From ‘The Dark Knight’ to ‘Joker,’ Here’s How to Watch the ‘Batman’ Movies Online

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Between The Penguin and Joker: Folie à Deux, Batman‘s rogues are having something of a renaissance, which is probably bad news if you live in Gotham. 2022 was the last time Batman was on the silver screen, and we’re still two years away from the sequel.

Fans looking to catch up on the Batman films may have questions, and understandably so. To casual observers, the chronology of Batman movies may seem hopelessly byzantine, especially compared to the neat phases of the Marvel universe.

For starters, the latest live-action Batman-adjacent adaptations exist in separate universes (just don’t call it the multiverse). The Penguin is a spin-off of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which was the first standalone Batman movie since 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises. Joker: Folie à Deux is a sequel to Todd Phillips’ Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. The Joker films take place when Bruce Wayne is still a child.

In short, the only film you need to watch before streaming The Penguin is The Batman, and you’ll want to stream The Joker before its sequel, Folie à Deux hits theaters on October 4. But what’s the fun in that? If you want to know how to revisit the rest of the films in the franchise, here’s everything you need to know to watch the Dark Knight’s evolution on screen, including where to stream the films from the Michael Keaton era to the Christian Bale years and beyond.

Where to Watch the Batman Movies Online

The single best place to watch every Batman movie is Max, which is the streaming hub for all things DC, including live-action TV shows, movies, and animated content. Joker, The Batman, and The Penguin are all streaming on Max, as are fan favorites like Batman: The Animated Series and Teen Titans.

Max is also available as a bundle with Hulu and Disney+, which is perfect if you want access to Marvel and DC with one subscription plan. Unfortunately, Max does not currently offer a free trial, but there are ways to get a discount if you’re a student.

Technically, there are more Batman movies than what you’ll see on the list below, including oddities like the 1943 and 1949 theatrical serial, as well as the 1966 movie based on the TV show. To keep things simple, we’ve stuck to the theatrical, live-action Batman films kicked off by Keaton.

How to Watch the Michael Keaton Batman Movies

Tim Burton’s Batman movies, including the film of the same name and its iconic 1992 sequel Batman Returns, which starred Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman) and Danny DeVito (the Penguin), are available to watch online if you have a Max subscription.

How to Watch the Val Kilmer Batman Movie

Val Kilmer’s 1995 Batman Forever, which also stars Jim Carrey as the Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey “Two-Face” Dent, is streaming on Max. Batman Forever was Val Kilmer’s only outing as Batman.

How to Watch the George Clooney Batman Movie

Another one directed by Schumacher, Batman & Robin featured Clooney in the title role, along with Chris O’Donnell (Robin), Alicia Silverstone (Batgirl) Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. Freeze), and Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy). Stream on Max.

How to Watch the Christian Bale Batman Movies

Bale first appeared as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins in 2005. That film, along with The Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises, are all streaming on Max.

How to Watch the Ben Affleck Batman Movies

Ben Affleck donned the cowl in multiple movies, including Suicide Squad and Justice League. He made his debut in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was part of the DC Extended Universe. The DCEU is being rebooted as the DCU, which will be led by James Gunn, who will direct 2025’s Superman. Stream on Max.

How to Watch the Batman Movies in Order

If you want to stream all the available live-action, standalone Batman movies in order, here’s where you can watch (most of) them. From Keaton’s first run as Batman to The Dark Knight featuring Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance as the Joker, here’s where to start. All of these are available to stream on Max unless otherwise noted.

How To Watch Batman Spin-Offs

There are several live-action spin-offs related to Batman, including 2019’s Joker as well as the perhaps best forgotten about Catwoman. The films below, aside from Joker, are part of the DCEU. The Flash features Michael Keaton as Batman, plus some other cameos from past Batman films.