Given the character’s enduring popularity, I would say Batman is one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood. Of course, we already have such a long list of past (and present) live-action Batman actors, which will soon grow with the upcoming DC movie The Brave and the Bold.
One actor who is surprisingly not on the plentiful list of actors who almost played Batman, however, is Alec Baldwin, despite Quentin Tarantino believing he would have been a great Dark Knight in the 1980s. And yet, a filmmaker who did not share that opinion was 1989’s Batman director Tim Burton, and the Oscar nominee, when appearing on his brother Stephen Baldwin’s podcast, One Bad Movie, shared why.
Why Alec Baldwin Was Not Considered To Play Batman
Alec Baldwin was asked how he felt about being passed on for the lead role in one of the best live-action Batman movies in favor of his co-star from the Beetlejuice cast, Michael Keaton, who was a controversial choice at the time. He responded with the following inside scoop as to why Burton did not choose him to play the superhero, courtesy of his then-wife and 1989 Batman cast member, Kim Basinger:
[Tim Burton] said to my ex-wife, Kim Basinger... 'I wasn't casting Batman -- the guy, the square jaw, the suit, whatever... I was casting Bruce Wayne, and I wanted to get a guy who seemed like... you could understand him being more troubled.' He goes, something like, 'I don't believe that Alec has any problems at all in his life.'
I have always agreed that the key to a great live-action Batman movie (or even a great animated Batman movie) is a deeper understanding of the man behind the mask – a billionaire tortured by the memory of his parents’ murder. While I am glad the role went to Keaton, who is my all-time favorite actor, I do believe Baldwin possesses the versatility to have been able to pull it off himself.
How The Batman Role Has Affected Some Actors, According To Alec Baldwin
Having later played a character that had some influence on Batman’s creation in 1994’s The Shadow (a comic book movie that might be due for a reboot), it is easy to see why Baldwin harbors no hard feelings about losing to Keaton. However, that is not the only reason he is not disheartened about losing the role, as he went on to say the following during his One Bad Movie appearance:
I thought, 'I'd have loved to have played Batman,' but it seems like it's been a tough part for people. Like, a lot of people, it's like a sticky problem for them... Keaton played it and everybody since, Val Kilmer, [George] Clooney, Ben [Affleck], it hasn't done anything for them other than giving them a paycheck. No one's sitting there going, 'Oh, I've gotta watch that movie.'
Baldwin makes a really interesting point here that I can’t believe I never realized before. Keaton, Christian Bale in the Dark Knight trilogy, and, most recently, The Batman’s Robert Pattinson are rare exceptions of actors who, for the most part, prospered wonderfully from playing Bruce Wayne. However, the late Val Kilmer’s career slowed down a bit after 1995’s Batman Forever, George Clooney (who, luckily, would manage to bounce back from it) has openly criticized Batman & Robin and his performance in it, and Ben Affleck faced intense scrutiny when he was cast for what turned out to be some of the most polarizing DC movies ever made.
You could even make arguments for why Batman is a “cursed” role that trace back to the 1960s, as the otherwise beloved Adam West would continue to live in the Dark Knight’s shadow for the remainder of his career. That being said, who knows what would have become of Alec Baldwin if he donned the cape and cowl? On top of that, what will become of whoever represents the Caped Crusader in James Gunn’s new DC Universe? Only time will tell.
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