Throughout the long history of superhero adaptations, there have been a few characters that have endured through constant reboots and retooling. Chief among them is Batman; The Dark Knight has been portrayed by several actors. One of the most prolific is Michael Keatonwho played Bruce Wayne in Tim BurtonX Batman And Batman Returns. Keaton will soon vacate the role, with Val Kilmer standing up for Joel Schumacher-helmet Batman forever. But what exactly made Keaton leave the role?
Michael Keaton and Joel Schumacher fight over Bruce Wayne
Michael Keaton spoke about his departure from Gotham City on the Playlist Backstage podcast and said that disagreements with Schumacher over the characterization of Bruce Wayne led to his departure. “It has always been Bruce Wayne. It was never Batman… I knew from the beginning that it was Bruce Wayne,” said Keaton. “He asked me, ‘I don’t understand why everything has to be so dark and everything is so sad,’ and I said, ‘Wait a minute, do you know how this guy became Batman? You read… I mean, it’s pretty simple.”
While Michael Keaton said he didn’t mean Joel Schumacher any harm, it’s easy to see where their views on the characters differed. In the Burton films, Bruce Wayne was portrayed as a psychologically exhausted recluse - he slept upside down and spent his nights in thought in the Batcave. The same sense of darkness extended to Gotham City itself; it was a neo-gothic nightmare shrouded in shadows and populated by monstrous criminals such as Jack NicholsonJoker and Danny DeVitoPenguin.
Schumacher went in the opposite direction. Batman forever and its continuation Batman and Robin. Shaft Kilmer’s Batman had a dry mind; his very first line Forever says: “I’ll go by car” when his faithful butler Alfred (Michael Gough) asks him if he is going to eat anything. But he also struggles with psychological issues. In fact, the key plot thread throughout Forever makes Bruce question if he can continue his double life, especially when orphan Dick Grayson (Chris O’Donnell) and psychiatrist Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman) enter its orbit. This goes against the aesthetic that Schumacher brings to Forever, as Gotham is now a carnival ride in the city’s neon colors, and much of the dialogue is filled with shocking puns. While this is a remarkably accurate homage to Silver Age Batman comics, it’s not hard to see what turned Keaton off.
Val Kilmer turned down the role of Batman
Ironically, the Joker would probably appreciate that Val Kilmer himself turned down the role of Batman. Much of this had to do with feeling undervalued; most of the draw Forever was due to excellent performances Tommy Lee Jones like two-faced and Jim carrey like the Riddler. Add to that a visit from Warren Buffett’s family, who was more interested in touring the set than Kilmer himself, and a conflict with Schumacher, and the seeds for Kilmer were sown to hang Batman’s cape.
But the biggest irony is that Kilmer felt he was not special. “That’s why it’s so easy to have five or six Batmans. It’s not about Batman. There is no Batman,” he said, referring to the Buffets’ visit to the set. This directly contradicted Keaton’s view that Batman and Bruce Wayne were two different people, but it’s pretty clear that they both had issues with Schumacher’s attitude towards the Caped Crusader. This sentiment was shared by many moviegoers as well as Batman fans; despite Forever be commercially successful Batman and Robin was criticized and even hailed as “the death of superhero films”. Christopher Nolan gave the Bat franchise a chance for fresh blood with Batman Begins.
Michael Keaton’s legacy as Batman survives
Despite only having two films to his name, Keaton’s performance as Batman ended up having a huge impact on the Batman mythos. Chief among them was Batman: The Animated Series. Produced after Batman Returns, Batman: The Animated Series will use the same dark aesthetic when building his vision of Gotham City. Burton’s vision also influenced character design. Bruce Timm; Penguin had fin-like arms and Catwoman was blonde like Michelle Pfeiffer. Even late, great Kevin ConroyBatman’s performance is indebted to Keaton; his Batman and Bruce Wayne were two different people, but both were haunted by the trauma of their past. Finally, Danny Elfmanobsessive billing is felt everywhere Shirley Walkeropening theme. Music can help set the stage for the character, and both Elfman and Walker have managed to capture Batman’s looming presence with their compositions.
The world of Burton’s films will be reimagined in Batman 89 mini-series written by screenwriter Sam Hamm - who participated in writing scripts for Batman And Batman Returns - together with the artist Joe Quinones. According to the sketches of Kiones, Batman 89 starts right after the events Batman forever and finds Batman confronting his old friend Harvey Dent, who ends up transforming into Two-Face. Batman 89 serves as the official answer to what a third Batman movie with Burton would have been like, and Kiones based Dent on nothing but Billy Dee Williams (Ironically, Williams also voiced Two-Face in Lego Batman Movie.) The same was applied to Kyones’ look at Robin as it visually represents Marlon Wayans - who applied for the role.
Keaton is now set to return to the role of Batman in FlashHow Ezra MillerThe Scarlet Speedster seeks the help of the aged Dark Knight in fixing the world in which General Zod (Michael Shannon) dominates. Both trailers for the film pay homage to Burton’s films; Keaton repeats the lines verbatim, and Danny Elfman’s triumphant music beats a montage of the Dark Knight administering his trademark form of justice. In an age where actors have begun reprising their iconic roles, Keaton’s return seems far more significant given the level of his passion for Batman.
Source: Collider
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