Bruce Wayne (1989 film series character)
Bruce Wayne, better known by his superhero alias Batman, is a fictional character from Tim Burton's 1989 superhero film Batman and its 1992 sequel Batman Returns portrayed by Michael Keaton, based on the DC Comics character Batman, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
This adaptation of the character maintains the origin of his parents being murdered in an alleyway behind a movie theatre, however this adaptation does not feature the killer as Joe Chill or Lew Moxon, but rather Jack Napier, who would go on to become Batman's arch-nemesis, the Joker.
Fictional character biography
Early life
Bruce Wayne is the only son of Thomas and Martha Wayne. When he was a boy, Bruce witnessed his parents being murdered by criminal Jack Napier outside the Monarch Theatre. Bruce was then raised by the family butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce became obsessed with fighting crime to ensure that no one would have to go through the same trauma he has suffered. Bruce began studying science, technology, criminology, and psychology and trained in hand-to-hand combat. Needing an intimidating persona, Bruce came up with the identity of "The Batman" inspired by the bats nested in the caves underneath his family manor, where he sets up as his base of operations.''Batman''
The audience is first introduced to Bruce as Batman when he witnesses a mugging of a tourist family in Gotham City. He tracked the thugs who committed the crime and told them to spread word of his presence to the rest of the criminals in Gotham, when one of the criminals scaredly asks "Who are you?", he simply replies with "I'm Batman" and vanished into the night. Prior to this, there has been numerous sightings of the vigilante, and a criminal associate of the muggers', Johnny Gobb, who died after accidentally fell off from a roof, creates a rumor that the vigilante killed Gobb in a manner of a vampire that feeds on blood and cannot be killed. Batman's reputation as a menacing creature of the night that hunts wrongdoers strikes fear on the city's superstitious and cowardly including corrupt police lieutenant Max Eckhardt, who'd rather avoid talking about him in order to hide his. The next night, Bruce would host a fundraiser at Wayne Manor to help fund the Gotham City 200th Anniversary Parade. At the party, Bruce met photographer Vicki Vale, as the two began conversing, Alfred arrived to let Bruce know that Commissioner Gordon had to leave the party quite unexpectedly. Bruce reviewed the Manor's surveillance cameras and discovered that Gordon had been summoned to Axis Chemicals due to a break-in by Jack Napier. Bruce suited up as Batman to assist Gordon in Napier's capture, knowing that the criminal's arrest might lead to crime-lord Carl Grissom's conviction and possibly ends his operations over the city. However, during the ensuing fight, a bullet ricocheted off Bruce's armour and pierced Napier's face, causing him to fall into a vat of chemicals below, seemingly killing him. Batman vanished from the scene before he could be captured by Gordon's men.The next night Bruce would share an evening with Vale where the two began to fall in love, when Vale invited Bruce to lunch the next day, Bruce turned her down, as it was the anniversary of his parents's murder. Bruce left the scene at Crime Alley and witnessed a mob hit by the confirmed alive Jack Napier, now with his face bleached white, his hair turned green and a macabre smile etched into his face, calling himself "The Joker". Bruce then discovered that Napier had poisoned various consumer products with his laughing toxin, Smylex. After further investigation into Napier, Bruce is informed by Alfred that he has a date with Vale at the Flugelheim Museum. Bruce informs Alfred that he had no plans to meet with Vale that day, and discovers that the meeting was set-up by Napier, who had intended on gaining information on Batman via Vale. As Batman, he stormed the museum and rescued Vale from Napier's men, making their escape in the Batmobile. This would result in a chase between Napier's men and Batman, which resulted in Vale capturing several photos of Batman in action. The two return back to Batman's hideout, The Batcave, where he revealed his investigation into Napier to Vale and gave her his research notes to release, before causing her to pass out and confiscating the film from her camera.
Due to a suggestion from Alfred, Bruce headed over to Vale's apartment to inform her that he is in fact, Batman. However, the two are interrupted by the Joker. Bruce hid a silver tray under his shirt for protection before confronting the Joker. Bruce hints that he knows The Joker is Napier, and begins to act violently, to which the Joker responds with "Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?" before shooting him. Having been protected by the tray, Bruce retreated to the Batcave, and discovers that Napier was the one who killed his parents. Bruce slipped into a flashback of his parents death due to another television broadcast by Napier, and was awoken by Vale, having been led into the Batcave by Alfred, therefore uncovering his identity to her. Bruce then suited up as Batman and raided Axis Chemicals, which he had deduced as The Joker's hideout. He witnessed The Joker make his escape via personalised helicopter, and returned to the Batcave and headed to Downtown Gotham in the Batwing. Bruce came across The Joker's parade float during the 200th Anniversary Parade, where The Joker had planned on releasing Smylex on the citizens of Gotham from the stolen parade balloons by luring the crowd through throwing money to them. After using the Batwing to dispatch of the balloons, Batman returned to the parade and killed many of The Joker's men, but was shot down by The Joker, crashing at the front steps of the Gotham Cathedral. He watched as Joker took Vale hostage and entered the Cathedral.
