Michael Keaton's Original Batman Costume Will Soon Be for Sale

Many regard Michael Keaton's portrayal of Batman to be the definitive Dark Knight, and it looks like one lucky person will soon get to own a piece of that history. The UK company Prop Store recently announced a new Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, which will sell off treasures from the world of film and television. Among the items listed for auction is Keaton's batsuit, which he wore in 1989's Batman. The estimated auction price for the suit is £80,000 - 120,000, or around $98.5K - 148K.

"The Batsuit was conceived and developed by Academy Award®-nominated costume designer Bob Ringwood, along with Vin Burnham." the auction's description reads in part. "As Ringwood would later recall in Batman: The Official Book of the Movie, four prototypes were created before a final lighter-weight design was settled upon, as 'at first [it was] difficult for Michael Keaton to move convincingly.' The Batsuit consists of a cowl, a cape, a Lycra® bodysuit with foam-rubber body armour, and a set of leg armour. It also features Batman's iconic yellow-and-black emblem, which is made of acrylic, in the centre of the chest. The gloves, belt and boots are replicas, added to complete the look of the outfit."

Other Batman costumes featured in the auction include Jack Nicholson's Joker, Jim Carrey's Riddler, Chris O'Donnell's Robin, and components of Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman costume. Beyond that, the auction features a pretty hefty amount of Bat-related items, including screen-used props spanning everything from the Batman TV series to The Dark Knight, and even the full-sized Batskiboat from Batman Returns.

While Keaton's batsuit - or practically anything from this auction - would cost fans a pretty penny, Batman fans will surely be curious to see where the props and costumes end up. Given Keaton's unique relationship with the franchise, his suit will certainly be a piece of comic book movie history.

"[The third 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,'" Keaton said of leaving the franchise in a 2017 interview. "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."

Prop Store's auction, which also includes merchandise from Back to the Future and Battlestar Galactica, is expected to take place on September 30th and October 1st. For more information, click here.