Michael Keaton Believes Batman's Real Power Lies Within Bruce Wayne
Those of a certain age likely recall the controversy surrounding the casting of Michael Keaton as Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 superhero film. Previously known for comedy films like "Mr. Mom." "Johnny Dangerously," and "Beetlejuice," Keaton was considered wholly inappropriate for a role that clearly aimed to capture the "dark and broody" version of Batman that was in vogue at the time. Other fans were incensed that a Batman feature film was being made without the participation of Adam West, who had played the character in the massively popular — and notoriously campy — 1966 TV series. For a few moments prior to the film's release, it seemed no one was happy.
Those in their 40s might also recall the criticism of Batman's costume, designed by Bob Ringwood, as it boasted a torso festooned with fake musculature. Many felt the fake chest was corny and, well, fake-looking (Burton went on record, in the book "Burton on Burton," to say that he liked the latex chest better than spandex or trunks, as old-school superhero costumes weren't intimidating). Surely, some fans felt, a large bruiser with actual muscled would be more appropriate to play Batman.
Burton said that a large, strong man like, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger wouldn't need to put on a Batman suit. He wanted to cast Bruce Wayne as a man who needed to transform into something darker, someone who wasn't comfortable in his own skin and required Batman as an outlet. Someone who was split. Hence, an off-balance everyman like Keaton.
Keaton agrees, in a way. In Les Daniels' 1999 book "Batman: The Complete History," Keaton said in an interview that he felt that the secret to Batman was giving texture and nuance to Bruce Wayne. The heroics would come later.
Bruce Wayne > Batman
Michael Keaton stated his acting decisions about Bruce Wayne as if he was revealing a long-held secret. Batman, he knew, was not only a powerful figure but a powerful image. When in the bat suit, he knew he had to look and move in a certain way. But behind all that, he knew that Bruce Wayne was the one who ultimately gave Batman his strength. He said:
"What nobody understands is that the key was not Batman. The key was Bruce Wayne. [...] It's been like my little secret, but that's where the real power comes from."
The above-mentioned movements came from both necessity — the suit was rubbery and heavy — but were also a character choice. While in the Batman costume, Keaton was keenly aware of how Bruce Wayne might move in the suit. It wasn't Keaton playing Batman in those moments, but Bruce Wayne playing Batman. The superhero was merely a character that the millionaire playboy played in a revenge drama. In this regard, the actor and director appeared copasetic. Keaton said:
"The suit had power. [...] The icon was so strong that I wanted to maximize this big, beautiful, black image, and if he made really cool, quick, direct turns that were precise, that was one of the ways you saw the difference between Bruce Wayne and Batman. [...] Because I could barely move in that suit. To this day, one hip has not been right because I practiced when I first kicked that guy on the roof, and it was very difficult to get my foot up that high. It was like fifty thousand rubber bands holding you down."
Back and forth on Batman
Michael Keaton has been famously ambivalent about playing Batman. In 1995, he turned down playing the role a third time for "Batman Forever," rejecting a $15 million paycheck. When the Independent asked him about it in 2021, Keaton was blunt, saying: "I don't remember; that's in my past. It's 2021 or whatever the f*** it is — who gives a s***? Let's talk about things that matter." Keaton revealed that this has been his response to Batman questions for years. He had nothing else to say, it seems.
In 2014, Keaton was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" a movie about a once-huge Hollywood actor who hated being associated with an old superhero role. The film was about the actor's conflict between accepting shallow pop entertainment and being taken seriously as a credible artist. One can't help but see Keaton's role in "Birdman" as a comment on his own career and his own associations with Batman.
Keaton, however, seems to have come to a kind of peace with superhero movies. In 2017, Keaton appeared as a tech-savvy working-class villain in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." And in 2023, Keaton, now 71, will appear as Bruce Wayne — and in the same Batman costume — in the upcoming film "The Flash." To measure the length of time, there were only 23 years between the Adam West "Batman" TV series and Burton's first Batman film. It's been 31 years since Keaton last played Bruce Wayne in "Batman Returns."
Time, it seems, heals all wounds.