The Evolution of Batman's Big-Screen Villains

By Rick Marshall

For every memorable superhero, there's a long line of villains ready to take him (or her) down, and Batman is no exception. Over the years, Gotham's favorite vigilante has amassed an impressive rogue’s gallery that ranks among the best in comics. With the arrival of The Dark Knight Rises, two more characters from Batman's list of foes were added to the character's big-screen canon, with Bane and Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman. We've assembled a gallery of Batman's big-screen foes over the years in chronological order from 1966's Batman: The Movie to TDKR.
Lee Meriwether as Catwoman

For this 1966 feature film based on the campy Batman television series, Lee Meriwether replaced Julie Newmar in the role of Catwoman. The feline-friendly felon was the only one of Batman's TV rogues gallery to be played by a different person in the film.
Cesar Romero as TheJoker

Cesar Romero reprised his role as The Joker for Batman: The Movie, bringing his trademark maniacal laugh and ever-present grin from the television to the big screen.
Burgess Meredith as The Penguin

Before he was Rocky's trainer, Burgess Meredith played the umbrella-wielding villain known as The Penguin in the feature-length film based on the Batman television series.
Frank Gorshin as The Riddler

Noted comedian Frank Gorshin was the first actor to bring The Riddler to the big screen, and was joined by the rest of Batman's rogues gallery from the popular television series.
Jack Nicholson as The Joker

When Tim Burton brought Batman back to the big screen in 1989, Jack Nicholson gave a memorable performance as the Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, and posed the question: Where does he get those wonderful toys?
Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman

Batman Returns, the 1992 sequel to Tim Burton's Batman, cast Michelle Pfeiffer in a skin-tight, vinyl jumpsuit that made her a purr-fect Catwoman.
Danny DeVito as The Penguin

Tim Burton's take on The Penguin had Danny DeVito playing a much darker, creepier version of the character Burgess Meredith first brought to the big screen, complete with pale skin and a protruding, beak-like nose.
Mark Hamill as The Joker

In 1993's critically praised animated movie Mask of the Phantasm, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill voiced The Joker -- a character he continues to voice in numerous television series and video games to this day.
Jim Carrey as The Riddler

Joel Schumacher took over directing duties on the Batman franchise with 1995's Batman Forever, which cast funnyman Jim Carrey as The Riddler, complete with spandex green suit and question-mark cane.
Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face

While it probably isn't one of the roles he's most proud of, Tommy Lee Jones took on the role of Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face, for Joel Schumacher's first Batman film. It was the character's first appearance in a feature-length, theatrical release.
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze

Veteran tough-guy actor Arnold Schwarzenegger played the temperature-sensitive villain Mr. Freeze in the much-maligned 1997 film Batman & Robin, which proved to be the last film in the 1990s Batman franchise.
Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy

Uma Thurman donned a spandex costume as flora-friendly villain Poison Ivy for the final, over-crowded Batman film of the '90s, which saw her team up with Arnold Schwarzenegger (as Mr. Freeze) to take on Batman, Robin, and a new addition to the team, Batgirl.
Jeep Swenson as Bane

He might not have been a major character in 1997's Batman & Robin, but Jeep Swenson's turn as Bane pre-dates Tom Hardy's upcoming debut as the villain who "broke the Bat" in the comics world.
Liam Neeson as Ra's al Ghul

When Christopher Nolan set out to reboot the Batman franchise, he brought on Liam Neeson to play the debut film's villain, the mysterious Ra's al Ghul, Bruce Wayne's former mentor. His performance left very few questions as to why The Joker was left out of Batman Begins.
Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow

While not the main villain in 2005's Batman Begins, Cillian Murphy's take on Dr. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. The Scarecrow, was memorable for the nightmarish image of the burlap-sack mask he donned to further terrify his victims.
Heath Ledger as The Joker

Heath Ledger's unforgettable performance as The Joker in 2008's blockbuster sequel The Dark Knight earned him a posthumous Oscar as the year's Best Supporting Actor. It was one of his last roles before his untimely death.
Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face

Despite being overshadowed by Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance as The Joker, Aaron Eckhart offered up a memorable take on the tragic origin story of Batman's greatest ally-turned-enemy, Two-Face.
Tom Hardy as Bane

We have yet to see Tom Hardy's debut as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, but it's an understatement to say that expectations are sky-high for Christopher Nolan's third and final Batman film. Hardy seems to be shouldering the pressure, though, and giving the character a more complex mix of brains and brawn for Batman's final brawl under Nolan.
Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (Catwoman)

It's still uncertain whether Selina "Catwoman" Kyle will be a friend or enemy to Bruce Wayne in the final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise, but Anne Hathaway appears to be taking to the role nicely. If nothing else, it's clear that Catwoman's affinity for form-fitting fashion has made a successful transition to Nolan's Bat-verse.
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