While plenty of Batmen have come and gone over the years, none have returned to the cowl (and the big screen) after so long an absence as Michael Keaton. There's no denying the fact that Michael Keaton is Batman. For many, he's their Batman, the Dark Knight they grew up with and plastered across their bedroom wall. Out of all the fantastic storylines we got with Michael Keaton's Batman in Tim Burton's Batman movies, no single moment was more powerful than the one he shares with Michelle Pfeiffer's Selina Kyle in Batman Returns.
It's been over 30 years since Batman Returns premiered in theaters across the globe, and Keaton is back as Gotham's reclusive billionaire playboy for the final installment of the DCEU as we know it. Whether The Flash interests you or not, there's no denying that Michael Keaton looks just as good in the suit now as he did in the early '90s. In many respects, the actor is directly responsible for reigniting popular interest in Batman after the Adam West series fell out of popularity, reinventing the Hollywood hero as a moodier and broodier crusader who uses the shadows to his advantage. First appearing in 1989's Batman, Keaton's Bruce Wayne is something of an antisocial loner who'd much rather spend his nights with Gotham's undesirables than with the wealthy socialites he was born into. Of course, that's most iterations of Batman, but Keaton made the character his own.
Since both of Keaton's Batman movies were directed by visionary Tim Burton, there's a sort of gothically twisted flair mixed into his performance. Naturally, Burton's art deco-style Gotham City was a dark reflection of Keaton's Caped Crusader's own psyche, but an even better mirror to hold up to this iteration of the Dark Knight is that of his enemies. It's no secret that your hero is only as good as your villain, and in the case of Batman that's most certainly true. Modern Bat-flicks such as Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy and Matt Reeves' The Batman feature powerful foes who push Batman to his absolute limits, but Tim Burton did it first.
In Tim Burton's Movies, Batman's Enemies Are Mirrors
In Batman, the very first "supervillain" that Keaton's Batman encounters is Jack Nicholson's Joker. A truly underrated take on the character, the '89 Joker is accidentally created by Batman after the Caped Crusader knocks Jack Napier into a vat of toxic chemicals, transforming him into the homicidal, perma-white clown. By the film's climax, it was revealed that a young Jack Napier was the one responsible for killing Bruce Wayne's parents in Crime Alley all those years ago, making this version of the Joker Batman's most personal nemesis.
With the Joker out of the way, Burton opted to tackle both Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) for the sequel. 1992's Batman Returns wasn't the most well-received Batman movie of its time (though it wouldn't be the worst going forward), and was criticized by many for its increasingly dark and sexualized tone. And yet, Batman Returns features one of the greatest Batman moments ever put to film, especially considering Keaton's incarnation of the character.
Throughout Batman Returns, DeVito's Penguin is revealed to be nothing more than a monstrous look at what Bruce Wayne could have become had his parents not loved and accepted him. Instead of ascending above his tragedy like a bat, Oswald Cobblepot descends into the depths of Gotham like the flightless bird he represents. Likewise, Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman provides a compelling glimpse at what Batman would look like without a moral code, instead allowing himself to be corrupted by vengeance. In both instances, Burton takes a part of our titular hero and warps it into something ugly and (in some cases) barely human in order to contrast the type of hero Batman has become.
If good villains make heroes better, then Batman Returns reveals the Dark Knight at his best.
'Batman Returns' Most Powerful Moment Isn't an Explosion — It's This
While Burton's highly stylized sequel is thrilling, and features action sequences that are a clear step up from the original, it's the heart behind the Caped Crusader that shines brightest here. Ignoring Vicki Vale (Kate Basinger) after the first film, Bruce Wayne falls for the electric Selina Kyle this time around. From the moment Bruce encounters the reborn Selina, sparks fly, foreshadowing the literal sparks that highlight the climax. After discovering each other's identities, Catwoman continues her revenge quest against her former employer Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), while Batman focuses his energy on saving Gotham from Penguin's dastardly plot.
But after defeating his rival and catching up with his tortured love interest, Batman pleads with Catwoman for her to stop. Instead of appealing to her better nature, instead of minimizing her pain, he explains that he too understands. He, too, knew vengeance once, and after taking the life of his parent's own killer (albeit somewhat inadvertently), he has never known peace. Stepping closer to her, the Bat tells the Cat that they aren't so different, that, in many ways, they're the same. Rather than wallow in their misery and pain, he suggests that they leave it all behind and fly away together. But not every Batman/Catwoman romance can end as happily as it does in The Dark Knight Rises...
On its own, this moment is powerful, but what makes it one of Keaton's best is that Batman removes his cowl in the process. On the surface, this may not seem like a big deal. Batman removes his cowl all the time, especially in the Batcave or with those he loves and trusts. Disappearing eye shadow aside, there's nothing particularly noteworthy about Michael Keaton ripping off the plastic bat ears for a more meaningful close-up. If anything, some may see this as a simple Hollywood trick in order to give Keaton a bit more face time on-screen.
