No superhero can generate the same excitement on the big screen quite like Batman. Fans of 1989's 'Batman' and 1992's 'Batman Returns' couldn't quite believe their eyes when they saw the new trailer for 'The Flash' which sees Michael Keaton return in the cape and cowl to save the world. But Batman wouldn't be quite so interesting if he didn't such an eclectic Rogues Gallery to save Gotham City from. The Joker, Penguin, Catwoman and Riddler, among others, have all faced off against The Caped Crus

Jack Nicholson played The Joker in the 1989 ‘Batman’ film, which was directed by Tim Burton and starred Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader. Nicholson's portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime Jack was praised by critics and audiences alike and earned him a Golden Globe nomination. The movie started the age of the superhero blockbuster.

Danny DeVito took on the role of the Penguin, the main antagonist in Tim Burton's 1992 sequel 'Batman Returns'. Batman alumni Jack Nicholson urged Danny to take on the role following the success of his own film. Differing from the comic book incarnation of the character, DeVito's Penguin was shown to be physically deformed with flippers as hands and a beak-like nose as opposed to a gangster who took on the moniker.

Michelle Pfeiffer brought the fighting feline Catwoman to life in Tim Burton’s 1992 sequel ‘Batman Returns' opposite Danny DeVito as Penguin and Michael Keaton as Batman The PVC catsuit seen in the film was practically a second skin, being vacuum sealed during takes to keep it air-tight. Each costume cost around $1,000 and Michelle had over 50 suits during the filming process. She still owns the whip to this day!

Jim Carrey portrayed the Riddler in Joel Schumacher's 1995 film ‘Batman Forever', which saw Val Kilmer get the keys to the Batmobile. Jim took a very hands on approach with the role, playing a large part in his character’s costuming choices. Jim originally wanted to shave a question mark into his head, but was unable to due to an upcoming court appearance.

Tommy Lee Jones played the split-personality menace Two Face in 1995’s ‘Batman Forever' alongside Jim Carrey as the Riddler. Tommy accepted the role of the infamous villain because it was one of his son’s favourite characters. His prosthetic makeup for the role took hours to apply every day for his scenes fighting Val Kilmer's Batman.

Uma Thurman brought venomous villain Poison Ivy to the big screen in 1997 film ‘Batman and Robin,’ which was also directed by Joel Schumacher and starred George Clooney as The Caped Crusader. In a recent interview with PEOPLE magazine, Uma opened up on playing the character and the costuming and make-up involved. She said: "I had to wear lots of rubber suits … I had some rubber appliances on my face sometimes. That was about as much rubber as I’ve ever worked with, personally." While the film got a lot of negative feedback, Uma stated that filming was "a fantastic experience".

Arnold Schwarzenegger took on the role as the cold culprit Mr. Freeze in ‘Batman and Robin’, joining Uma Thurman to take on the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. Action legend Schwarzenegger banked around $25 million for his 30 minutes of screen time. Arnold was struggling with his health while filming and has heart surgery soon after wrapping the film.

Heath Ledger brought The Joker back to cinema screens in the 2008 film ‘The Dark Knight,’ directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Batman. Prior to filming, Heath spent almost two months in a motel room getting into the psychology of the character. The Joker was Heath’s final on-screen role due to his tragic passing in January of 2008. He won a posthumous Best Actor Oscar for his performance. The sequel is considered by many to be the greatest superhero film ever made.

Tom Hardy took on the alter ego of Bane in Christopher Nolan’s 2012 sequel ‘The Dark Knight Rises'. During the filming process, Tom said that the hardest scenes to film were the fighting sequences because it felt like he was "beating up my childhood hero". Tom put on 30 pounds of muscle for the role and had to have his tattoos covered by heavy makeup every-day on set. Hardy has the distinction of being one of only a few actors to have starred in a DC Comics film and a Marvel franchise due to his starring role in the 'Venom' films.

The 2022 film 'The Batman', directed by Matt Reeves, gave film fans the bleakest Dark Knight story yet. Paul Dano's portrayal of the Riddler depicted the character as a loner who takes his revenge on the corrupt figures who control Gotham City. His murders lead to Batman having to solve his riddles in order to unmask the villain and put an end to his crimes.