| NOTE: This article is exclusively about the Batman from the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films, for the other versions, go to the disambiguation page. |
| “ | Batman: I'm not going to kill you. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to tell all your friends about me. Thug: What are you?! Batman: I'm Batman. |
„ |
| ~ Batman's most famous line. |
| “ | I'll get drive thru. | „ |
| ~ Batman to Alfred Pennyworth. |
| “ | This is why Superman works alone. | „ |
| ~ Batman to Robin. |
Bruce Wayne, better known as Batman, is the titular main protagonist of both Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher's superhero film series of the same name and the comic book series Batman '89. Two alternate versions of himself[1] from other timelines appear as the tritagonist of the 2023 DC Extended Universe film The Flash, one being the Ben Affleck DCEU interpretation, and the other being George Clooney of the Schumacherverse, appearing in separate scenes from the Burtonverse version.
He’s a billionaire who became a costumed justice-seeking vigilante following the death of his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne. Throughout his career, he would face many prominent foes, such as the Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman, the Riddler, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and more.
In an alternate timeline, Bruce would enter in retirement, until he was discovered by Barry Allen and his past self. After having some time to reflect upon himself and his past, he was eventually convinced into taking up the Batman mantle once more and assist them in preventing General Zod from destroying his world.
Portrayals[]
- In the first two films and The Flash, he was portrayed by Michael Keaton (who also played Jack Frost in the 1998 movie of the same name and the title character in Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Jason Hudson in Call of Duty: Black Ops II) and Charles Roskilly as a child.
- In Batman Forever, he was portrayed the late Val Kilmer (who also voiced Moses and God in The Prince of Egypt and Bravo in Planes, and played Madmartigan in Willow, Doc Holliday in Tombstone, Simon Templar in The Saint, and Chris Knight in Real Genius) and Ramsey Ellis as a child.
- In Batman & Robin and in the post-Flashpoint ending scene of The Flash, he was portrayed by George Clooney (who also played Danny Ocean in the Oceans 11 franchise, Frank Walker in Tomorrowland, the title character in Michael Clayton, and Seth Gecko in From Dusk 'til Dawn) and Eric Lloyd as a child.
Appearance[]
This version of Batman has black hair like it's mainstream counterpart from the comics while the Val Kilmer version of Batman has brown hair (similar to the late Adam West version of Batman) and the George Clooney version of Batman has gray hair. In the first two films, he wears a black rubber Batsuit with a golden utility belt and has the classic yellow and black bat symbol on his chest. Because of the suit's design, Batman is unable to turn his head and must move his whole body to look in different directions.
Personality[]
Adult Bruce Wayne
Bruce Wayne was heavily scarred by the sight of his parents murdered in front of him. He shows interest in Vicki Vale, but because of his obsession with his alter ego he seems unable to open up to her on an emotional level. Bruce has a deadpan sense of humor, though he only shows it to Alfred, whom he has known his whole life. Whilst in the comics he kept up his playboy profile by making public appearances, in the Tim Burton films he is something of a recluse. The people of Gotham have no idea what he even looks like, as he is able to go out in public without drawing attention to himself, however, he did host parties, if without revealing he was the host, barring exceptions, seemingly emotional, as his attraction to Vicki Vale drove him to admit who he was.
When confronted by the The Joker in broad daylight, he displays a level of frustration bordering on psychopathy as he smashes a vase and screams "Lets get nuts!" so as to appear intimidating. This contrasts with his normally cool demeanor when dressed as Batman, implying that his alter ego is a release for all of his psychological issues.
Unlike his comic-book counterpart, this version of Batman doesn't think twice about killing criminals. At the start of Batman it was revealed that he dropped a mugger off a building. He also attempted to kill the Joker as means of revenge. In Batman, he killed several members of Joker's crew when he blew up Ace Chemicals, and in Batman Returns he killed off several members of the Penguin's gang in brutal fashion, such as setting one on fire and planting dynamite on another. Although, by the end of Returns, he would try to take a criminal into custody if it appeared like battle was over, as he attempted to take Max Shreck under arrest, only to be disrupted by Catwoman who wanted to murder the corrupt businessman and did as such.
In Batman Returns, Bruce begins to show a more sociable side as he pursues Selina Kyle. He invites her to his manor and they open up to each other in a way that he couldn't with Vicki. Shortly afterwards, Bruce and Selina would figure out each other's identities, revealing that the attraction between them was built around their personal demons, although also the fact that with each other they feel more human, which is a side of themselves they neglected during that time.
