Out of all the superheroes from DC, Batman is undoubtedly one of the most famous and beloved characters to all the fans. But while some filmmakers understood his true potential and portrayed him to the best of their abilities, this superhero wasn’t able to get spared from getting exploited by other directors who created some of the worst movies around him.
So, for you, we have compiled below a list of all the movie makers from DC and have ranked them according to their own performance as well as the performance of their Batman films: all the way from those who granted their audiences visual euphoria to those who created downright unwatchable movies. And trust us, the worst director isn’t Zack Snyder.
6 Filmmakers Who Directed DC’s Batman Films Ranked From Worst To Best
6. Joel Schumacher [Batman Forever (1995), Batman and Robin (1997)]
Die-hard Batman fans will know how much this name deserves to be here because his films on the Caped Crusader were nothing short of a disaster. Although Joel Schumacher has done an incredible job with his other movies (like Falling Down and The Lost Boys, for one to count), he left a lot missing while directing the only two DC movies he has ever directed: Batman Forever back in 1995, and it’s sequel, Batman & Robin in 1997.
Titled as being ‘too campy’, the two films are deemed as such a big disappointment among fans and critics – one starring Val Kilmer as the lead while the other starred George Clooney as the Dark Knight – that the 1995 film is given a 40% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, which is considerably better as compared to the ratings its sequel has, which is an insulting 11%. However, in Schumacher’s defense, he realized his mistake and apologized to the fans.
5. Zack Snyder [Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)]
Zack Snyder is an incredible filmmaker, indeed, but he is underrated as well. With his reboot of the DC universe, he brought along some of the remarkable actors into the franchise which included Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman. Although his choice for the Caped Crusader was much booed at first, fans later understood what he truly meant and have been yearning to see Affleck put his cape back on.
Furthermore, though his Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice wasn’t all too bad because of its majestic and spectacularly artistic vibe and was even liked by several fans (despite having a terrible 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), he might have gone a bit too far with Justice League. Not only this, but his recklessly aggressive (even murderous) approach to the Dark Knight failed to appeal to fans too much. However, he made up for that as well with Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut which allowed him to completely show off what he had planned for the characters right from the beginning.
4. Matt Reeves [The Batman (2022)]
In the list of the most exceptional filmmakers of all time, Matt Reeves holds an incredible position. Along with his other films, he did a splendid job while directing his film of the Caped Crusader as well. Leaning more toward the source material, he showed Gotham as a crime-ridden city that finds solace with the one and only vengeance-driven vigilante and even portrayed the character of The Riddler quite perfectly.
Although the film has been approved with an 85% rating by Rotten Tomatoes, fans seem to like this movie to a considerably lesser extent as compared to all the others (except Joel Schumacher’s, of course).
3. Leslie H. Martinson [Batman: The Movie (1966)]
The late legendary film director Leslie H. Martinson was one of the earliest and most proficient DC directors. Apart from directing two episodes of the superhit and fan-favorite classic television series from 1966, Batman, he is also credited for having made history by becoming the first-ever filmmaker to bring the vigilante in a standalone movie for the big screen, Batman: The Movie (1966).
The late legend’s serious yet silly film worked wonders on the silver screen as it brought in stuff like the Batcopter and the Batboat in the extended version of the series. For what it’s worth, his immaculate personification of the adventures of the Caped Crusader back in the day proved to his own benefit as fans fell in love with his work on the DC film, making it super successful.
2. Tim Burton [Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992)]
Tim Burton is one of the best filmmakers to ever be given the project of directing films for The Dark Knight. Starring the beloved and ultra fan-favorite Michael Keaton in the lead, Burton’s DC debut with Batman wasn’t much appreciated at first before its release as fans couldn’t wrap their heads around Keaton playing their favorite character.
However, the fact that his film was much inclined toward the matter in the comics coupled with the eerie tone and Art Deco design with unsettling visuals further coupled with Keaton’s impeccable charm just couldn’t fail to win fans’ hearts, and Tim Burton‘s two movies of the Caped Crusader ended up becoming one of the biggest fan-favorites and go-to films for DC fans.
1. Christopher Nolan [The Dark Knight trilogy (2005-2012)]
Okay, let’s be honest: We were all waiting for this name to pop up right at the top, right? Undeniably so, because the work Christopher Nolan has done during his time as the Batman director is beyond anything anyone has ever seen. With Christian Bale as the perfect match for The Dark Knight, Nolan took a more realistic approach to his movies with some really grounded villains and created an immersively spine-chilling thriller.
Not only were his three films about the Caped Crusader (Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012)) heartily loved by fans with Bale becoming their favorite actor to ever play their favorite character, but were also an immense success at the box office, with his first movie making $373 million and the last one crossing a whopping $1.1 billion. In doing so, Christopher Nolan created a legacy and set the bar too high that is yet to be surpassed.
