George Clooney is one of the most respected and well-known actors in the world. The Oceans 11 star is known for his suave personality and charming roles in films such as Michael Clayton, The Perfect Storm, and Three Kings. The actor is also an accomplished director and producer and is known for backing Ben Affleck’s Oscar winner Argo.
While Clooney has seen immense success, he has not been spared an embarrassing failure and his failure was colossal. He played Batman in the much-trolled Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin, which put to bed the franchise started by Tim Burton. The trauma of the film still haunts Clooney as he mentioned that he will not let his wife and kids watch the film.
George Clooney In Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin
After Tim Burton and Michael Keaton left the Batman franchise, Joel Schumacher was hired to direct Batman Forever, the third installment in the popular series. The film starred Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne and also featured Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey as the primary antagonists. Though the film is campy now, it was a commercial success.
The box office success of Batman Forever prompted WB Studios to commission a sequel immediately. Schumacher was hired again and he wrote the script of Batman & Robin with Akiva Goldsman. Kilmer reportedly left the film as the production clashed with his film The Saint. George Clooney replaced Kilmer as Wayne after Schumacher saw him in From Dusk Till Dawn.
Schumacher reportedly wanted to cast William Baldwin in the role but was then convinced by Clooney. The director reportedly felt that Clooney resembled Bruce Wayne from the comics the best and that he brought humor to the material. The infamous nipple suit that Clooney wears was reportedly a repurposed suit from Kilmer’s in Batman Forever.
The film was critically panned upon release and only earned $238 million against a $160 million budget. It was considered a commercial disaster and plans for a fifth film titled Batman Unchained were promptly canceled. There would be no live-action Batman films until Christopher Nolan rebooted the franchise with Batman Begins.
Also read: Even Christopher Nolan Failed in The Dark Knight in a Way 1 DC Show Didn’t
George Cloney Is Embarrassed Of His Batman Role
Anyone who has been subjected to Batman & Robin cannot blame George Clooney when he says that he is embarrassed by the film. It is hard to believe that creative decisions such as the infamous nipple Batsuit, the Batman credit card, and the numerous ice-puns by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze were approved by the studio. However, despite more than two decades passing, it is still Clooney’s cross to bear.
In an interview with Variety, George Clooney mentioned that he believed he destroyed the franchise by starring in the film. When asked whether he would be reprising his role in The Flash, which had Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck’s Batmen in the mix, Clooney said that he was not approached by the makers (which turned out to be a lie). He said,
“They didn’t ask me…When you destroy a franchise the way I did, usually they look the other way when ‘The Flash’ comes by.”
His wife, Amal Clooney, chimed in saying that he does not allow her or his children to watch the film. Clooney responded,
“There are certain films I just go, ‘I want my wife to have some respect for me’…It’s bad when your four-year-old kid goes, ‘This sucks.’ That could be painful.”
George Clooney would reprise the role of Bruce Wayne in the post-credits scene of The Flash, although the cameo means nothing as DC Studios’ new chief James Gunn has opted to reboot the entire franchise.
Also read: George Clooney Refused To Be Insulted By a Hypocrite Living in a Gold Tower: “F—k you!”