As the films were changed to a far more lighthearted tone Batman as well was changed to a more comical and less troubled individual though still a somewhat wise individual who worked to get past the trauma that once haunted him. He remained stoic and a loner, as he was reluctant to share the burden of dangerous supervillains with others, believing only he should take that risk, and his soured relationships with Vicki and Selina added to his existing reluctance to pursue another romance.
From Batman Returns onward, he would take a more active role in Wayne Enterprises in both the public and corporate sides of the company, such as opposing Max Shreck's unethical and illegal power plant scheme, or holding charity galas. He would be willing to share his time with anyone in the company, regardless of the hierarchy, and would try to be considerate to their proposals, despite his own misgivings; when he rejected an idea, he would try to be kind, although this failed in the case of Edward Nygma due to his extremely unstable mental state. Bruce would also make exceptions in company policies, such as the apparent suicide of Stickley, Bruce still ensured his family received the insurance payout, even though suicide voided the company insurance contract.
Bruce continued to struggle with the duality of his personas for years, but he managed to accomplish balance due to certain influences, such as the psychiatrist Dr. Chase Meridian and adopted son, Dick Grayson. Chase's intellect and skill at psychiatry gradually helped Bruce feel peace, although at first it was at the cost of discarding his Batman identity - he later learned to maintain both ironically due to the threat of the supervillains Riddler and Two-Face. When Bruce took Dick Grayson as a ward, he was sympathetic to the recent orphan due to his own family's deaths at the hands of a lunatic, which also contributed to his refusal to allow the boy to become a costumed vigilante too, as he knew from experience that the trauma only became worse upon achieving vengeance. However, upon Bruce reconciling his Bruce Wayne and Batman selves, he accepted Dick as his crime-fighting partner, Robin, now knowing that the good they do would actually help ease their nightmares.
Abilities[]
- Peak Human Conditioning: Having trained his body for his crusade, Batman is at the peak of human physical conditioning. His strength, durability, speed, agility, and more have been honed to the fullest.
- Peak-Human Strength: Batman's strength is trained to its peak. He can lift people up and off their feet with little effort, carry and hold onto a person weighing over 108 pounds even while hanging from a ledge, and his strikes can send opponents back a few feet away.
- Peak-Human Endurance/Resilience: Batman is a resilient and durable individual. He can fall from great heights and recover, survive a plane crash with temporary disorientation, take hits from big goons, and barely flinched when stabbed by Catwoman's claws.
- Peak-Human Speed: Batman is quick at a peak human level. He regularly pulls his vanishing act in only a few seconds. Block many strikes from a dual blade wielding swordsman in quick succession, and blocked a bullet with his gauntlet while it was in mid-flight.
- Peak-Human Agility: Batman is has trained his body to peak agility. He is able to travel from rooftop to rooftop, jump down from a church bell, held on top the edge of a belfry and brought his legs up to trap a strong Joker thug in them to throw him down the hole.
- Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant/Martial Artist: Having trained for his crusade, Batman is a highly trained combatant with knowledge of several martial arts. His fighting style seems to comprise: HapKune Do, Shotokan Karate, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Boxing, Judo, Escrima, Aikido, Pro Wrestling, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Jeet Kane Do, Brazilian JiuJitsu, Ninjitsu, Kickboxing, and Krav Maga. He can take on multiple thugs, bigger opponents, a sword-wielding Joker goon, overpowered the Joker, Penguin and fought Catwoman.
- Expert Marksman: Batman is an expert in marksmanship. He accurately throws his Batarangs and can even shoot his grappling gun at opponents. This also extends to using the Batplane's weapons against the Joker's goons.
- Genius-Level Intelligence: Having trained his mind for his crusade, Batman is a highly intelligent individual. Particularly when comes to deduction and strategy.
- Master Strategist/Tactician: Batman is an intelligent planner.
- Detective Skills/Investigation: Batman is a highly skilled detective.
- Photographic Memory: To be added
- Business Management: As Bruce Wayne, he is skilled at running his business.
- Master of Disguise: Bruce Wayne can disguise himself as Batman with his costume and a change in his voice.
- Master of Stealth: Batman is a master of stealth, able to disappear and reappear in a few seconds.
- Indomitable Willpower: Batman is a highly determined individual. He is able to go after the Joker even after just getting out of his plane crash landing.
