Michael Keaton doesn’t care if Warner Bros. shelves ‘Batgirl.’ The actor told GQ that the decision to shelve the completed ‘Batgirl’ film – in which he reprised his role as Bruce Wayne – and never see the light of day didn’t give him any sleepless nights. The film was canceled as one of many cost-cutting measures Warner Bros. has implemented recently.
“No, I didn’t care,” Keaton said. “Big, nice, beautiful check.”
However, he added that he felt sorry for Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the film’s directors. “I like these guys. They’re nice guys. I’m rooting for them. I want them to succeed and I think they felt very bad and that made me feel bad. I’m fine.”
Speaking about his superhero legacy, Keaton added that the success of the Marvel and DC films owes much more to Tim Burton – who directed him in both “Batman” and “Beetlejuice,” both Warner Bros. projects.
“Tim deserves tremendous credit. He changed everything,” Keaton said. “I can’t say for sure, but it’s quite possible that without Tim Burton there would be no Marvel universe, no DC universe. He was doubted and questioned.”
Keaton added, “He didn’t get enough credit for saying, ‘Yeah, that guy.’ And everyone said, ‘Wait, Michael? You worked with him on ‘Beetlejuice,’ right?’ But I think what happened was Tim saw ‘Clean and Sober.’ I get the credit. I don’t know if he got enough credit for making that move. That was a bold move.”
Aside from “Batgirl,” Keaton got a chance to wear the cape and cowl on screen, perhaps for the last time, in 2023’s “The Flash.” TheWrap critic William Bibbiani called the actor’s reprising role as Bruce Wayne/Batman one of the film’s bright spots.
“In any case, it’s very entertaining to see Keaton’s version of Bruce Wayne strolling through Wayne Manor in a jaunty ascot, dispensing sage advice to the young heroes who still have a lot to learn,” writes our critic.
