Michael Keaton Says He Is Still The Batman

It has been nearly 30 years since Michael Keaton first donned Batman‘s cowl, but the actor is as close to the vigilante as ever. The actor may have signed on to play a villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Spider-Man: Homecoming, but Keaton isn’t ready to let Batman go yet. Over on The Last Show with Stephen Colbert, Keaton reminded the world of his Gotham roots with one powerful statement.

Last night, Keaton appeared on the late-night program to speak with Colbert about his Marvel work. The actor, who has a rather diverse resume, sat down while Colbert listed Keaton’s iconic roles. When it came to Batman, the host said Keaton once played the iconic DC character. So, of course, Keaton had to remind Colbert you never stop being Batman once you’ve stepped into Bruce Wayne’s shoes.

“I am Batman,” Keaton interrupted, stressing the fact that he is the Wayne Enterprise heir still today.

Of course, Keaton has had plenty of experience suiting up as Batman even if it’s been awhile. The actor first played the hero in 1989’s Batman movie which Tim Burton directed. The feature became a quick hit with fans, and many consider Keaton’s take on Batman to be one of the best to-date in Hollywood.

Recently, Keaton opened up about what it was like to star in a Marvel movie after years of being known for his Batman work. The actor appeared on Ellen to talk about the films’ differences. “One’s a bat and the other’s a spider,” Keaton joked at first before getting serious.

“They’re really different in terms of how they’re made. You know think about what Tim did, Tim Burton, who to me is a just, there’s no one like him,” the actor explained. “He’s truly unique and an artist and I love working with him. The Marvel people are kind of amazing. There’s all that interconnected lore of you know, Iron Man and all the, I’ll tell you there are so many characters. You have no idea how many characters there are in the Marvel world that we haven’t even heard of yet.”

Over the years, Keaton has had his Batman tenure usurped by other actors. George Clooney suited up as Batman for a brief time, and Christian Bale famously played the vigilante in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films. Most recently, Ben Affleck donned the hero’s cape for the newly founded DC Extended Universe – but none of that matters at the end of the days. When it comes to Keaton, the actor just can’t seem to let go of Bruce Wayne.

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You can find the official synopsis for Homecoming below, which has a 4.13 out of 5 on ComicBook.com’s anticipation rankings.

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

The cast includes Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, with Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. It also includes Jon Favreau, Martin Starr, Kenneth Choi, Michael Mando, Selenis Leyva, Isabella Amara, Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., JJ Totah, and Hannibal Buress.

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