Who is Batman? To some, he’s Christian Bale. Others say, Ben Affleck. But to me, and the majority of true Bat-fans, our one, and only Dark Knight will always be Michael Keaton .
Below are 10+ behind the scenes secrets about Michael Keaton ‘s Batman that fans didn’t know. Dust off your cowls and point your bat-signals to the sky — we’re headed to Gotham City !
1. Robin was almost played by a *Beverly Hills Cop*.
Robin’s presence in both films was scrapped because there just wasn’t enough room, according to production.
Among those actors who were being considered for the role, early on, was Eddie Murphy .
2. Tim Burton went above and beyond to convince Jack Nicholson to play the part.
Jack was still having some festering doubts about playing The Joker, so director Tim Burton met Jack in Aspen to quell his concerns. What Tim didn’t know was that Jack fancied himself a bit of an equestrian .
He had to convince Jack to play the part while on horseback!
3. Absolutely nobody wanted Michael Keaton to star as Batman.
Before Keaton wowed audiences as Gotham’s Dark Knight, he was mainly known for being a comedian . His most recent film, Mr. Mom was still fresh in the audience’s mind.
It got so bad that production began receiving angry fan letters protesting his casting!
4. Michael Keaton is officially making his return to the role in the upcoming DCEU film, *The Flash*!
Rumors had been swirling for months, but finally it was confirmed that Michael will be reprising his role — at least one more time.
If that weren’t exciting enough, Ben Affleck is also slated to make an appearance. Two Batmen in one film?! Pinch me!
5. Danny DeVito was the one who came up with the Penguin’s black saliva in *Batman Returns*.
According to Danny, it was a concoction that he and the film’s makeup team derived from a combination of mouthwash and food coloring.
It gave plenty of people pause, including one of the franchise’s biggest endorsement deals — McDonald’s.
6. Robin was supposed to make an appearance in *Batman Returns*.
He wasn’t going to be played by Chris O’Donnell, either! Originally, Marlon Wayans was offered the role.
Production decided that the movie was already crammed as it was. At the last minute, they opted not to include Wayans. He was paid $100,000 for his troubles.
7. Michelle Pfeiffer wasn’t the first choice for Catwoman in *Batman Returns*.
The role was originally offered to Anette Benning and Michelle was absolutely crushed !
Luckily, Benning shortly thereafter announced her pregnancy and was forced to bow out. Thus allowing Michelle to land her dream role!
8. Robin Williams really wanted to play The Joker.
Warner Bros. knew this too. So what did they do? Well, they decided to use it as leverage to help land their first choice — Jack Nicholson.
No disrespect to Jack Nicholson because his portrayal is iconic. But the thought of Robin Williams as The Joker is captivating beyond words.
9. *Batman* is the first time in the history of DC Comics that The Joker was given an official name.
One of the most captivating things about The Joker is his anonymity. That’s why he still doesn’t have a conclusive identity, even 80 years after his inception.
Giving Joker the name of Jack Napier was an incredibly bold and risky move for Tim Burton.
10. Michael Keaton spoiled the ending of them movie during an appearance on *The Late Show With David Letterman*!
Thank goodness that this was long before the days of the internet and social media.
Needless to say that if Michael does something like this for The Flash film, I’m not going to be so forgiving.
11. Jack Nicholson took a pay cut to play The Joker in *Batman*.
At the time, Nicholson was one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men.
His going salary at the time was around $10 million but Jack agreed to do the picture for only $6 million — provided there was a caveat .
Jack negotiated a piece of the film’s total profits, as well as a merchandise deal.
The film was an overwhelming success and a box office hit! Batman grossed more than $411 million worldwide.
When all was said and done, Jack walked away with a cool $50 million.
12. Michelle Pfeiffer hated her Catwoman suit.
Michelle said that it was the most uncomfortable experience of her career. It was so tight that she literally had to be vacuum-sealed inside of it.
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Once Michelle was packed-in, makeup specialists painted the suit in a gloss finish.
13. The Batsuit was incredibly uncomfortable for Michael Keaton.
So much so that it gave him claustrophobia ! If you look at the cowl that Michael wears in the film, it doesn’t allow for any head or neck movement.
This made fighting incredibly difficult and challenging.
14. Michelle Pfeiffer actually put a live bird in her mouth.
This is one of the most memorable scenes of the entire film. According to Tim Burton, absolutely nothing was fake:
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed . She had a live bird in her mouth while the camera was rolling. It was four or five seconds, and then she let it fly out.”
