Actor Michael Keaton donned the famous cape and cowl for 1989’s Batman, directed by Tim Burton. The film went on to become a major critical and commercial success. The actor is fondly remembered for his take on the caped crusader, which remains popular to this date.
However, in an interview, Keaton revealed that he regretted his initial approach to playing the Dark Knight on the big screen. Keaton explained how an interaction with his co-star Jack Nicholson changed his mindset and helped him see a different side of the character. Here is what Michael Keaton said about his approach to playing Batman.
Michael Keaton Reveals Why He Regrets His Approach to Playing Batman
Directed by Tim Burton 1989’s Batman, features Michael Keaton in the titular role with Jack Nicholson playing his arch nemesis, Joker. In an interview with GQ, Keaton reflected upon his time as Batman and spoke about how Nicholson informed his approach to the character. Keaton revealed he was undergoing an intense workout for playing the Dark Knight.
“One day, Jack Nicholson walked by me and goes, What are you doing?”
Nicholson asked his co-star why he was adamant about building his physique for the role. However, Keaton did not have an apt response, which led to him realizing he needed to change his approach.
“I approached it totally wrong. It’s better to be really small and little and thin inside the thing. You can move, you can breathe inside. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Keaton made the above statement expressing regret over his initial approach to playing the caped crusader. However, the actor also commented that the workouts helped him carry the costume and he was glad to be a part of the film, which proved to be game-changing for the superhero genre.
Michael Keaton Talks Backlash After Being Cast as Batman
In the same interview, Keaton also addressed his casting as Batman, which received some backlash from fans at the time because he was primarily known for his comedic roles. Director Tim Burton, who had previously worked with Keaton on the 1988 horror-comedy Beetlejuice, was adamant about casting him in the role.
“The fact that Tim said ‘That guy, I want that guy’ … The fact that people cared one way or another so much is still baffling. But that was a ballsy move on his part.”
Keaton made the above statement praising Burton for taking the risk of casting him in the titular role despite the fan backlash. The actor added that he enjoyed working with Burton on Beetlejuice and they shared a good relationship, which also translated well working on Batman.
Keaton and Burton would team up again for 1992’s Batman Returns, which was also a major commercial success. Keaton most recently reprised his role as Batman for 2023’s The Flash. Meanwhile, Burton and Keaton have once again joined forces for the much-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice, which is slated to release on September 6, 2024.
Batman is streaming on Max.
