New Poll Reveals America’s Favorite Batman Actor

The debate around “Who’s the Best Batman?” has been a hotly-contested one over the years, especially after Ben Affleck played the character in 2016. Five different actors have taken on the role in the modern era, and of course every fan has their own pick as to who the best of the bunch actually is. Opinions are one thing, but numbers are another, and the numbers point to one Batman actor over all the rest. Christian Bale is America’s favorite Batman.

The Hollywood Reporter and Morning Consult recent conducted a new poll to ask fans about the various Batman actors, trying to figure out which one was most widely-liked amongst fans. Bale came out on top of the pole, narrowly beating out Michael Keaton, though some will argue that the direction of Christopher Nolan is what makes Bale a great Dark Knight.

39% of people surveyed gave Bale a “very favorable” rating as Batman. Keaton came in just a hair below that, with a 38% “very favorable” score. The big surprise here is that George Clooney came in third, with 19%, followed by Ben Affleck at 18% and Val Kilmer at 17%. (Remember, these percentages are based on how many people rated the actor “very favorable,” so the numbers won’t add up to 100.)

The next actor to take on the cowl will be Robert Pattinson, and the poll found that fans under 30 prefer him to the man that he beat out to get the job, Nichoas Hoult. However, older audiences seem to like Hoult just a little bit better.

This poll also asked fans about the actors who have played Catwoman and Joker over the years. In a shocking turn of events, Halle Berry was voted the best Catwoman actress, with a 42% “very favorable” score. Michelle Pfeiffer is just behind her with 41%, and Anne Hathaway brings up the rear with 26%.

The results for Best Joker are far less surprising. Heath Ledger received a whopping 60% “very favorable” score. Jack Nicholson received a 58% score, but Jared Leto only managed 18%.

Which Batman actor is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!