Over the decades, we’ve seen many iterations of The Dark Knight play out on the silver screen to varying degrees of success. From the campy Caped Crusader portrayed by Adam West, to the dark and gritty Christopher Nolan universe starring Christian Bale, we’ve seen it all: go-go dancing, shark repellent, and even George Clooney publicly stating that he will never play the role of Batman again out of respect for his wife. But we’re not here to talk about George Clooney or Christian Bale, but rather Michael Keaton and his lasting legacy in both Tim Burton’s Batman, and Batman Returns.
While it’s true that Keaton was a highly controversial pick for the role at the time, his confident, yet deadpan delivery won over audiences with back-to-back box office hits. When Tim Burton was casting for these legendary films, he perhaps saw something in Keaton that critics and fans did not. And he was right to take the gamble; Keaton’s role has since gone down in history as one of the most adored versions of the franchise, and we’re about to get into why with some of Keaton’s best moments as The Dark Knight, ranked.
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6 “You know what, I mistook me for somebody else.”
Warner Bros.
On this surface, this just seems like a quick play on words, and it is. It’s the weight of the wordplay that makes the exchange such a classic moment. Bruce Wayne almost blows his cover with Selena. He’s met her before, but not as himself. That’s right. He recognizes her from an encounter he had when he was suited up, and in the heat of a Freudian slip that he quickly covers up, he coyly says “You know what, I mistook me for somebody else.” This is a deadpan delivery that only Keaton could execute so perfectly, and it’s largely a part of his charm from his tenure as Batman.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Calm, Cool, and Collected
Michael Keaton was a smooth operator. He didn’t act out of anger issues or get haunted by his demons. Yes, he is Batman, and every iteration has a similar origin story, but Michael Keaton’s version seems mostly at peace. The fact of the matter is that both Batman and Gotham have taken many shapes and forms throughout the decades, and Tim Burton’s Gotham was especially labyrinthian. Navigating through this intimidating maze of Gotham requires a certain amount of collected coolness and self-awareness. As a result, Keaton portrays a version of Batman that is calculating, smart, and maybe just a little insane (but in a good way).
4 Telling Cat Woman to “Eat Floor”
It’s not a superhero movie without some one-liner action, and Keaton delivers flawlessly when he tells Catwoman to “eat floor,” before throwing her on the floor and saying it’s “high fiber.” It’s not quite Adam West, and it’s a far cry from the more family-friendly humor found in Schumacher’s Batman Forever, where the creative direction was maybe a little too family-friendly. It’s all about the delivery, and Keaton takes it from corny to cool with his simple, yet effective delivery.
3 “You wanna get nuts?”
Of all the classic moments in Tim Burton’s Batman films, how could we forget when Bruce Wayne baits Joker with the line, “You wanna get nuts? Come on! Let’s get nuts!” On the surface it seems like Bruce Wayne is losing his cool, but remember when we said he was always cool and calculated? Just prior to this scene, Wayne knew that trouble was around the corner, and he slid a metal plate under his suit-jacket knowing that if Joker took the bait and shot him, he’d be able to fake a mortal injury, and catch up with The Joker later suited up as The Dark Knight himself. It’s borderline psychotic, but Keaton’s wry smile and ability to always be one step ahead is his saving grace.
2 Intimidating Kill Count
It’s a known piece of lore in the Batman cinematic universe that the Caped Crusader only resorts to lethal force when it’s absolutely necessary. However, Keaton’s role is a little more unrelenting than his predecessors– most notably against The Joker. Keaton’s Batman uses lethal force on 16 henchmen, before taking out The Joker Himself. Gotham was arguably safer because the bad guys knew that Keaton’s Batman meant serious business. Total kill count between Batman and Batman Returns is well into the double digits.
1 “I’m Batman”
This is the iconic line that is often called back to in later franchises, and often is parodied and meme’d to death. It all started with Keaton, and it’s all the more impressive considering that this was an improvised line! Original versions of the script included Keaton saying “I am vengeance,” and “I am the night,” but it’s the self-awareness that makes the improvised version so much more memorable. After all, he is Batman, so he might as well own up to it.
