Batman v Superman: Six of the best portrayals of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel

The blockbusting movie also features Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman.

Oscar-winning British actor Jeremy Irons plays Batman’s butler Alfred, while Man Of Steel’s Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane resume the roles they played in 2013.

As Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor, Jesse Eisenberg is sure to catch the eye.

Jersey-born Henry was praised for his portrayal in Man Of Steel, but while everyone waits to see how Ben performs, here are three of the best screen Batmans and Supermans.

Christopher Reeve

The late actor won worldwide fame and acclaim as the Man of Steel in four films from 1978 to 1987. He starred in Superman, Superman II, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, for which he received a story credit.

Tall, chiselled and athletic, his Superman embodied the old catchphrase of “Truth, justice and the American way”. The actor also switched effortlessly between comedic moments and the more dramatical ones.

To say he remains the definitive Superman for an entire generation (or more), is putting it mildly.

Sadly, Christopher was paralysed from the neck down in 1995 after a horse riding accident. He died nine years later.

Tom Welling

E4 import Smallville was the story of a young Clark Kent and his journey to becoming the Man of Steel. Starring the very attractive American actor, it captivated audiences for a decade until the show ended in 2011.

Tom proved he was a Clark Kent for the new millennium and it was largely down to his convincing portrayal that Smallville became a big success on both sides of the Atlantic. It had one of the longest runs of any comic book-based series.

The show also boasted Christopher Reeve, who had praised Tom’s performance, as Dr Virgil Swann.

Dean Cain

Who remembers Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman? Viewers of Channel 4′s The Jump will be well aware that American actor Dean donned the famous red cape for the popular 1990s TV series.

Before she became a desperate housewife in the US hit Desperate Housewives, Teri Hatcher first gained popularity as Lois Lane in this contemporary spin on the comic book character.

Dean’s Superman was morally upright (of course), with a nice sense of humour, but he was also surprisingly sexy.

The producers of this romantically driven show knew which side their bread was buttered on and they didn’t hesitate to draw out the will they/won’t they relationship between Lois and Clark.

When they finally became man and wife, things got pretty steamy in the bedroom.

Christian Bale

After George Clooney, by his own admission, nearly killed the Batman franchise with his lamentable Batman & Robin movie, it fell to the British actor to revive the fortunes of the DC hero on film.

It is a huge testament to Christian’s acting skills that he convincingly pulled off the ruthless Dark Knight, as envisioned by film-maker Christopher Nolan, in an impressive trilogy beginning with Batman Begins in 2005.

The Dark Knight followed in 2008, with The Dark Knight Rises arriving four years later.

In the 42 year old’s hands, the flip side of handsome millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne is a vengeful vigilante of flesh and blood and raspy voice. He’s a bona fide American psycho – and fans of Christian’s 2000 movie will appreciate that play on words.

Michael Keaton

If you were around at the time, you’ll recall exactly how surprised everyone was when Beetlejuice actor Michael was announced as the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s Batman.

However, the producers got it right because the 1989 movie, and its 1992 sequel Batman Returns, did a great deal to banish memories of the campy, Bat-dancing Batman immortalised by Adam West in the 1960s television series. Holy dark and twisted Batman, Tim!

This Batman marked the first time many fans had ever seen the DC hero played on film as a tortured law enforcer who was haunted by what had happened to his parents.

Yes, he wants to help the people of Gotham City, but he also wants to kick butt. And Michael can take a large dollop of the credit for his searing performance which put Batman on the road to where he is today in Batman v Superman.

Kevin Conroy

Who? Only the actor who lent his voice to one of the best portrayals of Batman you are ever likely to see on the screen. Best known for the 1990s television show Batman: The Animated Series, Kevin has also voiced the video games.

His dark and brooding Batman was often pitted against The Joker, who was so memorably voiced by Star Wars’ Mark Hamill.

If you missed out the first time around, try and watch Batman: The Animated Series. There is a reason this highly stylised and intelligently scripted show has consistently been voted one of the greatest animated television series ever, often finishing second to The Simpsons.