Batman is a crimefighter, a billionaire and a master detective. He’s also a movie star with an impressive animated filmography. The Dark Knight has starred in dozens of animated movies over the years and he’s appeared in dozens more as a supporting player. In the process, he’s been voiced by some of the most iconic actors in Hollywood, including a few names that might surprise you. If you’re looking to dive into Batman’s animated filmography, this guide should answer all your burning questions.
(Note: If you’re looking for a guide to Batman’s live-action movies, you’ll find one here.)
WHAT ARE ALL THE ANIMATED BATMAN FILMS IN ORDER?
If you're interested in viewing Batman’s animated films in release order, get comfortable. There are a lot of them. Some are definitely aimed at younger viewers, while others—probably most of them—are aimed at adults. A few are even R-rated.
It should be noted that this section only covers full-length animated movies, not short films, serials, or television episodes repackaged as movies. In other words, stuff like Batman Beyond: The Movie, which spliced together the first two episodes of the Batman Beyond TV show for home video release, doesn’t count.
Also, we’re focusing strictly on animated Batman films. Movies like Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths may heavily feature Batman, but it’s a Justice League movie, not a Batman one and therefore isn’t on the list.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero (1998)
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
Batman: Year One (2011)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part One (2012)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part Two (2013)
LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013)
Son of Batman (2014)
Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
Batman vs. Robin (2015)
Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015)
Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem (2015)
Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants (2016)
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
Batman vs. Two-Face (2017)
Scooby-Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018)
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
Batman Ninja (2018)
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
Batman: Hush (2019)
LEGO DC Batman: Family Matters (2019)
Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
Batman: The Long Halloween – Part One (2021)
Batman: The Long Halloween – Part Two (2021)
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022)
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2022)
Merry Little Batman (2023)
Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (2025)
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (2025)
WHAT OTHER ANIMATED MOVIES HAS BATMAN APPEARED IN?
This section covers Batman’s animated film appearances where he isn’t the main character, but he still is part of the cast. Some of the movies give him a large role, while others only feature him briefly.
It should be noted that this section doesn’t cover parody appearances, like Space Jam: A New Legacy. It’s a lot of movies, but if you’re committed to watching all of Batman’s animated filmography and love DC animation, there’s a lot of fun stuff here!
Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
Justice League: Doom (2012)
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time (2014)
The LEGO Movie (2014)
Justice League: War (2014)
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs Bizarro League (2015)
Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Attack of the Legion of Doom (2015)
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash (2016)
Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout (2016)
Justice League Dark (2017)
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash (2018)
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman – Rage of Atlantis (2018)
The Death of Superman (2018)
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)
Reign of the Supermen (2019)
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
Justice League vs. The Fatal Five (2019)
Superman: Red Son (2020)
LEGO DC: Shazam – Magic and Monsters (2020)
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
Injustice (2021)
Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse (2022)
DC League of Super-Pets (2022)
Legion of Super-Heroes (2023)
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen – Part One (2023)
Justice League: Warworld (2023)
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen – Part Two (2023)
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One (2024)
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two (2024)
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Three (2024)
WHICH ANIMATED BATMAN FILMS ARE CONNECTED?
So, are any of these Batman movies connected to each other or the live action films? Do any of them share a continuity with DC’s animated shows? Yes, and this section of the guide should clear all of that up. Here’s a brief multiverse atlas of Batman’s animated filmography.
The DC Animated Universe
This continuity is home to some of DC’s most beloved animated TV series, such as Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and Justice League Unlimited. To date, it’s one of DC’s most celebrated universes. It’s also home to Kevin Conroy’s Batman, which is considered the gold standard for Batman in animation.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero (1998)
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
The Nolanverse (kind of)
In 2008, Warner Bros. Animation released Batman: Gotham Knight, an animated anthology film that was supposed to take place between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. However, some elements from it were contradicted in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, so it’s best to classify this as an alternate version of the Nolanverse. Think of it as a world where Batman Begins happened, but events in Gotham took on a slightly different path afterwards.
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
Superman/Batman Duology
This watch list is pretty simple. In 2009 and 2010, DC released two animated Superman and Batman movies based on the first two arcs of Jeph Loeb’s Superman/Batman comic series. While the movies feature Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy as Batman and Superman, the films are not set in the previously mentioned DCAU, and they shouldn’t be seen as continuations of Batman: The Animated Series or Superman: The Animated Series. It’s a self-contained two-movie continuity with some familiar voice actors.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
The DC Animated Movie Universe
After years of producing standalone films, Warner Bros. Animation began building their own DC Universe for the home video market. The shared continuity began with 2013’s Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, which launched a new animated DC Universe, much as it had with the comic book source material.
