While Michael Keaton is considered to be one of the best versions of Batman, when he was first cast in the role, fans were in an uproar. During a recent interview with GQ, Keaton reflected on Tim Burton’s decision to cast him as the Caped Crusader in the DC movie and called the move, “ballsy.” Keaton said:
“When they said, ‘We’re thinking of doing Batman,’ I said, ‘Wait, you’re going to make a movie of Batman?’ Yeah, there was Superman, but that’s Superman, which Dick Donner did, which was really, really good. Very charming, actually. And Chris Reeve was great, and it had humor, and it was like, you know…
“So, the fact that Tim said, ‘That guy. I want that guy.’ Like, why people even cared one way or another that much is still baffling. But, still, that was a ballsy move on his part. And we also had a nice working relationship, you know, from Beetlejuice, so I think he felt he and I would get along through this. You know, we work well together.”
Tim Burton obviously saw something special in Keaton and knew he’d be great in the role of Bruce Wayne / Batman. It must’ve been that crazy twinkle in Keaton’s eyes. Keaton was aware of the backlash, but this was a time when social media didn’t exist so it was easier to avoid.
Later in the interview, Keaton talked about how Jack Nicholson was shocked that he’d embarked on a strict exercise regime to physically transform into the Caped Crusader. Keaton explained he realized that if he slimmed down, then he’d have more “room to breathe” in the Batsuit.
Burton did make a great decision casting Keaton as Batman. It’s a shame we’ll never get to see his Batman Beyond version of the character. That project was scrapped with James Gunn took over DC Studios.