The First Actor To Play Batman Onscreen (& His Bond Connection)

screenrant.com:

Here's the first actor to play Batman onscreen and his major connection to the James Bond franchise. It appears every actor who takes on the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in a movie is fated to suffer a vocal backlash from fans. Hard as it is to imagine now, Michael Keaton was far from a popular choice when he was announced as the star of Tim Burton's Batman. At the time, Keaton was best known for his comical performances in the likes of Burton's own Beetlejuice, and to some, this was a sign Batman '89  — which scrapped a Robin cameo — would stick to the camp tone of the '60s Batman TV show.

These complaints were silenced when Batman hit screens in 1989, with Keaton bringing a dark, psychological edge to the part. He was also the first to develop the notion that Bruce Wayne and Batman would have distinct voices. In the years that followed, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson would receive similiar feedback when they were cast as Batman in their respective outings. Even the late Heath Ledger's — who delivered one of greatest villain performances of all time as Joker — casting in The Dark Knight was met with some scathing responses.

Related: For Your Eyes Only Contains Roger Moore's Darkest Kill As James Bond

Keaton was far from the first actor to play Batman onscreen, with that particular honor going to Lewis Wilson. He fronted a 15-part film serial, which basically functioned like TV shows, with chapters playing before a given movie and advancing weekly. Wilson fronted 1943'sBatman, where he chased after a Japanese secret agent named Dr. Daka in Gotham City during World War 2. Batman '43 is notable for introducing certain elements that became part of the comic mythos, including the Batcave, but the serial is largely considered