Keaton says he would play Batman again

In an interview for Entertainment Weekly , Michael Keaton is asked if he would play Batman again. His response, "If it was Tim Burton directing? In a heartbeat."  He adds, “Tim, in movies, really invented the whole dark-superhero thing.  He started everything, and some of the guys who have done these movies since then don’t say that, and they’re wrong.”

Two years ago, I suggested Burton and Keaton reunite to make a third Batman movie, based upon Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns altered somewhat to fit the existing continuity of Batman and Batman Returns. With Keaton's statement, perhaps such a project has a glimmer of hope. Sadly, due to Zack Snyder and Ben Affleck grasping all the remaining Dark Knight Returns material for Batman v Superman that wasn't already commandeered by Christopher Nolan in The Dark Knight Rises, such a Burton-Keaton project seems like all it will be is a glimmer of hope.  Unless, of course, Batman v Superman bombs at the box office like Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Kick Ass 2.

Keaton goes on to reminisce about bowing out after Burton was removed as director of the third movie by WB execs who didn't like the dark direction of Batman Returns, and brought in Joel Schumacher, “I hadn’t been stupid about it. I always knew it was a big machine with a big studio and corporation behind it. But the simple answer was, it wasn’t any good. I was nice. I said to them, ‘This is a really interesting character with a dual personality.’ I tried to make them understand. But when somebody says to you, ‘Does it have to be so dark?... I thought, are we talking about the same character? So finally I just said no.”

On his portrayal of Batman, he says, “Now I can say this, because for many reasons, I never allowed myself to say it at the time: It was never about Batman for me. It was always about Bruce Wayne. He’s funny! He’s screwed-up! The guy is the coolest motherf—-er in the world, and he’s messed-up!”

At this year's New York Comic Con, three Batmans have made appearances.  Adam West to promote the DVD release of the 1960s Batman TV series. George Clooney, who privately apologised to Adam West, and publicly to the fans, for Batman & Robin. And Michael Keaton, who went on to say he's still proud of his Batman movies, "Having played Batman and being very proud of playing Batman. I never back off that. The idea was bold, interesting, and cool when Tim made it.  When I took the original, I was unfamiliar with comic books. I wasn’t a comic book reader. [Reading the script he thought], this isn’t the way that I see the character but am glad to read it. Then I met Tim the next day, I’m saying [Batman] is this and this, and he was nodding in agreement. So I asked, are they going to make this? Tim said, 'I don’t know. Let’s find out'.”