Michael Keaton Talks on Why He Walked Away From Batman

Michael Keaton who played Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989 and Batman Returns in 1992, was recently interviewed by The Guardian, in which he was asked on why he walked away from the role of Batman, for the third installment of the film, which was Batman Forever.

“[The film] just wasn’t any good, man. I tried to be patient, but after a certain point, I was like, I can’t take this any more, this is going to be horrible. But, look, there was some really horrible taste in the 90s, and I probably contributed to that, unfortunately. It was a time of nouveau riche excess – everyone was known for their jets and their stuff. And I thought, I’m in this job for the long run, I don’t want this. And the truth is, I’m not boasting, but I was correct. There are a whole load of people who ran things that are long gone.”

Keaton also goes on to talk about his bonding with other Batman actor George Clooney (Batman & Robin) on the set of Out of Sight:

“He used to shout at me, ‘Hey, the brotherhood!’ And I’d go, ‘Hey!’ But I had no idea what he meant. Swear to God! And he did it a bunch of times: ‘Brotherhood!’ And then someone explained it to me and I was like, ‘Ohhhhh!’ I mean, I think I’d forgotten he was in [Batman].”

To read the full interview head over to TheGuardian.com.