to Pick With Adam West’s Batman

For the most part, Tim Daly‘s childhood consisted of grainy black-and-white pixelated Superman flying across poorly animated cityscapes and saving the world, one cat-in-a-tree at a time. Now, three different variations of Batman reign the screen – each in competition as being better than the last. But while Superman left Daly utterly transfixed and amazed during his childhood, he is horrified at the psychologically darker story that Batman presents in the modernist big-screen adaptations.

In a Bleeding Cool interview, Tim Daly revisits the contrast that was presented in his era’s comic book heroes and the eventual evolution that Batman has gone through over the subsequent decades at DC:

“I watched the George Reeves Superman, the black and white one, when I was a little kid. I thought that was kind of awesome. I like that Adam West Batman, I like that too. And it’s interesting because what a transformation Batman has gone through. That first Batman was wacky, it was cartoonish, it was kind of over the top, and there were all these tongue-in-cheek jokes. And Batman has gone very dark over the years – psychologically dark.

But Superman remains this sort of beacon of light and goodness and I like that about him.”

As Batman continues to grow darker – from Christopher Nolan‘s Dark Knight trilogy to Zack Snyder’s DCEU to Matt Reeves’ The Batman saga – Daly’s commentary on the Adam West version still stings due to the iconic status it holds in the evolutionary scale of popular culture. Without Adam West’s Batman, the classic IP may not have become so popular as to warrant countless other re-enactments as an animated figure as well as the big screen.

What the Future Holds For Batman and Superman in DCU

James Gunn’s new oversight within DC Studios has come as a surprising boon to the fans of a divided community. After decades of hot-and-cold treatment of its superheroes left DC without power over its audience, Gunn’s plans for the DCU and his promise of a future – drawn out with patience and strategy – have helped slowly heal the fandom.

David Corenswet-starring Superman, which has already begun filming and premieres in just over a year, will forever change the face of the industry. With his story of hope and optimism in the face of hardship, Gunn promises to return to the good old values that once dictated the ideals of a perfect superhero.

As for Batman, Matt Reeves is currently proceeding according to plan, and Robert Pattinson-starring The Batman: Part II will arrive in theatres on October 2, 2026. The film is expected to be the second chapter in a trilogy.

Superman premieres on July 11, 2025.