Adam West, who's best known for his iconic role as the titular protagonist in the 1960s television series Batman, died on Friday, June 9 in Los Angeles. The actor was 88-years-old at the time of his death and was suffering from leukemia, his representative confirmed to Variety. It is unclear when West was diagnosed with the disease, but his battle with leukemia was a short one, according to the rep. West's family has now released a statement in which they referred to the actor as "the Bright Knight," a clear allusion to one of Batman's well-known epithets, the Dark Knight.

"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," read the statement.

Adam West's Batman will be remembered for his uniqueness

Compared to the dark and gritty film and TV adaptations of the popular DC hero in more recent times, West's portrayal of Batman was much more family-friendly, cartoonish and comical. In fact, the campy and somewhat goofy characteristics of West's Batman is why the actor has become so loved by fans. And even after nearly half a century after the show's cancellation in 1968, West remains a pop cultural icon and is fondly remembered for his role in the 1960s television show.

What's more, West returned as Batman in the 2016 animated superhero film Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, in which he lent his voice to the Dark Knight.

In this film, West was further joined by two original cast members of the 1960s Batman series, namely Burt Ward and Julie Newmar who played Robin and Catwoman respectively.

Even his social media profile pages are filled with posts and images related to his time as Batman. West also appeared in numerous comic conventions over the years to meet up with his legion of fans.

His last post on the official Adam West Facebook page was uploaded on April 28 and shows the actor alongside Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, commonly known as Woz, at the San Jose Comic Con.

However, West's portrayal of Batman also took its toll on the actor's career. After the cancellation of the television series, which lasted merely two years, the actor had difficulties finding new acting gigs, as he had grown inseparable with his role as Batman and was often typecasted by studios as a result.

West eventually turned to voice acting and even featured on Seth MacFarlane's massively popular animated sitcom, Family Guy, in which he had a recurring role. In this show, West voiced the mayor of Quahog, who was ironically named Adam West as well.

Stars pay tribute to West on social media

Regardless, his role as the Caped Crusader has certainly cemented his status as a pop cultural legend. Shortly after his death was announced, numerous celebrities took to social media to pay tribute to West. His family also paid homage to the actor on Twitter and Facebook.

Director Kevin Smith, who is a self-proclaimed comic book nerd and even directed several episodes of the television series Flash, also posted a heartfelt message in honor of West on his Facebook page.

In his post, Smith declared his love for West and said that his portrayal of Batman made the 46-year-old want to be "a good person when [he] was a boy."

"Off to Superhero Heaven you go, where all your rascally rogues are ready to see you again! Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed. Heart to broken," wrote Smith.

Direct Edgar Wright, actor Kumail Nanjiani, Michael McKean, and Star Wars icon Mark Hamill also took to Twitter to pay their last respects to West.

Our thoughts are with West's family during this time of sorrow.
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