DC has increased its production in recent years, including big office successes such as The Dark Knight, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad. Over the years, scores of performers have appeared in DC films, and some of them (such as Michael Keaton and Christopher Reeve) has gone on to become legends in their roles. While the majority of the performers in DC films have been pleased with their experiences, there were certain to be a few who hated working in Batman movies.
5. George Clooney
With Batman and Robin, a bomb of colorful lights, toy ads, and cheesy humor that concluded a run of successful movies, the Batman movies franchise suffered its worst blow yet.
Clooney didn’t agree with the choice to include nipples on his Bat-suit, but he couldn’t persuade them to alter their minds. He also didn’t like how heavy the outfit was, and he considered the direction puzzling, with Joel Schumacher’s concentration on humor and goofiness contrasting with his perception of Batman’s classic image. He even apologized personally to Adam West and continues to apologize to fans for the result.
4. Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck has had a difficult time making superhero movies. Daredevil, released in 2003, was a critical and commercial disappointment. Affleck’s performance in the film was singled out, and he’s had to deal with nearly a decade of backlash as a result of it, so Batman v Superman was intended to be an opportunity for him to redeem himself. Unfortunately, while many praised Affleck’s performance, the film as a whole was panned by reviewers.
Affleck believed he had little influence over the picture and was so angry by the critiques of Batman v Superman that he grabbed charge of his solo Batman project, wanting to write and direct it himself. Affleck later dropped out of the writing and directing roles, although he still appears in the film.
3. Marion Cotillard
Christopher Nolan’s famous trilogy of Batman films finished in 2012 with The Dark Knight Rises, in which Batman fought his fiercest foe Bane, who was attempting to destroy the hero and his beloved Gotham City. In addition to Bane, Batman encountered Miranda Tate, a gorgeous banker portrayed by Marion Cotillard.
Cotillard was troubled by inquiries about her part even before the film was released. Rumors circulated that Nolan was planning to perform the same ruse that he did with Batman Begins, in which she would covertly portray a different villain. She had to blatantly lie to anyone who inquired if she was portraying Talia al Ghul, which she later said was unsettling. She was also dissatisfied with Nolan’s choice of a flat take for her death scene.
2. Val Kilmer
Batman Forever, released in 1995, gave the Batman films a new look, feel, and cast. Instead of being dark and gloomy, Batman Forever was filled with fun and bright colors. Instead of a somber Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer donned the cape and cowl in Batman Forever. The film was a box-office success, bringing new vitality to the series, although Kilmer struggled with the pointed ears.
1. Tommy Lee Jones
There were two primary villains in 1995’s Batman Forever: the insane Riddler (played by Jim Carrey) and the disfigured Two-Face (played by Tommy Lee Jones). When Tommy Lee Jones was originally approached about playing Two-Face, he stated he didn’t think he could do it but accepted because his son was a fan of the character in comic books.
He did, however, lament having to put up with three hours of makeup every day. To make matters worse, Carrey was eventually cast as The Riddler, a role that angered him. He hated Carrey because (as he explained when the two first met) Jones couldn’t stand the comedian’s “buffoonery.” The two wouldn’t even speak to each other off-camera.
