One of the most successful film franchises of all time, the Caped Crusader himself, Batman, has been busy ever since his eponymous live-action debut in Tim Burton’s 1989 film (not counting the 1966 film based on the TV series, of course). There have been highlights and low points of each era. Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns may be iconic but Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever and, especially, Batman & Robin were letdowns. Sir Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy started out well and even had a masterpiece in the middle, but ended on an overlong note with The Dark Knight Rises. As for the DCEU, well, while Ben Affleck ended up being solid casting he was perpetually let down by weak writing.
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In short, the Batman movies aren’t always quite as compelling as they should be. But do you know what is? The movies’ behind-the-scenes facts. Even a movie as jumbled as Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice has at least one factoid that most bigtime fans know and just about any other film fan should know. What follows are the most interesting facts from each era, from Burton and Nolan to the DCEU. Will Matt Reeves’ saga produce even more? It’s likely…if a sequel to the 2022 film ever actually sees the light of day.
Billy Dee Williams’ Harvey Dent Would Have Been Two-Face in Tim Burton’s Batman 3
Sadly, Billy Dee Williams’ take on Harvey Dent was relegated to a minor role in just Tim Burton’s original Batman film. He didn’t appear in Batman Returns but was, in fact, supposed to return down the line. For the most part, a third Burton Batman movie would have focused on Riddler. But, there would have been something in there for Williams’ Dent as well, and whether it would have been Burton’s third Batman or a fourth, he would have become Two-Face. Fans can get a taste of what this would have been like in the comic series Batman ’89.
Marlon Wayans Would Have Been Robin in Tim Burton’s Batman 3
Like with Billy Dee Williams’ Two-Face, Burton fans can get a taste of what he had in store for Robin in the Batman ’89 comic. In fact, Batman Returns was initially supposed to serve as the character’s debut before he was ultimately bumped back to a third Burton Bat flick.
His debut in Batman Returns came so close to happening that it was guaranteed for a third film. How close did he come to playing Robin? Close enough for Burton’s choice, Marlon Wayans, to still get paid for Returns. His character may have been excised during pre-production due to the film having too many characters, but Wayans was given a paycheck for his time and even receives some residuals for it.
Robin Williams Refused to Play The Riddler in Batman Forever for a Very Specific Reason
The late, great Robin Williams was an affable, kind-hearted guy. He was also a guy who stuck to his guns, as it were. See, for example, his feud with Disney. In that case he agreed to a reduced salary for his work as the Genie in Aladdin on the condition that his voice and likeness would not be used to hawk merchandise. Disney went ahead and did it anyway and Williams didn’t work on their films for years.
Something similar happened with Warner Bros. when they were making Tim Burton’s original Batman. They first approached Jack Nicholson for the role of Joker and he said no. They then went to Williams who said yes. The thing is, the studio didn’t actually want Williams, they still wanted Nicholson, and the casting of Williams was really just an attempt to get Nicholson on board. It worked, but Williams was rightly upset and didn’t work with Warner again until Fathers’ Day, released nearly a decade later. This means he said no to Batman Forever, specifically during the brief time Burton was set to direct it.
Michelle Pfeiffer was Strongly Considered for Vicki Vale Before Kim Basinger
The role of photography and Bruce Wayne love interest Vicki Vale was a highly-sought-after one in late ’80s Hollywood. Many of the biggest names were either already up for it or eager to toss their hats in the ring. This included Michelle Pfeiffer who would, of course, end up playing Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Batman Returns.
But Bruce Wayne himself, Michael Keaton, was against Pfeiffer’s casting. Why? He was dating her at the time and felt it would be awkward to fake a developing connection with someone he was, in real life, developing a connection with. By the time Batman Returns was getting off the ground, however, their relationship had ended and she secured the part. It’s for the best, because while Vale is a somewhat bland role, Kyle was anything but and Pfeiffer knocked it out of the park.
