There has been a variety of actors that have played Bruce Wayne / Batman in movies and television show ( both live - action and animated ) , and the 1989 movieBatmanhad Michael Keaton as the claim hero sandwich – but when the movie was in development , other actors were considered for the persona , including one that ’s mostly known for comedic theatrical role and for being quite a theatrical role off - silver screen . The Caped Crusader made his big screenland launching in 1966 with Adam West in complaint of fiddle the role , but Mr. Wayne   profit more attention in 1989 with Tim Burton ’s version .

Simply titledBatman , the movie had Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman , Jack Nicholson and Jack Napier / the Joker , Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale , and Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent . Batmanfollows the mysterious hero as he fights against the Joker and his plans to take over Gotham by poisoning its citizens with Smylex , a lethal chemical which make victims to die laughing and with a maniacal grinning , very much like the Joker ’s . The film was a vital and financial success , inspiring the now classicBatman : The Animated Series , and making means for three subsequence , of which only one had Tim Burton and Michael Keaton back .

Related : How Robert Pattinson ’s Batman Will Be Different To Previous Movie Versions

Comic book art: Batman faces the four Robins: Nightwing Dick Grayson, Red Hood Jason Todd, Red Robin Tim Drake, and Robin Damian Wayne.

Batman Returnswas Keaton ’s last escapade as Batman , withBatman Foreverintroducing Val Kilmer as the new Pb andBatman & Robinreplacing him with George Clooney . Keaton ’s performance is recall lovingly by Batman devotee , but he was n’t the first option for the role , and during the many leg of development thatBatmanwent through , a very dissimilar actor was take for it .

Batman 1989 Could Have Had Bill Murray As Bruce Wayne

Batmanwent through a recollective pre - production process , during which many directors were attached to the project at some full stop , includingGhostbusters ’ Ivan Reitman . His vision for the flick was a more comedic one , so he had a very unlike idea for the story and Batman himself . Reitman need to spue none other than Bill Murray as the Dark Knight and Eddie Murphy as his brother , Robin . However , the script went through more rewrites and other directors were also considered , and so Reitman ’s ideas and intimacy inBatmanwere over , as was the thought of Murray play the character .

OnceTim Burtonwas lease as director , Warner Bros. pressured him to cast an action movie star , and Pierce Brosnan was approached , but he had no interest in playing a mirthful record book reference . Burton to begin with need Willem Dafoe to play Batman , but that never came to be . Producer Jon Peters then suggested Michael Keaton for the character , and having ferment with him before inBeetlejuice , Burton agreed . A comedicBatmanmovie would n’t have been the estimable idea given that it would have been standardized to the 1966 flick , though it ’s interesting to imagine what Bill Murray would have brought to the fictitious character , whether as the funniness adaptation Reitman want or a blue version like Burton ’s .

Next : What Tim Burton ’s Batman 3 Would ’ve look Like ( & Why It Did n’t Happen )

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