Skip guide · Batman

Which Batman movies can you skip?

Updated October 28, 2026

You can skip 2 of the 26 titles in the Batman franchise and still follow the main story: Batman and The Lego Batman Movie. The essentials (24 titles) take about 218 hours instead of 222 hours.

Skippable
2
Essentials
24
Time saved
3 hours
Open the timeline

Safe to skip

  • Batman1966 · Film · 1h 45m · optionalAdam West's camp classic; its own world.
  • The Lego Batman Movie2017 · Film · 1h 44m · optionalA comedy spin-off; optional.

Why each one is optional

What each skippable title is, what it adds if you do watch it, and who is in it.

Batman poster

No. 01 · 1966 · Film · 1h 45m · optional

Batman

The Dynamic Duo faces four super-villains who plan to hold the world for ransom with the help of a secret invention that instantly dehydrates people.

Why it matters: Adam West's camp classic; its own world.

Director
Leslie H. Martinson
Box office
$4 million on a $1 million budget
Scores
IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 80%
The Lego Batman Movie poster

No. 02 · 2017 · Film · 1h 44m · optional

The Lego Batman Movie

A cooler-than-ever Batman must face the usual villains as the Joker plots a takeover of Gotham City. But when Bruce Wayne accidentally adopts a teenage orphan who wishes to become his sidekick, he’s forced to give up his lone-vigilante ways and learn to work with others.

Why it matters: A comedy spin-off; optional.

Director
Chris McKay
Box office
$312 million on a $80 million budget
Scores
IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 89%

The essentials, in release order

  1. Batman1989 · Film · 2h 6mTim Burton's Batman with Michael Keaton, who returns in The Flash.
  2. Batman Returns1992 · Film · 2h 6mBurton's darker sequel with the Penguin and Catwoman.
  3. Batman: The Animated Series1992 · Series · 31h 10mThe 1992 cartoon many fans call the definitive Batman.
  4. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm1993 · Film · 1h 17mThe animated series' feature film.
  5. Batman Forever1995 · Film · 2h 1mVal Kilmer takes over in the same continuity.
  6. Batman & Robin1997 · Film · 2h 5mGeorge Clooney's turn ends the run.
  7. Batman Beyond1999 · Series · 17h 56mAn old Bruce Wayne trains Terry McGinnis as the new Batman in 2039; continues Batman: The Animated Series.
  8. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker2000 · Film · 1h 17mThe Batman Beyond film: the Joker is back in Neo-Gotham, and a flashback shows his last night with the old Batman family.
  9. The Batman2004 · Series · 23h 50mA younger Bruce in his third year as Batman, with new designs for every villain.
  10. Batman Begins2005 · Film · 2h 20mChristopher Nolan's origin story; starts the Dark Knight trilogy.
  11. The Dark Knight2008 · Film · 2h 32mHeath Ledger's Joker; the trilogy's centrepiece.
  12. Batman: The Brave and the Bold2008 · Series · 23h 46mA lighter, Silver Age-style Batman teaming up with a different DC hero each episode.
  13. Batman: Under the Red Hood2010 · Film · 1h 15mThe second Robin, Jason Todd, returns from the dead as a vigilante who kills.
  14. Batman: Year One2011 · Film · 1h 4mFrank Miller's story of Bruce's first year as Batman and Jim Gordon's first year in Gotham.
  15. The Dark Knight Rises2012 · Film · 2h 45mEnds the Dark Knight trilogy, eight years later.
  16. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 12012 · Film · 1h 16mAn aging Bruce comes out of retirement to fight the Mutant gang.
  17. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 22013 · Film · 1h 18mThe Joker wakes, and the government sends Superman to stop Batman.
  18. Gotham2014 · Series · 72h 55mA prequel series: young Jim Gordon on the Gotham police, and Bruce growing up after his parents' murder.
  19. Batman: The Killing Joke2016 · Film · 1h 17mThe Joker tries to drive Commissioner Gordon mad; based on Alan Moore's comic.
  20. Joker2019 · Film · 2h 2mArthur Fleck's story; stands apart from every Batman continuity.
  21. The Batman2022 · Film · 2h 57mRobert Pattinson's detective Batman in his second year.
  22. Batman: Caped Crusader2024 · Series · 8h 47mBruce Timm's noir Batman in a 1940s-style Gotham.
  23. The Penguin2024 · Series · 7h 47mPicks up a week after The Batman; essential before Part II.
  24. Joker: Folie à Deux2024 · Film · 2h 18mThe sequel to Joker.

Common questions

Do I need to watch every Batman title?

No. You can skip 2 of the 26 titles in the Batman franchise and still follow the main story: Batman and The Lego Batman Movie. The essentials (24 titles) take about 218 hours instead of 222 hours.

How long are the Batman essentials?

About 218 hours for 24 titles, in release order starting with Batman.

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