Hollywood star Pierce Brosnan is known for starring in one of the most popular franchises James Bond. However, that was not the only role he became a candidate for as he almost played one of the most popular superheroes. Before Tim Burton cast Michael Keaton to take on the title role in his 1989 film, he approached Brosnan with the offer, who was known for the TV series Remington Steele at the time.
However, the actor had reservations about taking on the role of a comic book character and left the filmmaker with a candid and unconventional message, as he told him that no one would take the DC superhero seriously.
Pierce Brosnan’s Discouraging Message For Tim Burton
While working on his 1989 film Batman, Tim Burton had a long list of names as the potential candidate for the role of the DC superhero. While he eventually cast Michael Keaton in his movie, the filmmaker initially approached Pierce Brosnan with the offer to play Batman.
Brosnan, however, not only rejected the offer but also had a discouraging remark for the director as he told him that he didn’t believe that a character like Batman could be taken seriously. As per ComicBook, the actor shared during an interview with Details,
“It was the beginning of these huge movies, and I just thought, Batman? Batman held such an indelible place in my own childhood, but I said something flippant to Tim Burton, like, ‘Any guy who wears his underpants outside his trousers cannot be taken seriously.’ So yeah.”
Unlike his assumption of the character, Batman was a huge hit, grossing over $400 million at the box office. The Black Adam actor once again reflected on rejecting the role during an AMA session on Reddit, where he acknowledged that it was a “foolish take on it” and realized how wrong he was at the time.
Pierce Brosnan Eventually Joined the DC Universe
While Pierce Brosnan rejected the offer to play the role of Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 film, he did eventually join the DC Universe as Keny Nelson, aka Doctor Fate, in the 2022 film Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, and Quintessa Swindell.
Talking about his role in the 2022 film, he told Total Film, “He has powers to foresee the future and raise the dead, and teleport while wearing a gold helmet.” He also shared that he is quite fond of his character in Black Adam, as he explained how important the helmet is for his character.
“It’s a blessing and a curse. It’s almost like a drug addiction in some respects. It takes a lot of energy to wear the helmet,” he said. Brosnan also shared that he enjoyed working on the movie, saying, “Every day was a joy. Every day was an exhilaration of storytelling.”
Tim Burton’s Batman and Black Adam are available on Max.
