How Michael Keaton’s Batman Went From Flop to Phenomenon

It’s 1988, and the new Batman has just been announced. There’s no internet, because it’s 1988, so I’m hearing this news on the corner of 12th Street and Broadway at Manhattan’s comic-book mecca of the time, Forbidden Planet.
But the thing is, people are pissed. Michael Keaton? Mr. Mom?! How could this guy be Batman?!

But it wasn’t just the fans. The Wall Street Journal ran a front-page story in November of that year questioning the casting of Keaton as Batman. That in turn spurred on even more media speculation about the choices being made on this multi-million dollar movie.
And then there were the petitions and the letter-writing campaigns where fans are said to have pleaded with Warner Bros. to get rid of Keaton and change the course of the DC film – some reports say there were 50,000 letters written!

The role of Batman is so huge now, as is Keaton’s part in making the character the big-screen legend that he is, that it’s hard to conceptualize today what a shock his casting was in 1988. But at the time, the actor was mostly known for his comedic roles like Mr. Mom.

Of course, the echos of Tim Burton’s Batman still influence the superhero movie genre to this day, even as Keaton himself returns to the role for The Flash some 31 years after being away. But it’s easy to forget now that when he first donned the cowl and eyeliner, there were a ton of fans who couldn’t handle the notion of Mr. Mom, Beetlejuice, the Clean and Sober guy, and so on playing Batman. And for better or worse, it would be a trend that would continue with pretty much every Batman since, from Christian Bale to Ben Affleck to Robert Pattinson (and even Val Kilmer and George Clooney if you dig deep enough).

So let’s look back at the inauspicious debut of Michael Keaton’s Batman, and how his Dark Knight would go on to soar all the same, paving the way for the big-screen dominance of the character ever since.

#IGN #Movies #Batman

[TheTransitmtl]

Literally no one actually watched the video before saying "it was never a flop"

[omt]

The funny thing, he’s 71 years old. And his work in The Flash as Batman is arguably his best work as Batman. He was incredible in The Flash.

[pastorsson]

He never was a flop. His version of Batman will always be my favorite.

[JoshuaBallinger]

christopher reeves vs Michael Keaton Batman VS Superman was the masterpiece we never got!

[BruddaJakka]

It was never a flop. Both movies did very well. He only left the role because Burton wasn't going to be coming back to direct.

[blutomindpretzel]

let's be honest, we're all going to see the Flash just for Keaton's return as Bats. He's the man

[TA]

Keaton's Batman was never a flop. Anyone alive during the Bat mania summer of '89 will tell you the movie did more than exceed expectations. The title of this video should be "How The casting of Michael Keaton as Batman Went From Hated To Accepted"

[TheLastLineLive]

This movie kind of is the reason we have comic book movies today as well as a reason why Keaton is one of my favorite actors. Tough to say if Comic Book movies would have ever been taken seriously without this and Keaton probably would have likely been a typecasted actor without this movie.

[jordanellis]

It was never a flop it’s a classic and he’s always been my favorite Batman🦇

[herrlogan]

The perfect fit for Batman costume and hilarious abstracted multimilionaire...It was perfect combination for me. Batman Returns is the pinnacle of batman comics for me. The cast is simply brilliant.

[EnragedMollusk]

Michael Keaton will always be my Batman.

[Darthadios]

Still the best Batman, and one of those rare superhero movies which is not childish and completely ridiculous.

[nullvoid]

Jack Nicholson as the joker was always the best.

[Wingedspace]

Flop??? He’s like one of the best Batman ever!!

[kabal]

Never a flop. He's still my true Batman

[omegajackson]

There was lines around the movie theater twice when the first Michael Keaton batman. That is far from a flop

[arturovillalobos]

Batman back then become more agressive (being able to kill and get killed), he was more dark using leather suit and even more sensual somehow, Kim Basinger put a spark in the mix.

[laentidaddesconocida]

Michael Keaton will be The Batman forever!
There are certain actors or actresses that absorb the hero/heroine to perfection.
A few examples below:
Christopher Reeves as Superman.
Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft.
Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow.
Robert Downey Jr. as the Iron Man.
Frank Castle as the Punisher.

[MrPatrichon]

Back in '89, we went to see the Batmobile exhibited in a shopping mall. The line-up was so long we decided to turn our backs and go watch the movie in a theater instead. At the time, we had only watched it in a drive-in, which was a very bad idea because the movie was way too dark and we realized, when we watched it in a proper theater, that we had missed the most part... and also that it actually was an amazing movie. Both Keaton and Nicholson knocked it way out of the park.

[distinguishedblues]

Flop? Never. His two films were legit especially for that era.