Batman is known for his endless arsenal of gadgets, from batarangs to grappling hooks to shark repellent — but none of Bruce Wayne’s crime-fighting tools are quite so iconic as his signature vehicle, the Batmobile. Despite a name that gets more silly the more it’s thought of, the Batmobile has always been a vital part of the Dark Knight’s crime-fighting routine.
With so many live-action iterations of Batman, there are of course just as many iterations of the Batmobile. Some of them go for a more grounded look, even being akin to a normal car, while others go all out in their over-the-top design, sometimes leaving viewers wondering exactly what the car’s turning radius could possibly be with such an odd build. That being said, some Batmobiles are just better than others, and it’s not always hard to see why.
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GothamBatmobile
This dishonorable mention arguably doesn’t even qualify for the list — after all, it’s featured in the controversialGothamTV series, which takes place before Bruce Wayne has even become Batman. However, Season 4 of the showsees the young Bruceuse a matte black Ford Mustang during his early forays into vigilantism. It’s never referred to as the Batmobile and its special features are minimal (though it is bulletproof), but it’s clearly meant to evoke the image of the legendary supercar.
Film Serial Batmobiles
Like the previous entry, these two Batmobiles — as seen in the obscureThe BatmanandBatman and Robinfilm serials from the 1940s — are just a pair of regular cars. Specifically,The Batmanfeatures a 1939 Cadillac, andBatman and Robinuses a 1949 Mercury Convertible. And though said cars were modern for their time, looking back on them todaygives them a certain retro charm,saving them from the bottom of the list.
CW Batmobile
The CW network’s “Arrowverse” isn’t known for its high-quality special effects, and its take on the Batmobile reflects this. It’s little more than a modified C7 Corvette, without much to distinguish it as Batman’s personal vehicle. However, once Batwoman takes the car as her own, it’s customized with some red markings and even a bat symbol, giving it a bit more flair. Even so, it’s one of the more visually plain Batmobiles to be put to the screen.
Ben Affleck Batmobile
The Batmobile featured in Zack Snyder’sBatman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeandJustice Leagueis by far the most heavily armored (and heavily armed) iteration put to film. It looks more like a tank than a car, making it quite the outlier compared to the vehicle’s classic designs. This Batmobile is certainly popular amongfans of Snyder’s DC films,but it has a very similar aesthetic to theDark KnightTrilogy’s Tumbler, keeping it from having a distinct visual identity all its own.
Val Kilmer Batmobile
Joel Schumacher’s exceedingly campyBatman Foreverhas a Batmobile that’s just as goofy and over-the-top as the film it appears in. The glowing blue lights and bat-wing decorations definitely make it distinct — but not necessarily in a good way. It’s not a bad design, but perhaps a bit too ostentatious to make it truly iconic.
TitansBatmobile
Here’s another obscure pick — so obscure, in fact, that it’s never even appeared clearly on screen. The HBO Max-exclusiveTitansTV series has shown a few brief glimpses of the Batmobile, but never provided a nice clear look. Thankfully,a piece of concept artdepicts the official design in full, showing off a stylish (though somewhat simplistic) retro aesthetic.
George Clooney Batmobile
Ironically, Schumacher’s even sillier sequel,Batman and Robin, features a much sleeker Batmobile design. It’s still campy and colorful, but with a more streamlined look to balance things out. It just goes to show that gritty isn’t always the same as cool.
Christian Bale Batmobile
Christopher Nolan’sDark KnightTrilogy favored substance over style, providing a more grounded, militaristic battle vehicle for Batman — referred to exclusively as “the Tumbler”, never “the Batmobile”. The less traditional design wins points for originality, especially since it houses the Batpod motorcycle featured in one ofThe Dark Knight’s most iconicscenes.
Robert Pattinson Batmobile
Though it’s yet to make its big screen debut, the latest cinematic Batmobile features a return to more traditional, less weaponized iterations, while still remaining grounded. But unlike the Batmobiles on the bottom of the list, this version still features a unique enough design to make it a fresh, memorable new take that stands out from the rest. Here’s hoping it’s even more impressive in the final film.
Michael Keaton Batmobile
Arguably the most iconic Batmobile on this list, this version appeared in 1989’sBatmanand 1992’sBatman Returns, both directed by Tim Burton andstarring Michael Keaton as Batman.This design is a perfect marriage of form and function — its stylish look (complete with bat wings) meshes perfectly with the gothic aesthetic of Burton’s Gotham City, while still being practical enough that it doesn’t come off as too cheesy. Plus, it’s chock full of gadgets, gizmos, and weapons of all kinds. As the Joker himself asked, “Where does he get those wonderful toys?”
Adam West Batmobile
There’s just no beating the classics. It may not be as flashy or realistic as more modern incarnations, but the Batmobile of the 1966 TV series has more style thanany other in live-action history.Based on a Ford concept car known as the Lincoln Futura, Adam West’s iconic Batmobile radiates retro charm, combining the usual sleek, jet-black look with red highlights that give this design the extra pop it needs to stand out over all the rest. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that it comes equipped with an utterly absurd number of gadgets, from Bat-magnets to Bat-lasers to Bat-safety belts. It may be campy, but it’s still an all-time great.
