When news broke that Ben Affleck would no longer be directing the next stand-alone Batman movie, fans were left wondering what would become of the caped crusader in DC’s extended universe. As we await news on the future of the Batman franchise, Jon Schnepp with Collider Crash Course takes you back through the dark knight’s long history of film appearances.

The Caped Crusader has had a long and exciting career. And while Batman is well known to be one of the greatest comic book superheroes of all time, he’s also had many great film adaptations. Whether it’s live action or animated, Batman remains an iconic superhero of our time. In a new episode of Collider Crash Course, Jon Schnepp breaks down the history of Batman in film, from the colorful Adam West version in 1966, all the way up through Tim Burton‘s revolutionary 1989 film and beyond. The Caped Crusader has gone through various onscreen iterations just in the last decade, so we break down how each one broke new ground, cribbed from different comics, or reinvented the comic book movie genre anew via Christopher Nolan‘s Batman Begins. We also dive into the Batman movies that never got made, as studios tried to develop a follow-up to the '66 Batman with ideas that would have seen the Dark Knight venture into outer space.

Crash Course is a weekly series that takes the viewers to school, breaking down and discussing the many elements that go into a films history or a specific property that many may not be aware of. Whether it’s in a galaxy far, far away or part of the many superhero cinematic universes, Crash Course assures the viewers will be fully educated before the next big movie release.

Be sure to check out every episode of Crash Course, Sundays at 8:00 AM PST.