Michael Keaton is considered by a lot of Batman fans to have given the best portrayal of the character on film. Even those who disagree are sure to praise his work on the two Batman films he starred in, and the only reason why he didn’t do a third was because he reportedly didn’t want to be remembered for just being that Bat guy.
So, it’s difficult to imagine that choosing him in the lead role of the 1989 film was so incredibly controversial that it was constantly criticized by fans and media alike.
There are multiple reasons why an outcry arose at the time: First, the previous Batman was Adam West in the hugely popular television series from the late 1960’s. West had to play a campy version of the character to the delight of many, but the 1989 film version was not going to be a humorous Batman at all, even though it was thought that it was, thanks to Bill Murray once being considered for the lead in early discussions of the would-be film. This was meant to be a dark version of Batman, more closely related to the origins of the character and to the highly-acclaimed comics from the mid-1980’s, most especially The Dark Knight. Five comics from that era made our top 10 list of Greatest Batman Comics of All-Time.
Another reason was that people just didn’t believe that Michael Keaton could play such a character. After all, he had just starred as the lead in Beetlejuice, and was mostly known then for his lead role in Mr. Mom. So, Keaton as Batman confused many.
Adam West, appearing on multiple news segments about the film just prior to its release, wasn’t necessarily supportive either, though he was careful not to be directly critical. Instead he openly discussed how he personally felt about not being cast in the lead role.
The most open he was about it was with the show A Current Affair where he said, “What did I think when Michael Keaton was asked to do Batman? I cried for an hour but then I was OK. I wanted it.”
It’s worth noting that, in 1989, West was 60 years old. He added, “I don’t know, I figured that’s their stuff, their business, and they have a film in mind. I’ve already done it. I’ve done my Batman. Look, do you want the classic Coke or do you want the new stuff? Maybe both.”
In the video, it’s as if West is slowly letting go of being Batman, yet the truth is that he likely didn’t realize that he would always be Batman, as many continued to associate him with the character. Of course, Michael Keaton would also always be Batman.
West continued to express how he felt about not being in the movie, adding, “I’m disappointed not to have had a chance to play Batman, but they have their vision and I have mine.”
The director, Tim Burton, who also directed Keaton in Beetlejuice, felt that his familiar lead would be perfect as the Batty Bruce Wayne, partly because he needed an actor who could convey the half-insane character with his eyes, considering that when in costume the cowl would not allow for the usual facial expressions. On that note, Burton explained — in Shadows of the Bat: The Making of Batman — that Keaton’s eyes were also perfect for the role. “With Michael, you look at him and he’s got those eyes. He looks crazy.”
In that same documentary, Jenette Kahn, then-president of DC Comics, said “What Michael Keaton captured was the traumatized Bruce Wayne, the neurotic Bruce Wayne, the Bruce Wayne who you could believe would, at night, put on a suit and fight crime.”
Certainly, the right decision was made for both versions of the character — West was the perfect hip and cool Batman while Keaton was the perfect vengeful Batman.