There is no doubt that a lot of people have strong opinions when it comes to who really created the best Batman character in the movies that followed the original television series. Although it created a lot of static at the time, many people might currently agree that one of the best portrayals of this character was turned in by none other than Michael Keaton. In fact, a lot of people were largely disappointed when he did two movies and then subsequently refused to do Batman 3. However, hearing from Keaton himself helps shed some light on his reasons for this decision. In retrospect, fans might now be able to understand why he made the decision not to do the third movie, and that this was the right decision after all.
He Didn’t Really Like The Script
Keaton has stated that he tried to work with the individuals who were coming up with the script for the third movie and that he waited for quite a long time. However, he is quick to admit that when the script finally came through, he just couldn’t see himself in that role. He states that he didn’t like the script and he really wasn’t willing to be associated with it at the time that he read it. This is understandable, as it would be difficult for an actor to turn in a truly superior performance when they are working with material that they can’t really identify with. Regardless of work ethic or overall effort, that lack of connection to the script is bound to show through in the final performance in one way or another. Therefore, it practically seems like career suicide to do a script if the actor in question cannot really get behind it beforehand.
Keaton Didn’t Appreciate The Pop Culture In The 90’s
He also stated that he was not a fan of the overwhelming amount of excess- everything that seemed to be so popular during the 1990’s. By and large, Keaton felt like this excess easily spilled over into the movies themselves, something that he was not proud of. He has stated that he feels that he actually “contributed” to this type of pop culture and that he is less than proud of doing so. In the end, he felt that he needed to break ties with this movie franchise in order to turn in higher-quality work that didn’t bend to the popular culture that he was less than fond of to begin with.
He Wanted To Remain Relevant
Since the time he did the first two Batman movies, Keaton had started to notice a trend that disturbed him a great deal. He has talked about the fact that many of the individuals that were involved in these movies are no longer in their respective positions in the entertainment industry. He felt that these movies contributed to those decisions for these individuals to be removed. Because he wants to remain relevant in this industry, he ultimately made the decision to distance himself from the movies before he himself was made irrelevant because of his association with them.
No one would argue that Keaton is a good actor. Although many fans were disappointed that he chose not to reprise his role as Batman in the third movie, it is hard to argue with the reasons that he had for doing so, especially looking back on things between then and now. Fortunately, fans of Keaton can enjoy him in a number of other roles and the individuals that are die-hard Batman fans can enjoy his work in the two films that he participated in whenever they feel the need to do so.
H/T – Cinemablend
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