Michael Keaton has admitted Tim Burton made a "ballsy move" casting him as Batman, but it was difficult to comprehend the initial backlash to that decision.
In a career retrospective interview with GQ, Keaton reflected on some of his most iconic movie characters, including his turn as DC's Dark Knight. He recalled the controversy surrounding his casting since he was primarily known for his comedic roles in films like Mr. Mom, The Dream Team, and the Burton-directed Beetlejuice.
"When they said, 'We're thinking of doing Batman,' I said, 'Wait, you're thinking of making a movie about Batman?'" Keaton said. "The fact that Tim said, 'That guy, I want that guy'… Why people even cared one way or another that much is still baffling. But that was a ballsy move on his part. We also had a nice working relationship from Beetlejuice, so he felt that he and I could get along and work well together."
Keaton committed to the role and immediately started training to bulk up for his stint in the Batsuit. However, Jack Nicholson, who played the Joker in the movie, didn't seem to understand why he was working out, and it turns out he was right, as Keaton now admits the muscle he gained from exercising made the costume tighter.
"I was training to be really fit. One day, Jack Nicholson walked by me and goes, 'What are you doing?' I said, 'I'm working out.' And he said, 'What are you doing that for?'" Keaton recalled. "I didn't have an answer for him, and he just walked off. 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."
Despite some initial resistance to Keaton in the heroic role, Batman opened to box office success, breaking all kinds of records and receiving a rapturous response from fans and industry colleagues, including Mark Hamill, who has said it was Keaton that inspired him to take on the voice of the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series.
Keaton, who many regard as the best live-action Batman, reprised the role in Burton's 1992 sequel Batman Returns before dipping out of the franchise because Joel Schumacher had a new creative vision for the third movie. However, he didn't hang up the cape and cowl for good, as he returned to the role again in 2022's The Flash.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
