There have been a plethora of actors who have had the honor to play the role of The Batman in live-action iterations. Ranging from George Clooney to the latest Robert Pattinson, only a select few of the most talented men in Hollywood has had the opportunity to play the Gotham caped crusader.
Among them, is Michael Keaton, who played the role in 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns. The actor, for many of the older fans of the superhero, is the original Batman that they grew up with for years. The same, appears to be true for none other than the ridiculously talented Danny DeVito, who played the role of Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin in the 1992 Warner Bros. project.
During an interview with Vanity Fair, Devito revealed the simple reason why he cannot even accept any other actor as Batman.
Danny DeVito cannot accept anyone other than Michael Keaton as Batman
DeVito, a talented comedian, actor, and filmmaker, attended a Vanity Fair interview in which he was put under a lie-detector test for a variety of questions. The interviewer talked about the various iterations of The Batman, and wanted DeVito to compare Keaton’s iteration of the character with another one.
However, even before she could hand out the next photo, DeVito had seemingly made his choice, and claimed that Michael Keaton’s version of the character was his very favorite.
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The reason was simple. Not only did he himself play the character of Penguin opposite Keaton’s Batman, the 79-year-old could also not accept any other actor as Batman, claiming that he did not even know what they would look like behind the mask:
Yes, he is my favorite. This is my favorite. This is Michael Keaton. He was the Batman when I was the Penguin. No. I don’t even know what they look like behind the mask.
Of course, the interviewer was quick to point out that all versions of Batman tend to take off their mask at some point, which can help the 79-year-old deduce exactly how they look like underneath, as Bruce Wayne. However, DeVito’s choice was firm, as he claimed that there was only one Batman for him:
Right. But I don’t, they don’t even. This is the Batman for me. Yeah, Michael.
Well, considering that DeVito himself played the iconic Penguin opposite Keaton and has a firm friendship with him, one simply cannot blame him.
Danny DeVito will not say no to a return as The Penguin
In the 1992 Tim Burton-directorial, Danny DeVito’s take on The Penguin proved to be one of the most lauded elements of the movie. The actor played the role of Oswald Cobbelpot, who is discarded by his rich family as he was born with deformities, and instead ended up being raised by penguins.
He ended up succumbing in the movie after Keaton’s Batman unleashed a swarm of bats at him, and he fell into an Artic exhibit. As it turns out, while DeVito never got a chance to reprise his role, he would jump at the opportunity, but has one single condition, which might as well be a deal-breaker:
If Tim Burton was directing it, I’d be there in a second. Oswald Cobblepot is my favorite. I had a good time. Its operatic. I like every once in a while going big [Laughs], and so I’d do that in a second. We had a ball doing that.
Hence, it is only a return of Tim Burton that will convince Danny DeVito to return to the DCU as his iconic villain. Of course, that is a bit of a stretch, considering the 1992 Batman Returns was the last time Burton directed a Batman movie, even if he was an executive producer on 1995’s Batman Forever.
All of the above-mentioned Batman movies are available to be watched on Amazon Prime.
