Michael Keaton Feared His On-screen Romance With Ex-girlfriend Michelle Pfeiffer Would Ruin His Chances to Repair His Failed Marriage
Michael Keaton’s Batman is in top form, despite a three-decade gap since the last bat signal was answered. His Bruce Wayne is gray-haired but quirky as ever. While Keaton was praised a lot for his role in Batman and its sequel, the actor was against the casting of Michelle Pfeiffer in the original film.
Though he succeeded in the first attempt, as Michelle Pfeiffer did not play Vicki Vale in the 1989 movie, she did appear in the sequel. Batman Returns came out in 1992, and it seems that by the time it was in production, the tension between Keaton and Pfeiffer had subsided.
Also, read- ‘Go F*ck Yourself’: Tim Burton Expresses Extreme Displeasure for WB Letting Joel Schumacher Ruin Batman.
Why Michael Keaton Didn’t Want Michelle Pfieffer to Join The Cast of Batman
Michael Keaton played the role of billionaire Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter ego Batman in the 1989 Batman film and its 1992 sequel, Batman Returns. While Keaton’s performance was incredible, his casting was initially met with lots of resistance. But why didn’t Keaton want Michelle Pfieffer in the first Batman movie?
The film producers wanted Michelle Pfeiffer to co-star in the movie as Vicki Vale, a journalist. However, Keaton protested this decision, and the role instead went to Kim Basinger. Keaton’s casting protest resulted from personal history between Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer. Sometime before Batman, Pfeiffer and Keaton dated.
Keaton was in a complicated situation at the time of the making of Batman. He was going through a divorce but wanted to reconcile with his ex-wife. If Pfeiffer did get the role of Vicki Vale, she would have been Keaton’s on-screen love interest, which likely would’ve caused trouble and interrupted his attempts to save the already destroyed marriage.
Why Michael Keaton Hasn’t Watched Any Batman Movies
The 1989 film Batman was a smash hit that can now be looked back on as a major milestone for the hero of Gotham City. The last time Michael Keaton put on the Batman suit was in 1992 for the Batman sequel, Batman Returns. Although he’s been part of the superhero world and also appeared as Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming, he never has watched any of the DC or Marvel universe films.
Talking to Variety, the Batman actor shared,
“I know people don’t believe this, that I’ve never seen an entire version of any of those movies — any Marvel movie, any other. And I don’t say that I don’t watch that because I’m highbrow — trust me! It’s not that.”
Explaining further the actor added,
“It’s just that there’s very little things I watch. I start watching something, and think it is great and I watch three episodes, but I have other shit to do!”
His more serious take on Batman was different from what viewers had expected from seeing the character on screen.
Also, read- ‘The more you scare them, the more they like it’ – Jack Nicholson Shares His Experience Of Playing The Joker.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
