Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? Because a bunch of guys in Hollywood sure did.

Player Batman, Gotham City’s Favorite Son on the big screen, you need to have thick skin, a square jaw, six-pack abs (not really, the Batsuit will take care of that), and the ability to play both Dark Knight and unmasked rich alter ego Bruce Wayne. With former ‘Twilight’ star Robert Pattinson officially join the club in director Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” (in theaters Friday), it’s a great time to celebrate the pantheon. Who can forget the rampage of Tim Burton’s “Batman” “Batmania” and a hero in Michael Keaton who has no problem becoming physical (“Do you want to go crazy? Come on, let’s go crazy”)? Or Christopher Nolan’s recent trilogy with a tortured Christian Bale?

In honor of a new Caped Crusader arriving to smack pop culture in the face, here’s our definitive ranking of cinematic Batmen over the years.

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9. George Clooney

If only wearing bat nipples was his biggest problem in “Batman & Robin” (1997). Clooney’s take on Bats was surrounded by a terrible Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a terrible Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), a terrible Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) and just a terrible movie. If we’re being honest, though, his hero was far too serious – like Doug Ross dressing up in the ER for Halloween – and he’d probably be a better Bruce Wayne now than he was back then. It’s OK, though; his career went well.

8. Val Kilmer

Like Clooney, he should really get an “incomplete” rating after just one film: 1995’s “Batman Forever,” a colorful play that strays completely from Burton’s darker vibe, but could just as easily be “Citizen Kane.” compared to Clooney’s Bat-flick. Kilmer totally had the chin for the Batman cowl (although he never got the voice quite right), and he wore the Wayne tuxedo well. Then again, anyone would probably have seemed helpful around Jim Carrey’s over-the-top Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face nutcases.

7. Kevin Conroy

For a generation of fans, Conroy has been Batman, voicing the Caped Crusader in the seminal 1990s animated series, then taking his serious tones to the big screen with 1993’s “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.” more than pitting him against a vigilante taking down Gotham’s mob bosses, shows what the versatile Conroy does best, transforming from soft-spoken Bruce to gritty superhero. Also in his favor: he’s never had to deal with bat nipples.

6. Adam West

Who cares if he’s over 50? 1966’s “Batman: The Movie” is still a hoot to watch and gave television’s resident camptastic Caped Crusader a chance to hit the movies with his wonder boy Burt Ward and nearly every villain in the gallery of their thieves. Plus, who else would be so cool to almost get eaten by a shark (thanks, Shark Killer Bat-spray!) and take the time to avoid blowing up a bunch of cute duckies while trying to get away? get rid of a bomb? Now THAT, children, is heroism.

5. Christian Bale

Two things work in its favour. One, the guy a great actor – an Oscar winner, even. But also, Bale is the only guy to have (so far) a full character arc for his Batman in Nolan’s trilogy: “Batman Begins” (2005), “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012). His journey from rookie vigilante to Gotham “villain” and back to hero is epic, though Bale does his hardest work in “Begins.” (“Dark Knight” is all about the The Late Heath Ledger’s Iconic Jokerand the congested “Rises” bring everyone down with multiple villains and a confusing plot to destroy Gotham.)

4. Ben Affleck

The Batfleck on Bale? What?! Perhaps a controversial choice for some, given that his role only lasted three DC Universe films: “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016), “Suicide Squad” (2016) and “Justice League” (2017). However, Affleck has done well to inhabit an older man jaded by the deaths and destruction of his life, but still finds hope and humanity when surrounded by his super-friends. What worked with Affleck was the feeling that Batman and Bruce are the same guy: in a “BvS” scene, he rips off his cowl and goes to work feverishly in the Batcave without bothering to change into, say, a tuxedo jacket or top. -end PCs.

3.Robert Pattinson

The new Batman is a work in progress, by design: it’s all a little tinkering about his second year of crime-fighting Gotham and meeting Riddler (Paul Dano), Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) and Penguin (Colin Farrell) for the first time. Pattinson’s hero is one of the most emotionally engaged Batmen, as he’s forced to manage his deceased parents’ legacy – and therefore his own – in a city deeply poisoned by murder and corruption. He’s the best detective of the bunch, dreamy in the My Chemical Romance genre, and a little off-balance (which is what you like to see in a Dark Knight), though his Bruce Wayne could use some polish. Something to work on for “The Batman 2”.

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2. Will Arnett

Who needs a Bat-bod when the voice is macho perfection? d’Arnett Animated Lego Batman made appearances in 2014’s “The Lego Movie” and its sequel 2019but he really rocked in”The Lego Batman Movie” (2017). It’s the rare Batman movie that understands its flawed core, it’s a complicated loner and a burning mess that often can’t stray from its own path long enough for the greater good. The booming voice of Arnett’s guy-in-law does wonders at first, but later reveals the warm-hearted guy who yearns for a family.

1.Michael Keaton

Burton’s “Batman” and “Batman Returns” three years later not only did wonders for the pop culture figure, but also gave the generation who grew up with those films their Dark Knight. Keaton looked extraordinarily cool in his Batmobile and was tackled (but never upstaged) by Jack Nicholson’s goofy Joker and Michelle Pfeiffer’s. Catwoman purrs. And as Bruce Wayne, Keaton brought a dash of madness to Batman’s alter ego, enough where you think, “Sure, THIS GUY is going to dress up as a bat and go crime-fighting.”