Batman Begins Star Liam Neeson Says Superhero Movies All Have "Just the Same Story"

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Liam Neeson starred in superhero films like Darkman and Batman Begins, but we likely shouldn't expect to see him returning to the world of superheroes anytime soon, as he recently reflected on how he's not much of a fan of them and how often they have "just the same story." The actor didn't decry the genre outright and even expressed how he does have a respect for the "phenomenal" technical accomplishments of such projects, while also noting that he felt the Christopher Nolan films he was a part of were different cinematic experiences, as they blended together various cinematic genres to set themselves apart.

"I'll be honest: All these superhero movies? I'm not a fan. I'm really not," Neeson shared with Rolling Stone. "I admire them because it's Hollywood with all their bells and whistles and technology, which is phenomenal, but they all seem to me to be just the same story. You can say, 'OK, you did do Chris Nolan's.'" 

When the outlet pointed out how Nolan's Batman trilogy infused more direct film noir elements, Neeson echoed, "You took the words right out of my mouth. They had a noir feel to them. And Chris Bale and Gary Oldman? Come on! What a cast. And Michael [Caine] and Morgan [Freeman]? My god!"

While Tim Burton's Batman films helped launch the character to new heights and open the door for other superheroes to come to the big screen, Nolan's take on the character helped establish a cinematic tone for the character that has made such movies outliers in the world of big-budget blockbusters. This trend was continued with Matt Reeves' The Batman, but even if that project fell more in line with Nolan's work than other superhero outings, don't expect to see Neeson make a return to that world.

"'Would I play a villain in the latest reincarnation of Batman?' No, I've already done that in Batman Begins with Christian Bale," Neeson answered for Men's Health of the idea of returning to that franchise. "I was Ra's al Ghul. He wasn't really a bad guy. He was trying to reorganize the world as it needs to be organized."

In 1990, Darkman was brought to life by Sam Raimi, who would go on to not only helm the Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man trilogy, but also last year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While Neeson might not be fully committed to helping revive that character, he previously expressed he'd at least be somewhat interested in how a new adventure could come to life.

Speaking with ComicBook.com in 2022, Neeson shared of a new Darkman, "I would be very interested in reading the script. Very." 

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Stay tuned for updates on future Neeson projects.

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