Warner Bros. Animation referred to this continuity as the DC Animated Movie Universe, or the DCAMU. At its peak, The DCAMU produced multiple animated films per year, many with cliffhangers and running subplots. The DCAMU came to an end in 2020 with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, as the Flash was forced to reset the timeline once more.
Son of Batman (2014)
Batman vs. Robin (2015)
Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
Batman: Hush (2019)
The Tomorrowverse
The Tomorrowverse was created after the DCAMU’s timeline was reset after Justice League: Apokolips War. This more recent shared universe is named after Superman: Man of Tomorrow, the first entry in the series. Like the DCAMU, this was a fully fleshed out cinematic universe, with cliffhangers and running subplots.
The Tomorrowverse came to a close with the Crisis on Infinite Earths film trilogy, which realigned DC’s animated continuity once more. However, as substantial as this universe was, it only yielded two solo Batman films, and technically they could be seen as a single movie in two parts.
Batman: The Long Halloween – Part One (2021)
Batman: The Long Halloween – Part Two (2021)
LEGOLAND
Batman has appeared in a lot of LEGO movies! In fact, he’s appeared in so many that we’ve given them their own section of the multiverse, which I’ve dubbed LEGOLAND. It should be noted that these direct-to-video titles don’t share a continuity with The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. These computer-animated movies are instead mostly inspired by the LEGO DC video games, but have their own bits of original fun thrown in there.
LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013)
LEGO DC Batman: Family Matters (2019)
The LEGO Movieverse
That’s right, Batman has two different animated continuities where he’s a LEGO minifig. This continuity began with 2014’s The LEGO Movie, which introduced Will Arnett’s version of LEGO Batman. Batman got his own spinoff film in 2017 (The LEGO Batman Movie) before returning for the 2019 sequel The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Ninjaverse
The Batman Ninja series features Batman, his allies and his enemies being transported back to feudal Japan. The storytelling features some unique animation styles and designs, and surprising new roles for some of our favorite characters.
Batman Ninja (2018)
Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (2025)
Holy Adam West Universe, Batman!
This duology is set in the same continuity as the 1966 Batman television series. In it, Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar reprise their roles as Batman, Robin and Catwoman for a pair of films that capture the campy, fun spirit of the classic show. Must-sees for Batman ’66 fans, It’s also worth noting that Batman vs. Two-Face was Adam West’s final film role before he passed away in 2017.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
Batman vs. Two-Face (2017)
The Batman Animated Universe
This consists of one film, The Batman vs. Dracula, which is set in the same continuity as The Batman, an animated series that ran from 2004-2008. Not to be confused with the 2022 Matt Reeves film.
The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)
The Brave and the Bold Universe
This consists of one film, Scooby-Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which is set in the same continuity as Batman: The Brave and the Bold, an animated series that ran from 2008-2011. The existence of this film implies that Batman: The Brave and the Bold shares a continuity with the Scooby-Doo franchise, which raises a ton of questions, but it’s best not to think about it too much.
Scooby-Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018)
The Arkhamverse
The Arkhamverse covers the various Arkham video games by Rocksteady Studios and WB Games. The video game series was so popular that in 2014, Warner Bros. Animation released Batman: Assault on Arkham to tie in with the franchise. The movie is said to take place after Batman: Arkham Origins and two years before Batman: Arkham Asylum. However, the 2024 game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is also set in the Arkham universe, contradicts the events of the movie. But don’t let that stop you from watching it. Whether you see it as part of the universe or not, Assault on Arkham is a fun ride and arguably one of the best Suicide Squad movies we’ve gotten…despite ostensibly being a Batman film.
Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
Batman Unlimited
This series covers a trilogy of films based around Mattel’s Batman Unlimited toyline. These films were generally meant for a younger audience, but there’s still some fun to be had if you choose to include these in your Bat-binge.
Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015)
Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem (2015)
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants (2016)
Merry Little Universe
As of this writing, this universe only contains one film, Merry Little Batman. However, the story will continue in Bat-Fam, an animated TV series set to premiere on Amazon in late 2025. This universe follows the exploits of Batman’s son Damian, who dreams of being a superhero like his dad. This version of Damian is a bit more wholesome and innocent than his assassin-trained comic book counterpart.
Merry Little Batman (2023)
Standalone Films
The rest of these films don’t fit into any specific continuity. Some of them are original stories, others are adaptations of comic books. Either way, these are standalone animated Batman films, which don’t share a canon with any other projects.