- Extreme Wealth: As the heir to the Wayne Fortune, Batman is a billionaire.
Equipment[]
- Batsuit: Bruce Wayne wears this suit to disguise himself as Batman. The suit has body armor that can take blunt force trauma and is also bulletproof, even at point-blank range. The gauntlets can block blade strikes and even bullets. His left arm could retract out a collapsible device that could be best described as a "hydraulic palm". Notably using this device to subdued an agile Joker goon. The cape comes equipped with a retractable glider to help him descend down from tall heights.
- Utility Belt: Batman wears a utility belt to carry his gadgets.
- Grappling gun: Batman uses this grappling gun to ascend buildings and to pull in his opponents. It is comprised of two-pieces that can be assembled and hooked onto his utility belt.
- Batarangs:Batman uses different variants of these hand-thrown bat-shaped projectiles.
- Rope Batarang: Batman used a collapsible Batarang attach to a rope line in order to ensnare and retrieve a fleeing thug.
- Remote-controlled Batarang: Batman uses a retractable Batarang that can lock onto opponents and be electrically guided to hit them when thrown. He used this to take out members of The Red Circle Circus who surrounded him, however, it was caught out of mid-air by their trained dog which Penguin used to frame Batman.
- Line launcher: Also known as "The Gauntlet", this device is a retractable zipline launcher that helps Batman move between wide areas. He later used a more compact version that can be stored on his utility belt.
- Smoke bombs: Batman uses capsules that break upon impact and creates a large cloud of smoke in order to cover his escape.
- Bola launcher: Batman used a device that can launch a bola at opponents. he used this device to tie the Joker's leg to a gargoyle which eventually came lose and weigh down Joker, causing him to fall to his death.
- Napalm vial: Batman carries a capsule on his utility belt that contains a neon blue liquid. When shaken, the liquid becomes volatile and when thrown, breaks on contact and burns whatever it comes in contact with. He most notably used this against Catwoman during their first fight.
Quotes[]
| “ | Bruce Wayne: Let me tell you about this guy I know, Jack, mean kid, bad seed, hurt people. The Joker: I like him already. Bruce Wayne: You know what the problem way? He got sloppy. You know, crazy. He started to loose it, he had a head full of bad wiring I guess, couldn’t keep it straight up here, he was the kind of guy who, couldn’t hear the train until it was two feet from. You wanna know what happened to that guy, Jack? Well, he made mistakes, and then he had his- (smashes vase) HE HAD HIS LIGHTS OUT! NOW YOU WANNA GET NUTS?! COME ON! Let’s get nuts. |
„ |
| ~ Bruce Wayne's second most famous quote to the Joker. |
| “ | Excuse me? You ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? | „ |
| ~ Batman to the Joker before punching him. |
| “ | I made you, you made me first. | „ |
| ~ Batman to the Joker about the night his parents were murdered by the latter during the final fight. |
| “ | Penguin: You're just JEALOUS because I'm a genuine FREAK and you have to wear a MASK! Batman: You might be right. |
„ |
| ~ During the final fight between Batman and Penguin, the latter made the former admit that he would prefer to be a creature, rather than pretend to be one. |
| “ | I'm sorry, Ed, then the answer's no. Tampering with people's brainwaves - mind-manipulation - it just raises too many questions. Sorry. | „ |
| ~ Bruce rejecting Edward Nygma's proposal and inadvertently creating a supervillain. |
| “ | Poor Edward, I had to save them both,. You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be now, but because I choose to be. | „ |
| ~ Batman revealing he had finally reconciled his identities to the Riddler. |
| “ | Flash: We can't bring you back, can we? Batman: You already did... you already did. |
„ |
| ~ Alternate Batman's last words to Flash before succumbing to his injuries. |
Trivia[]
- Before Michael Keaton was cast as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Emilio Estévez, Charlie Sheen, Pierce Brosnan, Kurt Russell, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the late William Hurt, Tom Selleck, Bill Murray, Randy Quaid, Dennis Quaid, Warren Beatty, Harrison Ford, the late Ray Liotta and the late Bill Paxton were all considered for the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne, but turned down the role. No other leading men were willing to take the risk at the time, this role has since become one of the most coveted in Hollywood.
- The two Batsuits worn by Michael Keaton later inspired Batman's costume in the Batman Troika comics following Batman's recovery from his back injury.
