I genuinely can’t believe that I’m only now connecting the dots about how Adam West’s Batman has his own movie trilogy. Despite first appearing back in the 1960s, Adam West’s Batman remains one of the most popular iterations of the character of all time.

While Adam West wasn’t the first person to pick up the cowl, he was potentially the first one to gain so much success in the role. And in addition to an incredibly popular TV run, West even starred in a Batman movie that would unwittingly lead to one of the more unique superhero trilogies ever made.

Adam West’s 60s Batman Movie Is One Of The First Big Dark Knight Films

Batman: The Movie Shaped The Future Of Comic Book Movies

In 1966, Adam West crashed on to television screens in glorious technicolor alongside his fateful companion, Robin, played by Burt Ward. And while the series gained modest success, it wasn’t until the release of Batman: The Movie, which came out at the end of the first season, that it really took off.

While it looks very different to modern Batman films, this colorful, campy, and over-the-top approach to comic book movies was on trend. And the movie managed to elevate the series to legendary status, and assure the future of the show for another two seasons.

Adam West’s 60s Batman Movie Has Two 2010s Successors

Adam West Returned To Star In Batman: The Movie’s Sequels

And while the show released an incredible 120 episodes between 1966 and 1968, the series was retired after that point. But that wasn’t the end of West’s relationship with the character as he would return in various formats and cameos down the years.

But while some of these roles just used West for his iconic voice and association with the character, there are two movies that serve as direct sequels to the original TV series and the first movie.

In 2016, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusader reunited much of the cast from the original series, including West and Burt Ward, before the trilogy is rounded out in 2017 with Batman Vs Two-Face.

Why The Two Newer Batman Movies Are Far Less Well-Known

Animated Batman Movies Get Less Attention

While these movies are expansions of one of the most beloved iterations of Batman, the animated movies have managed to slip under the radar to some degree. For one, the films are animated, which automatically causes a large part of the fanbase to immediately deem it as less important than live-action.

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10 Animated Batman Movies That Desperately Need Live-Action Adaptations, Ranked

The animated Batman movies are a gold mine for stories using the Caped Crusader that the live-action DC movies should really take inspiration from.

But beyond that, the movies came out 50 years after the original series. No matter how beloved the show is, this is a long time to go without the story being continued. A sequel that tries to revisit a story from half a century earlier is always going to be fighting an uphill battle.

And finally, the movies didn’t get a theatrical release, which means the marketing around them was also much less pronounced. Despite this, the trilogy is an extremely enjoyable and nostalgic ride for any fans of Adam West’s Batman.