when the news was announced Michael Keaton Will play Bruce Wayne/Batman in it Tim Burtonof batmanstrong opposition from fans.
I remember the first thing my dad said was, “They asked Mr. Mom to play Batman! That’s too bad! Mr. Mom can’t be Batman! It’s so funny, that comment stuck with me. I remember it being in the newspaper Read reports of fan backlash!
Although there was no internet for fans to lash out at the time, 50,000 fans reportedly wrote to Warner Bros. to protest Keaton’s casting, which is hilarious now that you think about it. Can you imagine the craziness that would have spread if social media had existed in the 80s! ?
Despite these complaints, Burton stuck with Keaton, resulting in a great Batman movie, and Keaton is now considered one of the best live-action Batmans.
Director Tim Burton recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to commemorate the release of Beetlejuice, and Keaton was there to introduce his longtime collaborator and reflect on his Batman experience.
Keaton said he would never understand the backlash behind the casting, saying: “He handed me a script and said, ‘Tell me what you think.'” Here’s what happened after Beetlejuice. After that performance. After watching this type of movie. “I want that guy,” he told the studio. I’ll never understand why anyone would care.
He continued: “The commotion… you would have thought we had been invaded. It was unbelievable. The media went crazy. But he supported me. I will always be grateful for the courage it took to support this decision.” ”.
He then praised Burton for showing that superhero movies can be incredibly successful, saying: “What was that? [movie] spawned… There are a lot of people who have made a lot of money with their superhero movies because of his choices and his vision for those movies, because he changed everything.
He later added: “I don’t necessarily say this, but it’s very possible that without Tim Burton there would be no Marvel Universe, no DC Universe. He was doubted and questioned.”
In the end, Burton made the perfect casting, and Keaton gave an incredible performance as Batman!