Recovering from the crash, Batman pursued Joker and Vale into the Cathedral, eventually coming across them at the top level. Batman revealed to Napier that he had killed his parents, and thus reveals his identity and that he wants revenge. After Batman beat the Joker over the edge of the cathedral, Joker then dragged Batman and Vale with him, leaving them dangling above the streets of Gotham as the Joker's helicopter arrived to collect him and escape. Determined to fulfill his vendetta, Batman used his grapple gun to tie one of the Cathedral's gargoyles to The Joker's leg. Weighed down by the statue as he attempted to climb up the helicopter's ladder, causing the gargoyle to break free from its foundations, and causing Napier to plummet to his death. In the aftermath of taking down the Joker, the Gotham City Police Department awards Batman with his own personalised signal as a way of contacting him for cooperation. Due to his double-life as Batman however, Vale would eventually break up with Bruce, as he became more interested in the investments made by business mogul Max Shreck.
''Batman Returns''
During Christmas celebrations, Bruce was brought to the attention of the Batsignal in the sky, and discovered that the Red Triangle Gang had interrupted the Gotham City Tree Lighting Ceremony and had taken Max Shreck hostage. While Batman attempted to deter the gang, the next morning a member of the gang kidnapped the Mayor's baby during a speech denouncing the previous night's attacks. The baby is "saved" by a mysterious man called "The Penguin". The Penguin claims that he hopes to find his parents, who had abandoned him when he was an infant due to his deformities. Bruce initially felt sympathy for the Penguin, but after seeing him with Shreck, his suspicions increased considerably. Bruce discovers that Penguin was once a performer in the Red Triangle Circus, where a series of disappearances of children occurred. He then suspects that the Penguin already know who his parents were and is the gang's leader, and is planning something else. Penguin grew in popularity and discovered that his name is Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, and that both his parents were deceased. Bruce had a meeting with Shreck to contest Shreck's plans to build a new powerplant, during the meeting Bruce met Selina Kyle, Shreck's secretary, with whom Bruce begins a romantic relationship, unaware that she is the masked vigilante known as "Catwoman". Batman first encounters Catwoman during a confrontation with the Penguin, where the two come across her as she had finished vandalising a Shreck's Department Store, and causing it to explode. Batman attempted to pursue Catwoman, only to grow confused due to her passive aggressive attacks, and attempted seductions of Batman. After returning to the Batcave, Penguin officially announced his plans to run for Mayor of Gotham City.Some nights later, Bruce and Selina share a date at Wayne Manor, and discover via television broadcast that Penguin was attempting to frame Batman using one of his Batarangs at the Relighting of the Tree Ceremony, and had kidnapped the "Ice Princess", who was supposed to press the button to light the tree. While investigating the disappearance, the members of the Red Triangle Gang begin working on modifying the Batmobile to allow The Penguin remote control access. Batman found the Ice Princess standing on the edge of a rooftop. The Penguin arrived and startled the girl by opening one of his trick-umbrellas and causing a swarm of bats, which knocks her off the roof to plummet to her death. She landed on the button used to light the tree, causing a mass swarm of bats to attack the onlookers. Batman gets shot at by the Gotham City Police Department upon his attempted escape, due to his reputation and the apparent evidence that places him as the culprit of the murder. Batman fended off Catwoman and returned to the Batmobile, which has now been hacked by The Penguin, who takes the car on a destructive joyride. Despite regaining control of the vehicle, Penguin's plan had succeeded and Batman's reputation as a hero had been tarnished. In retaliation, Bruce hacked into the Gotham Plaza's speakers and played the incriminating quotes Penguin had said over the monitor during the joyride during one of his public speeches. Penguin reacts violently to the crowds backlash and opens fire on them and flees the scene, with Shreck rescinding his support of Cobblepot. Meanwhile Bruce made plans to attend Shreck's masquerade ball in hopes of running into Selina. The two meet at the party, neither of them wearing costumes, and Selina suffers a mental breakdown and announces to Bruce her plans to kill Shreck. While attempting to console Selina, she makes an off-hand comment that leads to Bruce and Selina deducing each other's secret identities. The two left to sort out their issues as Penguin crashed through the floor of the room, announcing his plans to kill all of the first-born sons of Gotham, and takes Shreck hostage. Batman arrived and interrogated Penguin's right-hand man, The Organ Grinder, and learned of Penguin's hideout underneath the Arctic World exhibit at the abandoned Gotham Zoo. Batman entered the Gotham Sewers via Batboat as Alfred worked to hack Cobblepot's pet penguins armed with missiles who were marching into Gotham Plaza to claim more lives. Batman confronted Penguin and used his own penguin army to fire their missiles at The Penguin's hideout, causing Cobblepot to fall through the skylight into the pool of toxic waste he had used to kill the children. Batman then attempted to stop Selina from killing Shreck, confirming their identities to each other, his attempts to calm Selina did not work, as Selina used a taser she had acquired during the Red Triangle Gang's initial attack to electrocute and murder Shreck, and caused the power generator to explode. Bruce searched for Selina in the wreckage, only to find the charred corpse of Shreck. Penguin rises from the sewage and bleeds to death, with Bruce watching as his penguin army dragged him into the water to serve as his grave. Bruce began driving around the streets of Gotham hoping to find Selina. After believing to have seen her silouhette, Bruce pursues her down an alleyway, only to find a black cat there which he adopts.
