Tim Burton directed the 1989 movie titled Batman with Michael Keaton in the lead role. With Jack Nicholson as The Joker, the movie became the first Batman movie where the character was taken as a serious and gritty persona that we know today.
With Michael Keaton in the lead role, several people had complaints about the news. Tim Burton was quick to silence these people by asking simple and logical questions about the movie. Stating that why would a muscular person like Arnold Schwarzenegger dress like a bat, Burton quickly shut down all the haters of his 1989 movie.
Tim Burton Defended Michael Keaton’s Batman From Haters
The notable director decided to make a book out of his interview transcript and named it Burton on Burton. Talking about several important topics and how Tim Burton essentially became Tim Burton, the director also touched upon the subject of Michael Keaton.
In his book, the director mentioned that people were looking for a burly muscular man like Arnold Schwarzenegger to portray the role of Bruce Wayne. After selecting Michael Keaton (who wasn’t that much muscular) for the role, Tim Burton had to defend his choice. Luckily for the director, Burton only ever asked people a single question that was enough to shut them up: “Why would this big macho, Arnold Schwarzenegger-type person dress up as a bat for God’s sake?”
“In my mind I kept reading reviews that said, ‘Jack’s terrific, but the unknown as Batman is nothing special.’ So I saw a zillion people and the thing that kept going through my mind when I saw these action-adventure hero types come into the office was, ‘I just can’t see them putting on a bat-suit. I can’t see it.'”
He further continued,
“I was seeing these big macho guys, and then thinking of them with pointy ears, and it was, ‘Why would this big macho, Arnold Schwarzenegger-type person dress up as a bat for God’s sake?'”
What’s harrowing is that the current co-head of the DC Studios, James Gunnm was also one of the haters of Michael Keaton’s Batman that got him into some controversy recently!
James Gunn Also Hated Tim Burton’s Batman
James Gunn, who is one of the co-heads of the DC Studios also revealed in his 2012 Facebook comment that he hated Tim Burton’s Batman movies. Stating that Michael Keaton had a ridiculous voice, Gunn humiliated the franchise.
“Keaton DID have a ridiculous voice. That said, I’d rather put up with a ridiculous voice than with horrible action sequences and acting barely worthy of the Batman TV show.”
Well, no matter what people say, Batman received a great rating of 7.5/10 on IMDB and 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. The 1989 movie is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
Source: Burton on Burton
