FBMR - Batman Chronological Order

Many choices had to be made, and it started off as one list and has evolved as I have worked my way through watching them all.

Film by film and series by series, I will explain why I have each where they fit.

The Pennyworth series is a no-brainer. It begins this list because chronologically, this is Alfred's origin story and the story of how he came to meet Thomas and Martha Wayne before Bruce was born. Even if there is no Batman in this series, it's important to the back story.

Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is next because in terms of timeline, Thomas and Martha Wayne are still alive. The big question is whether or not Arthur Fleck is the "real" Joker. It doesn't really matter, but for this list, I would argue that he isn't. But his antics could prove to inspire future characters to don this Joker persona.

The Gotham series is also pretty straight-forward in terms of chronology because it is the origin story of Jim Gordon, but also focuses very heavily on the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne and the aftermath it has for young Bruce Wayne. Alfred also plays a very important role. And featured throughout are many, many characters, especially villains, that will also be seen later on in the films. And the characterizations of these villains are also quite different than how that are portrayed in the films. The second-to-last episode of the series has Bruce leaving Gotham, likely to "find himself" and the last episode of the whole series flashes forward 10 years where he has returned and has donned the Batman uniform and persona.

Batman Begins I place between the second-to-last episode of Gotham and its series finale mainly because the film opens with an older Bruce Wayne in a foreign country "finding himself". Chronologically and logically, it fits. This is where the first of many inconsistencies require the suspension of disbelief. Ra's Al Ghul was featured in the Gotham series and also in Batman Begins, but their storylines are quite different. Carmine Falcone is also in both and here is an instance of death being merely a suggestion. Which could make sense since characters die (or are presumed dead) in Gotham, yet often come back ... sometimes more than once or even twice. Another inconsistency is Jim Gordon's rank.

Now comes the final episode of the Gotham series where Bruce has returned to Gotham City. We see him also having returned in Batman Begins, cavorting and gallivanting, yet in the Gotham finale, Bruce misses meetings and appointments, almost like he's hiding. But we see a very shadowy Batman character helping to fight crime.

Batman, starring Michael Keaton, seems to find Bruce Wayne more settled down, but Batman is still fairly new to the villains of Gotham City. Jack Nicholson, of course, plays Jack Napier who becomes the Joker (or at the very least, an iteration of a Joker character). This Joker falls and dies at the end of the movie, suggesting that he is either not the "real" Joker or that other Jokers (played by Heath Ledger and Jared Leto) have simply been inspired by him ... or even Arthur Fleck's Joker. Or maybe he isn't really dead at all, because ... you know: soap operas.

The Batman is the newest version of the Caped Crusader, starring Robert Pattinson. It hasn't been released yet, so I'm not sure where it would fit, yet. I've placed it here because the cast includes Oswald Cobblepot, who will later die in Batman Returns.

Batman Returns shows us a very different Selina Kyle to the character portrayed in Gotham, same with Penguin. Also, Batman is still without a partner, and there are a couple of references to the earlier Batman film.

The Dark Knight is placed here because Batman is still on his own, and there are some references to Batman Begins. This portrayal of the Joker might be the "real" Joker (or not, it doesn't really matter). He doesn't have any other name in this film. He is Joker at the beginning of the film and Joker at the end. No origin story.

Batman Forever introduces us to Dick Grayson who becomes Robin, Batman's side kick. Though Harvey Dent dies in The Dark Knight, he's back in this film. Again ... death is merely a suggestion. Somehow, maybe he didn't really die in The Dark Knight.

Batman & Robin continues the story arc of Dick Grayson, as he continues to try to prove to Batman his worth, but seems to fail to get Bruce Wayne to truly trust him. It makes sense that he would then leave and go off on his own. And that's where it makes sense to place Episode 1 or Season 1 of Titans immediately after Batman & Robin.

The Dark Knight Rises features Bane who had a smaller role, but survived, in Batman & Robin. Selina Kyle returns as Catwoman, she has nine lives. Batman is on his own again, Dick Grayson having moved on to become a police officer in Detroit.

The rest of the Titans series (Season 1 and 2, so far) fit nicely here. Bruce Wayne is mentioned several times and even makes a few guest appearances.

Batman v Superman hints that the Joker has killed Robin, but not the Dick Grayson Robin ... the Jason Todd Robin. Jason Todd has been alive and kicking in Titans.

Suicide Squad, I'm including this because Batman is referenced, and makes a very minor cameo, but also because Joker mentions that he killed Robin (Jason Todd).

Justice League is next, following the events of Batman v Superman.

The Flash film hasn't been released yet, either, but Bruce Wayne/Batman is supposed to figure somewhat prominently, portrayed by both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. That will be interesting.


