This is a big one, isn’t it? Well, I think I’ve picked an actor that can play both aspects of the character perfectly.
Errol Flynn (IMDB Link)
The Batman is really two separate characters: Bruce Wayne and Batman. The public Bruce is the quintessential trust fund baby, everything was handed to him without any effort. He lives a life of comfort filled with wine, women and song. Can Errol play this part? Well, the guy did play Don Juan! Ever heard the expression “in like Flynn“? Yup, same guy. It’s not hard to imagine Errol Flynn cavorting with Gotham’s finest ladies. The private Bruce is a different story. He is a focused man nothing like the character he plays in public. He has a close fatherly relationship with Alfred and acts like a parent to his adopted sons. Flynn has the acting chops to pull off both facets of the Bruce Wayne character.
The Batman is a non-super-powered hero who spends his nights jumping from rooftop to rooftop hunting down criminals. One of young Bruce’s heroes growing up was Zorro which is a movie character much like the ones Errol played. Playing Batman would not be difficult for an actor that played both Captain Blood and Robin Hood. One could easily imagine a young Bruce watching and being influenced by Errol’s films.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) (IMDB Link)
The Sea Hawk (1940) (IMDB Link)
Adventures of Don Juan (1948) (IMDB Link)