“That was a ballsy move on his part”: No One Comes Close to Tim Burton Sticking With Michael Keaton for Batman When Everyone Turned Against Him

The wide array of Batmans in cinematic history has called for various rankings and analyses. Nevertheless, Michael Keaton’s Batman inevitably earns one of the top spots in the list and is remembered fondly by the entire fandom.

Keaton has been an integral part of the industry for many years now. But there was once a time when he was an unknown actor in the obscurity of the vast pool of struggling actors. He took his time to establish a name for himself and is now one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood.

Michael Keaton appreciates Tim Burton for his bold decision

Beetlejuice actor Michael Keaton can perform any role with effortless charisma on screen. He can be a father-turned-supervillain or even a ghost from the afterlife and fans know that the movie is going to be a superhit. But it wasn’t always this apparent. Like most other actors, Keaton was also once an anonymous face in the ever-evolving industry.

Keaton credits his career’s turning point to be when he was cast as Batman. Back then, he was still struggling to make a name for himself and get good roles with reputed directors. This is when Tim Burton came to the rescue and chose to put his faith in Keaton to play the iconic DC billionaire Batman. The actor had already aced the role of Beetlejuice, so the director was confident that Keaton would be amazing as Batman too. Keaton told GQ,

When they said, ‘We’re thinking of doing Batman,’ I said, ‘Wait, you’re going to make a movie of Batman?’ Yeah, there was Superman, but that’s Superman, which Dick Donner did, which was really, really good…So, the fact that Tim said, ‘That guy. I want that guy.’ Like, why people even cared one way or another that much is still baffling. But, still, that was a ballsy move on his part. And we also had a nice working relationship, you know, from Beetlejuice, so I think he felt he and I would get along through this. You know, we work well together.

Nobody can deny the cultural impact of Keaton’s Batman portrayal on the superhero movie industry. From his iconic dialogue delivery to the way he performed the action scene, Keaton truly shone as the Caped Crusader. Only then did the industry recognize Keaton’s immense talent and give him the credit he deserved.

Tim Burton revealed why he chose Michael Keaton as Batman

As a director, Burton has always had an eye for talent. All his movies feature impeccable casting and it feels as if the actors were born to play those roles. It was no different with Keaton as Batman. The director revealed the one aspect that made him choose Keaton over the numerous other actors who auditioned for the role. In a conversation with The New York Times, Burton said,

When you just look at Michael in Beetlejuice or even Batman, he has this sort of look in his eye. That’s why I wanted him to be Batman, because you just look at him and go, ‘This is a guy who would dress up like a bat.’ You know what I mean? There’s something behind the eyes that’s just very intelligent, funny and dangerous and kind of crazy.

What Burton saw in Keaton during the initial tests must have been something magnificent. The audience also eventually saw what Keaton was capable of and welcomed him into Hollywood with open arms. Since then, the actor has gone on to win several awards and truly become one of the most popular actors in modern Hollywood.

Tim Burton’s Batman starring Keaton is streaming on Prime Video.