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Batman Films and TV Series Chronological Order HOW TO WATCH THE BATMAN FILMS AND TV SERIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER A detailed, comprehensive and CREATIVE chronological viewing order. Updated March 15, 2022 Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, Christopher Nolan, Bruce Heller, Zack Snyder, Matt Reeves. If these all of these names mean nothing to you, then you don’t know Batman. The following is a valiant attempt to devise a logical chronological through-line of the Batman films and live-action TV series. Most certainly there will be continuity issues, but I’m trying to find a super cool way in which to watch all of the Modern Era Batman films and live-action TV series in a chronological order. I am basing many of my choices around character appearances, character age, character importance, and character deaths. Will any characters transcend their demise or come back from the dead? Perhaps. If you’ve ever watched a daytime soap-opera you know that death is merely a suggestion. Will there be continuity issues? Most definitely. Especially regarding timelines of when various characters meet each other for the first time. Please suspend your disbelief, you may find it enjoyable. Much research has gone into this list, though it is currently a work-in-progress. I just started the Titans series. As I work my way through, tweaks may need to be made, and as new films or TV series are released, this list will be updated to be as current as possible. Here is a creative cross-vision through-line Batman chronological viewing order: Pennyworth (series) Joker Gotham (series) Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot to S2E11 Rise of the Villains: Worse Than a Crime Gothan Stories (can be found on YouTube) Gotham (series) S2E12 Wrath of the Villains: Mr. Freeze to S5E11 Legend of the Dark Knight: They Did What? Batman Begins Gotham (series) S5E12: Legends of the Dark Knight: The Beginning Batman The Batman Batman Returns The Dark Knight Batman Forever Batman & Robin Titans (series) S2E04: Aqualad S2E08: Jericho S1E01: Titans to S1E11: Dick Grayson S2E06: Connor S2E01: Trigon to S2E03: Ghosts S2E05: Deathstroke S2E07: Bruce Wayne S2E09: Atonement to S2E13: Nightwing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Suicide Squad Justice League The Flash (film) (projected, not yet released) The Dark Knight Rises
"The How and The Why" (contains some spoilers) Many choices had to be made, and it started off as one list and has evolved as I have worked my way through watching them all. Film by film and series by series, I will explain why I have each where they fit. The Pennyworth series is a no-brainer. It begins this list because chronologically, this is Alfred's origin story and the story of how he came to meet Thomas and Martha Wayne before Bruce was born. Even if there is no Batman in this series, it's important to the back story. Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is next because in terms of timeline, Thomas and Martha Wayne are still alive. The big question is whether or not Arthur Fleck is the "real" Joker. It doesn't really matter, but for this list, I would argue that he isn't. But his antics could prove to inspire future characters to don this Joker persona. The Gotham series is also pretty straight-forward in terms of chronology because it is the origin story of Jim Gordon, but also focuses very heavily on the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne and the aftermath it has for young Bruce Wayne. Alfred also plays a very important role. And featured throughout are many, many characters, especially villains, that will also be seen later on in the films. And the characterizations of these villains are also quite different than how that are portrayed in the films. The second-to-last episode of the series has Bruce leaving Gotham, likely to "find himself" and the last episode of the whole series flashes forward 10 years where he has returned and has donned the Batman uniform and persona. Batman Begins I place between the second-to-last episode of Gotham and its series finale mainly because the film opens with an older Bruce Wayne in a foreign country "finding himself". Chronologically and logically, it fits. This is where the first of many inconsistencies require the suspension of disbelief. Ra's Al Ghul was featured in the Gotham series and also in Batman Begins, but their storylines are quite different. Carmine Falcone is also in both and here is an instance of death being merely a suggestion. Which could make sense since characters die (or are presumed dead) in Gotham, yet often come back ... sometimes more than once or even twice. Another inconsistency is Jim Gordon's rank. Now comes the final episode of the Gotham series where Bruce has returned to Gotham City. We see him also having returned in Batman Begins, cavorting and gallivanting, yet in the Gotham finale, Bruce misses meetings and appointments, almost like he's hiding. But we see a very shadowy Batman character helping to fight crime. Batman, starring Michael Keaton, seems to find Bruce Wayne more settled down, but Batman is still fairly new to the villains of Gotham City. Jack Nicholson, of course, plays Jack Napier who becomes the Joker (or at the very least, an iteration of a Joker character). This Joker falls and dies at the end of the movie, suggesting that he is either not the "real" Joker or that other Jokers (played by Heath Ledger and Jared Leto) have simply been inspired by him ... or even Arthur Fleck's Joker. Or maybe he isn't really dead at all, because ... you know: soap operas. The Batman is the newest version of the Caped Crusader, starring Robert Pattinson. It hasn't been released yet, so I'm not sure where it would fit, yet. I've placed it here because the cast includes Oswald Cobblepot, who will later die in Batman Returns. Batman Returns shows us a very different Selina Kyle to the character portrayed in Gotham, same with Penguin. Also, Batman is still without a partner, and there are a couple of references to the earlier Batman film. The Dark Knight is placed here because Batman is still on his own, and there are some references to Batman Begins. This portrayal of the Joker might be the "real" Joker (or not, it doesn't really matter). He doesn't have any other name in this film. He is Joker at the beginning of the film and Joker at the end. No origin story. Batman Forever introduces us to Dick Grayson who becomes Robin, Batman's side kick. Though Harvey Dent dies in The Dark Knight, he's back in this film. Again ... death is merely a suggestion. Somehow, maybe he didn't really die in The Dark Knight. Batman & Robin continues the story arc of Dick Grayson, as he continues to try to prove to Batman his worth, but seems to fail to get Bruce Wayne to truly trust him. It makes sense that he would then leave and go off on his own. And that's where it makes sense to place Episode 1 or Season 1 of Titans immediately after Batman & Robin. The Dark Knight Rises features Bane who had a smaller role, but survived, in Batman & Robin. Selina Kyle returns as Catwoman, she has nine lives. Batman is on his own again, Dick Grayson having moved on to become a police officer in Detroit. The rest of the Titans series (Season 1 and 2, so far) fit nicely here. Bruce Wayne is mentioned several times and even makes a few guest appearances. Batman v Superman hints that the Joker has killed Robin, but not the Dick Grayson Robin ... the Jason Todd Robin. Jason Todd has been alive and kicking in Titans. Suicide Squad, I'm including this because Batman is referenced, and makes a very minor cameo, but also because Joker mentions that he killed Robin (Jason Todd). Justice League is next, following the events of Batman v Superman. The Flash film hasn't been released yet, either, but Bruce Wayne/Batman is supposed to figure somewhat prominently, portrayed by both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. That will be interesting.