- Michael Keaton was nearly unable to hear while wearing the Batsuit. He said that his claustrophobia helped get him in the proper mood to play Batman. "It made me go inward and that's how I wanted the character to be anyway, to be withdrawn", he said.
- To complete the Batman look, black face paint is applied on the skin visible through the eye holes; moments when he removes the mask, it is sometimes noticeable that the skin around his eyes in no longer painted black.
- Michael Keaton came up with the famous "I'm Batman" line, in the script, it was "I am the night". It should be noted that Adam West had already delivered the line in the 60's, but in a much different context and not to nearly as effective a degree as the Keaton take on the line.
- Joel Schumacher wanted Michael Keaton to return as Batman in Batman Forever with Lee and Janet Scott Batchler writing it with his voice in mind, and his agency wanted $15 million and the piece of the gross and merchandising, but Keaton never liked the idea of Batman with a bigger role at the time and took a pass on it, and was succeeded by Val Kilmer.
- Unlike most incarnations of Batman, this one has no problem with occasionally killing troublesome enemies, very similar to the Golden Age Batman. This aspect shocked comic book readers and cartoon watchers at the time that were used to the child friendly code of not killing and other compassionate moral lessons. This especially takes a deliberate, needlessly execution-style turn in Batman Returns, when Batman ties up a bomb to the Tattooed Strongman, knocking him into a manhole to explode. Most of his kills prior to this done amidst a desperate struggle after a plane crash or unknowingly due to vehicular collateral damage from explosives and artillery fired at a distance.
- In the comic books, the Golden Age Batman did kill, and this may have had something to do with Bill Finger's feelings that if Batman's rogues returned after being defeated, this would make Batman look incompetent, though the real incompetents would actually be the Arkham Asylum guards for not preventing the villains from escaping. But this changed in 1940, when the DC Comics editors decided that the comics should be more kid-friendly and introduced Robin.
- This, alongside his DC Extended Universe counterpart are the only two live-action cinematic versions of Batman, who do not have a no-kill rule and are actively lethal against their opponents.
- Michael Keaton reprises his the role of the Burtonverse Batman for the 2022 DC Extended Universe film The Flash, which is the first time he has been on-screen as the character for thirty years. It seems as though he has the same history as in Batman and Batman Returns, but it was melded into the DCEU, because of a Flashpoint.
- While the film was a critical, audience, and commercial failure, Keaton's performance was well-received, although even that was criticized for exploiting nostalgia and Tim Burton expressed dissatisfaction with his creative vision being "misappropriated."
- Within the "Arrowverse" Multiverse, the events of the "Burtonverse" and "Schumacherverse" occur in two separate universes. The movies directed by Tim Burton happen in Earth-89 while the movies directed by Joel Schumacher happen in Earth-97. The Batman '89 comics, which follow original stories set after the Tim Burton movies, also occur in Earth-89. Another universe in the mainstream comics Multiverse called Earth 789 is where both Tim Burton's Batman and Richard Donner's Superman exist in the same universe.
- In deleted scene of "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One"; a newspaper article of the Gotham City Gazette reveals that; Bruce was engaged to Selina Kyle; before they had officially tied the knot. Therefore; Bruce had reunited; with Selina sometime after the events of Batman Returns and 27 years; before the events of "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One" respectively.
- In Batman Returns, one of the members of the Red Triangle gang called Batman by the wrong name, "Man-Bat." Man-Bat is one of Batman's enemies from the comics. Man-Bat also has a brief cameo in Batman Forever, a figment of Bruce's imagination that would show during flashbacks of his upbringing with no parents and his discovery of The Schumacherverse's Bat-Cave. This version of Man-Bat is apparently how this version of Batman remembers the bat that inspired his vigilante persona, as there are deleted scenes in existence that show him making peace with this figment, posing like a bat face-to-face in the darkness of his mind with the Man-Bat figment before snapping out of it, and realizing that he isn't EITHER Batman or Bruce Wayne, he's BOTH, and that responsibility is what makes him the man he is today.
Links[]
- Batman on the Inconsistently Admirable Wiki
- Batman (Burtonverse) - Batman Wiki
- Batman (Schumacherverse) - Batman Wiki
- Batman on the Batman Anthology Wiki
- Batman on the Batman Anthology Wiki
- Batman on the DC Extended Universe Wiki
- Batman on the DC Extended Universe Wiki
- Batman on Wikipedia