Jack Nicholson Was Paid A Lot of Money to Star in Batman
Usually when a movie’s poster is seen, the actor who is playing the hero comes before the name of the actor playing the villain. Not the case with Batman. And not only was Nicholson billed over Keaton, but he also received a percentage of the film’s final gross.
Of course, Burton’s film made a ton of money. At the time, Nicholson reportedly made about $60 million. Adjust that to 2025 dollars and the actor walked away with a paycheck of nearly $155 million.
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Tommy Lee Jones Hated Jim Carrey on the Set of Batman Forever
Like Robin Williams, Jim Carrey is a likable fellow. That is, unless you’re Tommy Lee Jones. The two may be cackling side-by-side in just about all their scenes in Batman Forever, but as soon as the camera stopped rolling Jones’ smile disappeared faster than Batman after dropping a smoke bomb.
Carrey has talked about it over the years, relaying a story to Norm McDonald at one point about how he approached Jones at a restaurant the night before they were set to shoot one of their big scenes and said “Hey Tommy, how ya doing?” According to Carrey, Jones turned pale and started shaking, approached Carrey, and whispered in his ear “I hate you. I really don’t like you. I cannot sanction your buffoonery.”
Joel Schumacher Wanted Batman Forever to be More in Line with Burton’s Two Films
Tonally, Batman Forever is a pretty heavy departure from Batman and Batman Returns. Unlike Batman & Robin, though, there are still some touches of Burton’s take on Gotham in Batman Forever (Burton served as producer on Forever but not on Batman & Robin). If director Joel Schumacher had his way, Forever would have been even more tonally in line with Burton’s two films.
The director of The Lost Boys initially wanted his first Bat film to have a more substantial focus on Bruce Wayne’s fear surrounding the effects of his having dawned the cape and cowl. It also would have focused on Wayne suffering from burnout. But Warner Bros. wasn’t thrilled with all the backlash to the grim nature of Batman Returns and insisted on it being lightened up. There’s a Schumacher Cut out there somewhere and comic book aficionado Kevin Smith has seen it, so too should the rest of the world.
Most of Batgirl’s Scenes Were Cut from Batman & Robin
Some behind-the-scenes facts about Batman & Robin are funny, like how George Clooney, who has never been shy about his feelings towards the film, personally refunding those who saw the mocked blockbuster on the big screen. Other facts, however, are disappointing. For instance, the reason why Alicia Silverstone is barely seen wearing her Batgirl suit in the movie.
As it turns out, Silverstone’s Barbara Wilson was intended to suit up for a longer period of time in the movie. The reason many of these scenes were reportedly excised been attributed to Silverstone’s physique, and alleged weight gain during production. It’s well documented however that tabloids and the press mocked Silverstone. All this rubbed director Joel Schumacher the wrong way, who confronted journalists who displayed such mean-spirited audacity. None of this footage has seen the light of day though.
The Language Spoken by Ken Watanabe in Batman Begins Is Gibberish
In the first third of Batman Begins, the viewer is led to believe that Ken Watanabe’s character is Ra’s al Ghul, not Liam Neeson’s. They’re also led to believe that Ra’s al Ghul is speaking Urdu.
But just because the subtitles say it’s Urdu doesn’t mean it’s Urdu. In fact, it’s not a known language at all. It’s gibberish, and Watanabe made it up himself for the role. Along with the fact that Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. both auditioned for it, it’s one of the more compelling behind-the-scenes factoids about Nolan’s trilogy kickstarter.
Bruce Wayne’s Voice Modulator in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Was Kevin Smith’s Idea
In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it is revealed that Bruce Wayne has a voice modulator to further help shield his identity from those around him. This idea was only introduced after Ben Affleck was cast, and it was provided by none other than Affleck’s friend, Kevin Smith.
Smith felt that Affleck’s speaking voice was too high-pitched for the Caped Crusader, but that wasn’t the only reason. An electronic voice modulator would also deepen the voice while simultaneously helping it stand apart from what Christian Bale did with his voice in Nolan’s trilogy.
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