But it signifies so much more than that.
For Bruce Wayne, Batman is his true identity. It's who he is, the truest representation of himself. The billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne is, in many ways, Batman's simple-but-clever disguise. He's nothing more than a mask so that Bruce-as-Batman can commit himself entirely to fighting crime and ridding Gotham City of its murderous underbelly. Burton's first Bat-picture establishes this well, and Returns highlights this throughout, ultimately culminating at this moment when Bruce removes his true mask, revealing himself in an unprecedented way to Selina, pleading with her to come home with him.
'Batman Returns' Gives Batman a Possible Tragic End
Michael Keaton is so perfect here as Batman that it's hard to compare his performance to other live-action Batman actors. He even changes the cadence of his voice, shifting from his Batman vocals to his usual speaking voice to soften the blow. It's subtle but powerful. Additionally, he shows us that, although Bruce sees Batman as his true self, the scared young boy who watched his parent's murder all those years ago was hiding behind the cowl all along. Bruce may believe himself to be Batman deep down, but even deeper in his psyche there's another Bruce Wayne who has been so scarred and traumatized that he's hidden behind the symbol of his own childhood fears.
Hoping beyond hope that Selina may take a step back and run away with him–away from this vigilante life, and away even from Batman–Bruce plays the only card he has left: his heart. If you're looking for a single moment to perfectly define Keaton's tenure as the Dark Knight, look no further than the climax of Batman Returns.
It's easy to see Batman as this dark and tragic hero who has no time for love and romance, with no desire to leave the life he's built in Gotham's shadows. But deep down, Bruce Wayne doesn't want to be Batman, he has to be. The Batman rules Bruce's life not because he wills it, but because he's compelled by an unspoken oath. Some versions reveal that Bruce made a vow to his parents, others mark his crusade as a personal one with an end date in sight. However Keaton's Bruce became Batman, it's clear that his goal was never to grow old under the cowl. Rather, he fights to give others the privilege of growing old themselves, even at the cost of his own life.
But, what Bruce never counted on was that he might fall in love in the process. Yes, we saw this before with Vicki Vale in Burton's previous installment, but Selina Kyle has something that Vicki never had: a better understanding of why Bruce is Batman. If he were to find someone who could give him the life he felt he never had, if there was a true reason for him to leave Batman behind, he would. Burton's sequel proves this, and while this may not be true of every iteration of the character, it's true of many seen in comic books, animation, and even other live-action versions (Christian Bale's comes to mind for obvious reasons). Certainly, this is true of Michael Keaton's Batman as well, which only makes the end of Batman Returns all the more tragic.
In 'Batman Returns,' Bruce Abandons Vengeance for Hope
Ultimately, Batman fails. Selina rejects Bruce's offer, scars him, and then kills both Max and seemingly herself in an electrical blaze of glory. After the explosion, Bruce searches desperately for Selina's remains, only to find nothing but Max's charred corpse. The film ends with Alfred (Michael Gough) driving Bruce around a snowy Gotham before Bruce stops the car in search of Selina, who he believes survived. Though Bruce never sees her again, he adopts one of her stray cats in her honor, keeping the feline close to his chest, where he'd hoped the cat's former owner might've stayed forever. Although Bruce has moved past vengeance, he still holds onto hope.
As Bruce drives off into the night, the Bat-signal shines brightly above Gotham, reminding both Bruce and the audience that, without a reason to exit his crime-fighting career, the city still needs the Batman. No doubt, Keaton's Batman likely suited up that very moment and returned to battle Gotham's underworld. But, just as Bruce hasn't forgone hope, Burton likewise refuses to leave his audience without some themselves. Watching from the skyline is a newly resurrected (and silhouetted) Catwoman, signifying that, although she can't escape this life with Bruce right now, there may come a day when Batman and Catwoman remove their masks and hang up their leather forever.
Sadly, it's true that Tim Burton never made another Batman movie. It's equally true that Michael Keaton didn't return for Batman Forever either, citing differences with director Joe Schumacher's vision of the Dark Knight as enough reason to stay away. As such, this makes Batman Returns the definitive end of his version of the character. (Well, unless you count Sam Hamm's limited Batman '89 comic run or 2023's The Flash, but for nearly 30 years that statement wrung true.) If that's how Keaton's Batman was to fade to black, there wouldn't be a better note for his Caped Crusader to end on.
Michael Keaton's Batman was unlike any other. His commitment to the role is profound, as is his love for it even today. It's clear that he gave his all as Batman, reminding us that the man behind the mask is just as important as the cowl itself. In many ways, Keaton set the stage for all subsequent live-action Batman actors, inspiring new takes on the character in the process. For many years, he was the standard, and in some respects he still is. No wonder out of all the Batmen out there, Keaton is the one to return after all these years. He may not be the most prolific live-action Batman actor, but he's certainly the most iconic.
Batman and Batman Returns are available for streaming on Max.