There’s a good chance that the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t exist if Tim Burton‘s Batman hadn’t revolutionized the superhero genre. At least, that’s how Michael Keaton sees it.
Keaton is currently in the middle of doing a promotional tour for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, an upcoming horror comedy movie that reunited him with Burton for the fifth time. The duo previously worked together on the original Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), and Dumbo (2019).
During an interview with GQ, Keaton and Burton were asked about their take on DC’s Caped Crusader, which successfully reinvigorated the superhero genre following several flops (most notably George Lucas’ Howard the Duck and Sidney J. Furie’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace). Released in August 1989, Batman earned over $410 million at the box office and earned rave reviews from critics, with the DC movie even winning the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
While Keaton’s performance as the Dark Knight was praised, many fans were not too thrilled with his casting when it was first announced. However, Burton never doubted that Keaton had the goods to deliver as Bruce Wayne/Batman, telling GQ, “I love Michael because he has a certain energy. That’s why I wanted him to be in Batman, because you just look in his eyes and he seems intelligent, scary, crazy, everything all at once.”
As for Keaton, he remarked that Burton is largely responsible for the current superhero landscape, believing that without him there would be no MCU or DCU. “Tim deserves enormous credit. He changed everything. I can’t necessarily say this, but there’s a strong possibility there is no Marvel Universe, there is no DC Universe, without Tim Burton,” the actor stated.
Burton’s Batman won over audiences with his darker take on the Caped Crusader, leading Warner Bros. to bring back the director and Keaton for a follow-up, Batman Returns. Although Burton and Keaton departed the franchise after the 1992 sequel, the franchise continued for two more installments before being rebooted in 2005 with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.
Keaton would eventually return to the role of Batman for the DC Extended Universe movie, The Flash, which was released in theaters in 2023. He also shot scenes for the Batgirl movie, which would have also been part of the DCEU had it not been shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery for a tax write-off.
Batman and Batman Returns are available to stream on Max. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, meanwhile, hits theaters on September 6, 2024.