There are a couple of exceptions. Batman: Under the Red Hood is set in the same continuity as the Batman: Death in the Family interactive short, but as we’re not including shorts here, this section makes the most sense for it. Meanwhile, the two Batman: The Dark Knight Returns films obviously share a continuity with each other, but since they’re really one film in two parts that are unconnected to any other DC project, they also belong here.
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
Batman: Year One (2011)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part One (2012)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part Two (2013)
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022)
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2022)
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (2025)
WHICH ACTORS VOICE BATMAN IN EACH FILM?
Who is behind Batman’s mask? It depends on the movie you’re watching. Over the years, many talented voice actors have brought the Dark Knight to life. Some of them, like Kevin Conroy, have done it many times over multiple continuities. Here’s a breakdown of the many actors who have voiced Batman over the course of his animated filmography. You might recognize some Batman voice actors from their roles in various Batman TV projects, such as Rina Romano and Diedrich Bader. There are also a few movie stars, such as Keanu Reeves and Luke Wilson. And then there’s a few surprises. For example, did you know that Michael C. Hall aka Dexter once voiced a multiverse version of Batman?
It should be noted that the following list only contains the voice actors who provided the English dubs for each movie. If we were going to list all the international voice actors, this article would still be loading.
Kevin Conroy
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero (1998)
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
Rino Romano
The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)
Bruce Greenwood
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)
Ben McKenzie
Batman: Year One (2011)
Peter Weller
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part One (2012)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part Two (2013)
Troy Baker
LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (2013)
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
LEGO DC Batman: Family Matters (2019)
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022)
Jason O’Mara
Son of Batman (2014)
Batman vs. Robin (2015)
Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
Batman: Hush (2019)
Roger Craig Smith
Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015)
Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem (2015)
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants (2016)
Batman Ninja (2018)
Adam West
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
Batman vs. Two-Face (2017)
Will Arnett
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Diedrich Bader
Scooby-Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018)
David Giuntoli
Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2022)
Jensen Ackles
Batman: The Long Halloween – Part One (2021)
Batman: The Long Halloween – Part Two (2021)
Luke Wilson
Merry Little Batman (2023)
Joe Daniels
Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (2025)
Jay Hernandez
Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (2025)
WHICH ANIMATED BATMAN MOVIES ARE ADAPTED FROM COMIC BOOKS?
Some of Batman’s animated films are original stories, while others are based on iconic comic book storylines. You’ll find all of those films below. Some of them, like Batman: Year One, adapt the comic books panel by panel, while others, such as Batman: Hush, are loose retellings.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009) – An adaptation of the 2003 storyline Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010) – An adaptation of Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner’s storyline Superman/Batman: The Supergirl from Krypton.
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) – An adaptation of the Under the Hood storyline.
Batman: Year One (2011) – An adaptation of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s iconic Batman: Year One.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part One (2012) – Part one of an adaptation of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s iconic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part Two (2013) – Part two of an adaptation of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
Son of Batman (2014) – An adaptation of Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert’s Batman and Son.
Batman vs. Robin (2015) – A loose adaptation of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: The Court of Owls.
Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) – An adaptation of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s Batman: The Killing Joke.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018) – A loose adaptation of Batman: Gotham by Gaslight by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola.
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019) – A loose adaptation of the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover limited series.
Batman: Hush (2019) – An adaptation of Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s epic Hush storyline.
Batman: The Long Halloween – Part One (2021) - Part one of an adaptation of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s iconic Batman: The Long Halloween.
Batman: The Long Halloween – Part Two (2021) - Part two of an adaptation of Batman: The Long Halloween.
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2022) – A loose adaptation of Mike Mignola, Richard Pace and Troy Nixey’s Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.
WHICH ANIMATED BATMAN MOVIE SHOULD I START WITH?
The best part is that there is no wrong answer to this question. There have been many different versions of Batman, and each one is just as valid as the previous one. If I personally had to pick one, I would say you can’t go wrong with Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. It has an engaging story, and it features Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker in one of their most intense battles ever. Plus, Mask of the Phantasm is set in the same continuity as Batman: The Animated Series, so if you’re a fan of that show, then the film is the perfect gateway to Batman’s animated filmography.
If you’re a comic book fan or perhaps a non-reader who’s interested in some of the medium’s best Batman stories, then you should watch 2011’s Batman: Year One or 2010’s Batman: Under the Red Hood. If you’re a fan of Adam West’s Batman, then you’ll definitely want to start with Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders. It captures the vibe of the 1966 Batman series perfectly, and features the return of Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar in the roles that made them so beloved.
Or you can just pick whatever title calls out to you. The point is, there is an animated Batman for everyone, and part of the fun is finding yours.
More of a Superman fan? Click here for our feature on how to watch all of the Superman animated movies in order.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
