Adam West, the square-jawed actor who played Caped Crusader Batman on television in the 1960s, has died from leukemia. He was 88. West is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. “Our dad always saw himself as The Bright Knight, and aspired to make a positive impact on his fans’ lives. He was and always will be our hero,” his family shared in a statement.
West, who always had tongue planted firmly in cheek as Gotham’s hero, had a difficult career after leaving his iconic TV role. He was offered the part of James Bond by producer Cubby Broccoli for the film Diamonds Are Forever, but West declined believing it should go to a British actor. He had a bit of a career resurgence when he voiced the mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island on Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy. The character was named Adam West.
You always got the sense that even though West understood the comedic, kitsch appeal of Batman, he had the same determinism and aw-shucks charm of the character in his personal life. Sadly, we’re left with a bro-y doofus of a Batman who isn’t nearly as fun as West’s interpretation and infinitely boring.