''Crisis on Infinite Earths''
Keaton's Batman was referenced in the Arrowverse television crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths", where it was revealed that Bruce Wayne had married Selina Kyle in a newspaper article. This series establishes the universe in which Batman and Batman Returns exist as Earth-89, with Robert Wuhl, who portrayed Alexander Knox in Batman, reprising his role for the series for a cameo appearance.''The Flash''
On June 22, 2020, TheWrap reported that Michael Keaton was in early negotiations to reprise his role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Flash.Production
Casting and backlash
Multiple actors were considered for the role of Batman during production. In Tom Mankiewicz's original script which Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman was attached to, actor Bill Murray was considered for the role in a script that featured Eddie Murphy as Dick Grayson / Robin and Peter O'Toole as the Penguin. Gremlins director Joe Dante was attached to the project as well at one point, with Dante wanting John Lithgow for the role of the Joker. Lithgow did meet with Burton about the role, but managed to talk Burton out of casting him in the film. The script was intended as a comedy, but was altered significantly after Tim Burton's involvement. Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, Charlie Sheen, Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford, Pierce Brosnan, Willem Dafoe, Alec Baldwin, Patrick Swayze, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Quaid and Jean-Claude Van Damme were all considered for the role. Eventually, producer Jon Peters suggested Michael Keaton, claiming he had the right "edgy, tormented quality" for the role, and based his argument off Keaton's dramatic performance in the film Clean and Sober. At the time, Keaton was primarily known for comedic parts in Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice, the latter also being directed by Burton. Keaton's casting as the character caused an uproar from fans of the character, who claimed Keaton was too comedic and too short for the role. Over 50,000 recorded protest letters were sent to Warner Bros. offices, and the casting was questioned by screenwriter Sam Hamm, producer Michael Uslan and even Batman co-creator Bob Kane.Batsuits
The design of the Batsuit worn by Keaton was designed by costume designer Bob Ringwood. Ringwood turned down the opportunity to work on James Bond film Licence to Kill to work on Batman. Ringwood stated that designing the Batsuit was difficult, claiming "the image of Batman in the comics is this huge, big six-foot-four hunk with a dimpled chin. Michael Keaton is a guy with average build. The problem was to make somebody who was average-sized and ordinary-looking into this bigger-than-life creature." Producer Jon Peters had requested for the Batsuit to feature a Nike product-placement, but was shot down by Burton and Ringwood, feeling that it would not be intimidating. 28 latex designs of the suit were made, as well as 25 different capes and 6 different heads. It was decided the use of spandex as in the comics and previous adaptations would not be intimidating enough, so the character was given black armor pieces.The Batsuit was upgraded for Batman Returns, using a more flexible foam latex, as well as an more traditional chest emblem. The updated Batsuit also featured a zipper to allow for urination in between takes and an updated plated armor torso that did not resemble sculpted muscles. Keaton still had difficulty hearing but found the neck movement much less restrictive on than the first costume. Due to the second costume's much thinner cowl with increased flexibility, a greater range of head turning was allotted but could still leave gaps folding away from the cheek. The infamous "Bat-Turn" movement became an iconic part of the character's body language despite not truly needing to depend upon it, contrary to speculation from contemporary pundits. The wardrobe department spent seven weeks sculpting Batman Forever costumes on his body cast, preceding under the assumption that he would be returning.
''Batman Forever''
Due to the backlash Batman Returns faced from parents who believed the film was too dark for children, Burton left the franchise and was replaced by Joel Schumacher. Burton's exit prompted Keaton to leave the franchise as well, turning down $15 million to reprise the role. The film was reworked as Batman Forever which featured Val Kilmer as Batman. Ethan Hawke, Tom Hanks, Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Day-Lewis and Johnny Depp were all considered to be Keaton's replacement before Kilmer's casting.Batman Forever received mixed-to-negative reviews from fans and critics, many believing the film was too campy and diminished the tone established in Burton's original. The film was followed with a sequel, Batman and Robin which featured George Clooney as Batman. The film gained overwhelmingly negative reviews, with many citing it as one of the worst comic book movies ever made, if not one of the worst films of all time.