Michael Keaton has played a plethora of roles over the course of his career, but his role as Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman remains one of his most iconic characters. For that reason, many were excited when Keaton reprised his role as the Dark Knight in 2023’s The Flash. The veteran actor also played the character in the DC film Batgirl, but that movie was ultimately shelved for tax purposes. With that, I never assumed I’d see Keaton dress up as the Bat again but, just recently, I was proven wrong (and in a very unexpected way).
Over this past weekend, Keaton received quite the honor, as he was named Man of the Year by Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Group. The theatrical group, which is based at Harvard University, is known for putting on musical productions and for honoring actors on an annual basis. The group really put on a show for Keaton, as the actor took part in a bit that saw him adorned in a cape and a Batman mask. Check out WBZ News’ clip of the performance (which is just as delightful as it sounds):
I don’t know what I love more: the sight of Michael Keaton wearing a makeshift Caped Crusader costume or him wearing that ensemble while also going toe to toe with someone dressed as an Oscar. Regardless of that, this is a lovely bit, and this is also a very well deserved honor for Keaton. He’s put in more than a few performances worthy of praise, and he’s also been a major supporter of the arts over the course of his career.
Considering how synonymous Keaton is with the role of Batman, it’s definitely appropriate that the Hasty Pudding bit would nod at the character. Keaton defined that superhero role for a generation, so it’s somewhat ironic now to know that fans initially protested his casting. In 2024, Tim Burton and Keaton recalled that backlash being quite strong, and it still seems to baffle him. Ultimately, Burton apparently wanted Keaton for the role due to his screen presence and the emotion he could convey through his eyes.
Keaton initially played the protector of Gotham City in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and its sequel, Batman Returns (1992), before returning to the role for The Flash. Ahead of that reprisal, the Mr. Mom star spoke about what it was like wearing the Batsuit again, explaining that he found the experience to be “shockingly… normal.” On top of that, the Oscar nominee also said memories began to come back to him after he donned those superhero duds.
The prospect of seeing Michael Keaton reprise his DC role once more in the Batgirl movie was exciting for a number of fans. After the film was shelved, Keaton weighed in and admitted he wasn’t fazed one way or the other since he had a good time making it and was paid. However, Keaton also said he felt bad for directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah given they were disappointed they couldn’t release their film.
With that comic book movie not seeing the light of day, I think there’s a slim chance fans will ever get to see Keaton play the Bat on the big screen again at some point down the road. I’m not complaining, though, as Keaton has surely had his time in the superhero sun. And, of course, as his “suit up” as part of Hasty Pudding bit suggests, his legacy playing the Dark Knight remains firm within the pop culture zeitgeist.
Anyone who wants to see Michael Keaton’s performances as Bruce Wayne should grab an HBO Max subscription and stream Batman, Batman Returns and The Flash.
