![]() ![]() And in 1992’s Batman Returns, Keaton again garnered positive reviews. Variety magazine gushed, “Michael Keaton captures the haunted intensity of the character, and seems particularly lonely and obsessive without Robin around to share his exploits.” Keaton was rewarded by being the first actor to reprise the role on the big screen. Keaton’s performance received favorable reviews, and Batman killed at the box office. The studio and the fans had nothing to worry about. But producer Jon Peters said he cast Keaton because “the image of Batman is a big male model type, but I wanted a guy who’s a real person who happens to put on this weird armor. Other Hollywood stars considered for the role of Batman included Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Selleck, and Bill Murray. And in case you’re curious, here is a long list of other great castings that fans initially thought would suck. In an effort to appease the naysayers, Batman co-creator Bob Kane was hired as the film’s creative consultant. Keaton’s casting caused such controversy that 50,000 protest letters were sent to Warner Bros.’ offices. When director Tim Burton (who like Dozier was not a fan of comic books) and Michael Keaton were announced for 1989’s Batman, fans went bat-shit crazy, thinking their beloved superhero was going to get the Adam West treatment again. It took more than 20 years for Adam West to lose his exclusivity on Batman. Credit: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images Michael Keaton West died in 2017, but his Bat-legacy is immortal. Two-Face (opposite William Shatner as the special guest villain). He made regular appearances on Family Guyas “Mayor West” before returning to voice Batman in two excellent animated features that expanded on the show’s continuity, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and Batman vs. It wasn’t picked up but took on a cult following online (check it out here). West’s resurgence as a pop-culture icon began in the early ’90s when he starred as a has-been TV action hero in the pilot episode of Lookwell, produced by Conan O’Brien and Robert Smigel. ![]() Then, in 1977, he returned to the tube as Batman, providing his voice for The New Adventures of Batman, and then on such shows as Super Friends. At one point, he was forced to make public appearances as the Caped Crusader to earn a living. Holy bad career moves, Batman!Īfter the Batman series went off the air in 1968, West was resigned to typecast hell. West declined, later writing in his autobiography that he believed Bond should always be played by a Brit. Things would almost come full circle in 1970 when West was offered the role of James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. His campy, over-the-top portrayal of Gotham’s Guardian infiltrated nearly every medium, including a 1966 movie and several animated series. Either you love him for his goofy charm or hate him for blemishing the Bat’s image for several decades. The man logging the most hours in the Batcave, of course, was William West Anderson, whom you probably know better as Adam West. (The two also appeared together in their pre-superhero days, in a WWII anti-VD propaganda film called Sex Hygiene).Īfter Batman, Lowery enjoyed another 20 years in movies and TV. In 1956, he guest-starred on an episode of The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves, marking the first time a Batman actor shared screen time with a Superman actor. Though Lowery never played Batman in another serial, he did get to wear the cape once more and make superhero history in the process. He also filled out the Batsuit better than Lewis, with his utility belt hanging where you would expect on a superhero. Unlike Lewis, Lowery, 36 at the time, was a veteran actor, having already appeared in The Mark of Zorro (1940), The Mummy’s Ghost (1944), and Dangerous Passage (1944). Lowery took over the role in the follow-up serial, 1949’s Batman & Robin. Wilson, however, fared better in Hollywood, becoming the executive producer of the James Bond series. A few years later he was out of showbiz altogether. ![]() His next biggest movie part was in the 1951 cult classic Bowanga Bowanga. ![]() That, of course, wouldn’t be the last time someone complained about Batman’s voice.Īfter Batman, Wilson’s career went nowhere. Critics also complained that his voice was too high and that he had a Boston accent. One critic described Wilson as “thick about the middle.” Maybe that was why he wore his utility belt just below his chest. While he looked the part of the dashing playboy, his physique was more Danny DeVito as the Penguin. At 23, the unknown thespian donned the cape and the cowl in the 15-part 1943 Columbia serial Batman. Wilson was the first and youngest actor ever to play the adult Batman, and also the least successful. ![]()
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